Page 43 of Playing for the Dark
Yet again, I find myself working another shift at Shenanigans… alone. Jessica’s really starting to piss me the fuck off, calling in all the goddamn time. Something feels off, but I can’t place it. It’s probably just because I’m trying to keep my head on straight on a Saturday night shift. The tips have been great; I’m sure everybody feels bad about me being back here on my own.
It’s not super busy tonight, but it’s just wild enough that when I look up and see that it’s almost closing time, I’m shocked. I’m going through the list again, just like last night, of all the closing duties. Make the last call announcement and close the tabs out.
“You going to be okay closing up? I don’t like leaving you here by yourself.” Dave is one of my regulars and the sweetest little old man.
“I’ll be okay, Dave, I promise. Nothing I haven’t done before.” I shoot him a wink, and he gives me a nod, getting off his stool and slapping the bar counter on the way out the door.
I finish up with the last-minute chores, grab my belt bag, and head to the front door. With my keys in hand, I lock up the bar and turn to head to my car. I feel like I do this every night. I touch my belt bag from the outside once I reach my car door, murmur“shit” to myself, and turn around to head back to the door. I forgot my fucking phone under the bar.
I’ve put the key in the door and swing it open. Right as I get back into the bar, I hear the loudest sound I’ve ever heard. I get knocked to my stomach, landing across one of the shorter tables.
I sit there trying to figure out what just the fuck just happened. Was that a fucking bomb?
I turn back around from the table and look out through the broken glass of the front door. I see my car, or what’s left of it, completely burned to a crisp, and just for dramatic effect, it’s still on fire.
I hear footsteps pounding through the back of the bar, and I look to see who it is. I really need to start carrying constantly when coming to work with never knowing when I’m goingto be on my own.
1 “ELLIE!”
Is that fucking Marcello? What in the hell would he be doing here right now?
“Cello?” I call back in a weaker-sounding voice than I want. He sounds like he’s in distress.
He runs up to me, his gun pulled, and he’s subtly sweeping the bar. What in the actual fuck is going on right now?
He gets to me, cupping my face and looking me over to make sure I’m okay. “I’m okay. I just got knocked over from whatever that was. What’s going on?”
He checks me over one more time with his eyes, holsters his gun into the back of his pants, and pulls me in by the back of my head to his strong chest. I sit there for a minute before wrapping my hands around his waist.
He whispers into my hair, “Thank fuck you’re okay. I couldn’t have lived without you brightening this dark world of mine.”
“I still don’t understand what just happened and why you were here so fast.”
“It’s not safe here or at your apartment. You’re coming back to my place, and you will not be out of my sight.”
I pull back from his chest. “Cello,” I warn. “I’m a grown woman; what you just said is a no-go. And what about Blair?”
“Blair is fine, I can assure you that. And I know you’re independent, but I can still offer you safety. Please come with me. I don’t like leaving you unprotected.”
I counter back, not wanting this to be the case. I just moved out of my dad’s and now this. “You don’t even know if they were targeting me. It could’ve just been a random attack.” He’s reaching here, or maybe I am. I know he will always have my best interest at heart, even while growing apart like we have. Maybe this will bring us back together. “Why were you here right when this happened?”
I see something flash across his face, but it’s gone before I can decipher it. “Remember earlier I said I was going to put guards on you?” I give him a nod. “Well, Rhett was here, but I had a bad feeling, so I came up here and sat in the parking lot.” That makes sense. I guess it won’t kill me to go stay with him for a couple of nights. My car did just get blown up.
“You can have one of my cars to drive, too, or we can go get you a new one.”
“Marcello. You know I don’t have the money for that shit. It’s fine. I’ll just ride share to work and back.
“You will do no such thing,” he says with that authoritative voice that would normally give me the ick if it was anyone else. His makes my pussy pulse.
“Yes, sir.” I give him a mock salute, but the flame behind those icy eyes is lighting my skin on fire. Maybe this wasn’t always the one-sided crush I thought it was growing up.
1. Can You Feel My Heart - Bring Me The Horizon
Chapter 33
Ellinor
We get back to Cello’s apartment, and I’m practically begging for a shower.
