Page 11 of The Mafia's Vendetta

She looked over at him.“Just a headache.”

Newman sighed and walked behind the bar, looking for something under the counter.He came back to her with Tylenol and a glass of orange juice.

“Here, take these.”

Nala almost sighed as she swallowed the pills and drank down all the juice.She could feel the sugar zipping through her veins.Any kind of sweets affected her quickly because she wasn’t used to having them.

She smiled at her manager.“Thank you.I needed that.”

Newman smiled.“Drink as much juice as you can.Not only do the vitamins help, but it will give you some energy.”

“All right.I better get these drinks out.”

She set a few drinks on one table.“Is there anything else?”she asked.

“No.Not right now.”

She nodded and went to her other table.This guy made her feel uncomfortable.He sat alone against the back wall.That would have been fine if she hadn’t caught him watching her.

“Would you like another drink?”she asked him.She hated the intense way he studied her.

“Yes, please.”

Nala turned and walked back to the bar, and she could feel his eyes following her.She put in the order and then glanced at the clock.She only had an hour left before she could head home.

She dropped off the man’s drink and checked on her other tables.When she glanced back at the man’s table, she relaxed when she saw he was gone.She tried her best to look as unappealing as possible, but now this guy and the one the other night made it seem like they looked right through her disguise, which freaked her out.

Brian, the bartender, waved.“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She smiled and waved back.

Nala opened the back door and checked around like she always did.She would never take chances because the stakes were too high.After carefully closing the door, she started to walk toward the restaurant.She would be glad to get home because she felt a semblance of safety when she was in that little apartment.Oh, she knew it wasn’t foolproof, but it helped.

Not only because of the locks but also the canisters of wasp spray she had and the different weapons.It was better than pepper spray because it shot farther and did the same damage.She always carried a canister of pepper spray in her hands.Even when she went to the grocery store or the short walk to the club and back.

A sound behind her made her turn abruptly, but she couldn’t see anything.The shadows seemed menacing, but she couldn’t see any movement that would alarm her.She turned back and started toward her place.A gasping cry burst from her mouth when an arm came around her waist and a hand over her mouth as the person pulled her behind a garbage dumpster.She struggled.When she tried to lift the spray, she realized his arm was pinning hers against her body, so she could not move it.

“Shhh.I know you don’t know me.I’m the owner of the club you work at.We met the other night.There are at least two guys looking for you.One is in your apartment, and the other is across the street.”

“Enough,” he growled when she continued to fight.“I’m not here to hurt you.”

If she could have laughed, she would have.This man she remembered from the other night was asking her to trust him.

Her energy was quickly waning, so she settled and became still.She wanted him to think she was too tired to fight, and maybe he’d relax his grip on her enough for her to bring the pepper spray higher to spray him.She knew she’d probably get hit, too, but it was worth it.

She listened as he talked on the phone.He still had a tight grip on her body and arm but had taken his hand off her mouth.She thought for a nanosecond about screaming, but if he was telling the truth, she was better off with him than with the unknown men.

“What, Boss?”

“I already told Hayes.I want several of you to pick up the guys and take them to the warehouse by the river so I can ask questions.I need Vance to drive down the alley behind the club.I want to get her out of here.We still don’t know if there are more than the two.”

He stuck the phone back into his pocket.“I’ve got a guy coming for us,” he told her.

She thought she wouldn’t have a chance if they got her into a car, so this was it.She tried to wrench away from him and lift her arm.

“Fuck,” he growled as he struggled to control her.“Knock it off.”

“You really think I’m not going to fight you?”she said.“I’d rather die than be sent back or become someone else’s prisoner.”

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