Page 4 of Bones
“Come on,” he grunts out, turning and stalking to the door before pushing the door open and entering the bar. I hurry to follow him, keeping an exact two paces behind him out of habit.
The Styx bar is the Knights of Hades’s motorcycle club’s favorite place to gather other than their club house outside of Devil’s Haven. The room is dark compared to outside, the only light coming from the few overhead fixtures. It’s enough to illuminate the wooden floors and the large space. Along the back is a bar, and to my right is a wall with a door. That’s where the bathrooms are. There’s a hall further down from the bathrooms, which I learned is where the stairs to the apartment above are.
There are a few pool tables, the green surfaces illuminated by the overhead lights. Each table has the balls racked still in the black plastic triangle, like they’re waiting for someone to come play.
I recognize the owner, Sydney, where she’s propped a hip against a table where an older man sits with a plated sandwich and fries in front of him. They’re the only ones in the place andshe raises her chin in greeting to Bones before smiling down at the man again and patting his shoulder affectionately before heading to the bar.
The older gentleman looks up and raises a palm to the demon in front of me. “Afternoon, Bones.”
To my surprise, Bones pauses and extends a hand to the man. The man, with white hair thinning on his sun aged head, takes it without hesitation to shake. His hand, gnarled with age, look like a child’s in Bone’s grip. “Colton. How’s the new POS system working out for you? Not giving you any issues is it?”
Colton grunts, a glower taking over his face. “Don’t know why I bothered having you upgrade, because I can’t make heads nor tails of it. But Junie is happy and she’s young enough that she understands all the technology. I told her she’s in charge of the register from now on since she likes it so much.”
Bones laughs, a warm sound that has my heart lifting up, the numbing apathy slipping its protective hold. Bones’ laugh is beautiful, and too short.
“You need to hurry up and hand the keys over to that girl. You know she can handle it.”
“She tell ya to say that?” Colton asks suspiciously before a smirk lights up his craggily face. “My granddaughter can have the shop when they haul my dead body outta it.” Colton’s eyes travel past Bones and land on me, catching me watching them. Automatically, I drop my gaze to the floor and it’s an effort to keep my hands at my side. “You going to introduce me to your girl? We seem to be getting more new faces around here. First Lacy, though she’s not really new, I guess. Then Blaze’s Kennedy, with those gun happy men chasing her.”
I’m caught, like a bug under a magnifying glass, unwilling to move less I get squashed.
Bones clears his throat, making me look up at him uncertainly. He inclines his head towards Colton pointedly as he says, “This is Sloan. Sloan, Colton--the meanest motherfucker in the town. We put up with him since he’s got enough connections, there’s no part or piece of hardware he can’t get us.”
“Fuck off,” Colton retorts before bracing a hand on the table as he heaves himself up; his age displayed in every wrinkle and spot on his darkly tanned skin.
I hurry to close the distance, not wanting to make him exert any more energy than necessary. “Oh, please don’t get up on my account, sir,” I plead. “I wouldn’t forgive myself for interrupting your lunch.”
Colton sits down heavily in his seat at my words, elbowing Bones in the side of his thigh. “She respects her elders. She’s too good for ya.” My face heats as I realize that Colton thinks I’m with Bones the same way Kennedy is with Blaze and Lacy is with Cinder.
“Oh, no,” I rush to explain, my heart beating frantically. “It isn’t like that. Bones is my--“ I hesitate, uncertain what to say. Captor? Warden?
“She’s under the protection of Cerberus Securities for now,” Bones answers so smoothly it covers my hesitation. “Reaper has me keeping her close until we figure out the next steps for her.”
Surprised, I crane my neck to look up at Bones, not realizing how close I’d gotten to him. His warm, earthy brown eyes meet mine and there’s a look in them that has my breath catching and my heart skipping. In the next moment, it’s gone. I had to imagineit. But why would I imagine something that shoots through the thick, unfeeling fog like a bolt of lightning and striking heat between my thighs?
Colton saves me by grunting in understanding. “Good. Never mix business and pleasure. Always ends in a mess.”
Sydney calls out to the three of us. “You here for a reason, Bones, or just to shoot the shit with old guys? You leave Colton to his lunch, else the town will flood the place if he’s late to opening the store back up.”
My eyes go wide at the caustic words directed at Bones, fear for the woman making my heart race like a horse on steroids. Bones doesn’t react the way I expect, though. He raises his hands as if to show he’s harmless and walks to the bar. In a stupor, I follow, sliding onto the cracked leather stool when he pulls one out and points to it. He takes his own, leaving one between us. Sydney raises a brow but says nothing. Both her hands are flat on the pristine bar top, a proprietary posture, as she waits for Bones to answer.
“Needed to get out of the clubhouse.” Bones’ voice is low enough that only she and me can hear it. “Sick of my own cooking. I’ll take a beer and whatever is easiest.” He tilts his face towards me, his eyes pinning me in place. “What do you want?”
I blink, realizing he’s actually giving me a choice and not sure what to do. “I don’t know. I’m not really hungry.”
Sydney and Bones share a look I can’t interpret. Then Sydney is reaching under the bar and sliding a two sided laminated menu no larger than a standard sheet of paper in front of me. “Why don’t you look that over while I get Sammy on a burger for him.”
“I’m not hungry,” I repeat, hating the weakness in my voice.
“You’re eating. Don’t care if it’s one of the salads, but you’re going to eat,” Bones tells me, his voice full of unwavering confidence.
I stare at him, the weight of his orders making my shoulders curl. “Okay.” I look down at the menu, letting the words blur as I fight back tears. I’m not going to cry in front of these strangers. I can’t.
“Hey,” Bones calls out, his voice softer than I’ve heard it yet. “You need help choosing, I can help you.”
I shake my head, my blonde hair swinging forward to hide my face. “No. I got it.”
His stare is burrowing into me and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep the panic at bay. Am I really so messed up that I can’t remember the last time I had a choice in what I ate? And now I can’t even make a simple decision like this anymore?
