Page 58 of Bloody Quarter

“I have eclectic taste. I’ll listen to everything from Hozier and Jake Daniels to John Mooney, Etta James, and everything in between.”

“Oh…I wasn’t expecting that,” Alora said, making me laugh.

“I bet you weren’t. We better get going.” Giving Alora a quick kiss, I walked around to pull the tonneau cover over the containers as she loaded Yara. I had a spot set up in the office for her, and I could already picture Alora checking on her every five minutes.

There were moments in life that you could never picture happening. Living at the farm with Alora and riding to town holding hands were just a couple of them. I was the monster, a demon in the dark, and demons didn’t get happily-ever-after stories. Not that I dreamed of one, but now…now, I saw everything I did in a new light and wanted her to be part of it. Could a reason like this be why The Chameleon had changed his MO? How ironic would it be if a woman in The Chameleon’s life altered my course and put me on the path to Alora? I smirked. I’d never know the answer, but as I lifted her fingers to my lips, I wanted to believe it was true.

Alora

“Here you go,” I said, setting the gin and tonic down on the coaster and taking the money. Working the bar was far more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be without ending up in my danger zone.

“What can I get you,” I asked the woman who stepped up next. She leaned in and smiled as she pointed at Greyson’s back.

“Can you get me him? Fuck, I would take two of those and a shot of tequila to wash it down,” she said, fanning at her red face. The spike of jealousy stabbed me in the gut as I envisioned ripping her pretty hair from her head.

“Sorry, no can do. That one is taken,” I said but kept my voice even. I needed to hang a glowing sign around Greyson’s neck. I am taken. Words I never thought I would think about a serial killer.

“Shit, it was a long shot. Can I get two orgasms and a blow job?”

Not with him, but sure, was all I could think. “Coming right up.”

It was packed in here as it had been every night since the first time I looked through the window. There was never a slow or dull moment. Learning the drinks was easy, but teaching myself how to spin the bottles and glasses like Greyson did was a whole other story. Sitting the shots on the bar, I took the cash and moved on. Rinse and repeat.

“Holy shit, Alora?”

Spinning around, I stared into Sam’s eyes, and as if no time had passed, Matt stood right beside him. You had to be kidding me. Could I not catch a break with the past catching up to me? It felt like I needed to face every fucking demon before I could have any peace. There was no point in trying to avoid the inevitable. My gut twisted into knots, but I wasn’t running away from this or anyone anymore. I’d done all the running I could or would do in my life. My feet were sore, and my soul was battered, but my heart was stronger than ever.

“Sam, Matt. I’d say it was good to see you, but we both know that would be a lie. Would you like something to drink?”

Sam leaned on the bar, his face far too cocky for my liking. “You still have a mouth on you. I guess you didn’t learn your lesson the last time I saw you. Someone should change that.”

I glared. “Planning on lying in court again? It’s called perjury, you know, and it’s a criminal offense. Or is that too big of a word for you to understand?”

Sam flicked the stack of napkins at me, all of them fluttering to the floor. “Oops.” I looked down at the mess and then up at Sam. “Are you going to throw a tantrum and get someone else killed?” Matt laughed. I glared at them both as anger steadily rose inside of me.

“Fuck you, Sam. You always were a small prick personality, but that was low even for you,” I growled, balling my hands.

Before I even realized what he was doing, Sam swiped the drink beside him off the bar and tossed it at me. The dark golden whiskey hit me square in the face. It stung my eyes and filled my nose with the scent, and I screamed inside, not daring to open my mouth. I’d come so far…too fucking far to even lick my lips. One drop could set me back to the very beginning, and I refused to let that happen. Stumbling back, I bumped into someone and realized it was Lennox as he grabbed my arm.

“What the fuck,” he growled, handing me a towel. I wiped at my face and was able to open my eyes just in time to see Lennox drag Sam over the bar.

Greyson grabbed my arm, the look on his face terrifying as he took in my soaked shirt and face. “I’m gonna kill him,” Greyson said, but I grabbed his arm and pointed at my mouth, my eyes begging him to understand that it was taking all my willpower not to lick my lips, not to whip my shirt off and ring it into my mouth. I hadn’t thought about or craved a drink in weeks. “Okay, come on.” I sighed as he guided me out of the bar and into the staff bathroom. I peeled the top off, not able to get it or my soaked bra off fast enough, before turning on the water. Cold or hot, it didn’t matter as long as it was wet and it washed away the smell of alcohol. Pumping the soap into my hand, I scrubbed my face and hair with the flowery scent.

“Shh, hey, you’re alright. You’re alright.” Greyson grabbed me from behind, and it was only then that I realized how much I was shaking. Turning me around to face him, he wiped at my eyes just in time for the first tear to slip free. “Don’t cry, Doll. Don’t give him that,” he said and crushed his lips to mine. His hand snaked around my waist, his skin hot against mine. Unable to help myself, I whimpered when I realized I couldn’t taste any alcohol, and my hands balled his shirt into my fists.

“Thank you,” I said, breaking the kiss on a gasp. “I never expected something like that to happen. It’s one thing to control my addiction. It’s something else to have it physically thrown in my face.”

Greyson smoothed back my hair, continuing to place soft kisses on my lips. “Who was that guy,” he asked. His voice was soft, making me shiver. There was a good chance that if he knew his name, then Sam was as good as dead. My eyes were locked with his steely blue ones, and I waited to see if guilt would show up knocking on my conscience’s door. Nothing stirred. My time with Greyson had twisted me, or maybe I’d already been twisted, and he nurtured it to the surface, but I didn’t care what he did to Sam.

“That was my ex-boyfriend.” I hadn’t thought Greyson could look scarier than he already did, but his expression chilled me to my marrow.

“Was he the one who took your virginity?”

“Yes,” I uttered without hesitation as I crossed my arms over my bare chest.

“Did he testify against you at your trial?”

“Yes,” I answered again.