#1
"I’m fine. It’s okay. I...” When I looked up, the words stalled on my tongue. Then they dissolved in shock as I realized I knew him. “You’re...” Well, maybe I didn’t KNOW him, know him. But I definitely knew what he was. He was, “...a Parker.”
I wasn’t sure which Parker exactly. I’d seen him in school; he was a year ahead of me. But I didn’t know his first name. It had to be strange, though. They all had funky first names. Speed. Cobra. Mercedes. And there were a ton of them. Six or seven, or something like that. Their father had lined them up on our driveway and listed them off, right before yanking forward the only girl and claiming my brother Garrett had gotten her pregnant.
That had been months ago, back in the spring. After a brief, private conference with Bruce Parker—the Parkers’ dad—my father had dismissed them out of hand and sent the lot of them away, complaining throughout dinner that evening about how the dirty trash Parker family had upset his entire afternoon by daring to set their pathetic, second-hand-store shoes on his property.
The entire scene had caused a stir for weeks, really. Father grumbled about how he’d like to take the Parkers’ land from them and send them away permanently. Mother had fretted over possible rumors circulating of any of her sons having had any kind of dealings with a Parker. Max incessantly teased Garrett about his impending fatherhood. And an indignant Garrett disclaimed all accusations. But I hadn’t seen or heard from anyone in the Parker family since then.
Until now.
As my eyes grew big with shock, his narrowed in recognition.
“Bainbridge,” he hissed.
And just like that, we were enemies.
#2
“Hey, everyone. This is Knox Parker. He’s our new bartender.”
All four men spun around, and every gaze landed on me.
The fourth guy finally wandered closer, eyeing me up and down. “Since when do we have a new bartender?”
“Since today,” Pick answered casually.
Mr. Curious hitched his chin Pick’s way. “Is this the ex-con?”
Pick shook his head and sighed. “Ten,” he muttered. “You got a big fucking mouth, you know that?”
“What?” Ten shrugged. “Was I supposed to keep that secret?”
“Just...” Pick lifted his hands. “Let’s not go spreading his record around outside the six of us, okay? In fact, for the first week or so, you all don’t even know his name. Got it?”
None of the other bartenders seemed to get it. They stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. I gave him my own confused glance, wondering why he wanted even my name kept under wraps. But he didn’t explain himself.
Finally, the one Ten had called Lowe pointed at me as he asked Pick. “Is he—”
“Yes,” Pick clipped out, sending Lowe a hard stare before Lowe whirled back to me and studied me from head to toe.
A moment later, he huffed out a strange sounding, “Oh.”
I had no idea what they were talking about, so I transferred a leery scowl between the two of them, hoping they’d clue me in. But all Lowe did when I glanced at him was offer me a nervous smile and a greeting nod, which only made me warier.
What the hell?
From his barstool, Hart tipped his chin up and decided to talk to me directly. “So what’d you do time for?”
I turned my attention to him, and something in my gaze must’ve intimidated him because he took an untrusting pull back in his seat. Since it was obvious I already skeeved him out, I couldn’t help myself; I answered, “Rape and murder.”
A pregnant pause followed before Ten exploded, “What the fuck, Pick? You just hired a murdering rapist to work with us? Dude!”
Pick sent me a dry glance as if to tell me to keep my mouth shut. But I only gazed back, unrepentant. It wasn’t as if I’d lied. I had done time for both accusations.
Rubbing a spot on his forehead, Pick frowned at his bartenders. “How long have you idiots known me? Do you honestly think I’d hire a rapist?”
The disgust in his voice seemed to relieve them, but the one still standing closest to me, visually inspecting me, asked, “What about the murdering part?”
Pick shrugged. Then he glanced at Lowe and murmured, “I’m sure he had a good reason for that.”
“Oh, great. That’s just great.” Ten threw his hands into the air and spun away, before facing Pick again. “When he rapes and murders me, please tell my wife he probably had a good reason for it.”
Hart, still sitting in front of the laptop, snickered. “If he murdered you, Ten, he WOULD have a good reason.”
#3
“That new bartender keeps checking you out,” Aspen slurred into my ear, not listening to a freaking word I’d just said.
“Huh?” I glanced over, but he was already in the process of turning away. I scowled at his backside, even though he had a nice one. A very nice one. Hmm. It figured. I think only the sexiest men alive were allowed to bartend at Forbidden. It had to be some kind of decree written somewhere, or something.
My drinking buddy nudged my elbow. “So? What do you think? I think he’s yummy.”
I sent her an incredulous glance because I’d never heard her appreciate anyone’s sexiness except Noel's before, and every freaking bartender who worked at Forbidden was hotter than sin.
When she wiggled her eyebrows, letting me know she’d had one too many to drink, I snorted out a laugh. Aspen was adorable and hilarious when she drank.
She leaned into me and whispered loudly, “I think you should ask him if you can ride his disco stick. You know, to help you repound from Cameron.”
I snorted and slapped a hand over my mouth. “You mean, reBOUND?”
“Tha’s what I said.” Her brow crinkled with confusion. “Wasn’t it?”
“Sure,” I murmured, since re-pound seemed just as apt a term for what she was talking about.
“So?” She went back to nudging my elbow. “What do you think of him?”
I reluctantly returned my gaze to the new guy. He was half turned away this time. From the side profile, something about him rang strangely familiar, and it sent a zinger I wasn’t expecting through all my girly parts. I blinked, wondering where the heck that had come from. Then he turned fully away, and the bulkiness and breadth of his shoulders brought back a complete stranger’s profile, which knocked some reality back into me.
He really was a massive work of perfection, but I felt uncomfortable by the unexpected way just looking at him had made my body react. Guilt bit at my conscience because I’d only ever experienced such an instant physical craving for one other person in my life.
So I said, “Meh. Too dark and brooding for my taste.”
#4
I blew out a breath, wanting out of this conversation almost as much as I wanted to crawl out of my own skin and just be...someone else. “I didn’t say I ever hated you.”
“So you love me?” Her voice was soft as she stepped closer.
Dropping my gaze to her, I could do nothing but stare into her penetrating eyes. Panic filled my chest. But I kept facing her directly, afraid to show just how much this slip of a woman intimidated me.
She moved even closer. “All you have to do is say you don’t love me anymore, and I’ll turn around right now, and walk out. I’ll never bother you again.”
This was my chance. My golden opportunity to save her from me. And I couldn’t take it.
Gritting my teeth, I clutched my head in my hands and felt my face go red as I bit out, “God...damn you.”
