Jace beat me to it and I was grateful. “Uncle Derek and I were wresting the other day and he got hurt.”
Her little hand reached up and touched the stitches on my brow. “You’re a mess.”
“Don’t I know it, darlin’.” I tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear and kissed her brow before I let her run back to her parents. I needed to get to my apartment and clean.
“Meet at Halona’s tonight?” Darren called to us both as he got into his truck.
It was our ritual. I saluted and Jace barked out an answer and something crude about his truck. I was beyond caring and the numb started to take over. Maybe tonight I would be able to leave my troubles in the arms of a woman for the first time in too long. Maybe I could forget what it was like to lose everything.
Chapter Ten
Aiyanna
They cameinto the bar like they had before. They strutted like damn peacocks. Though they had every reason to. They were panty-dropping hot. Their lean, muscly bodies and tattoos on display. The only one not in for the show of alpha dominance was Mr. Grouchy-pants. It was the middle of the summer and he was wearing his usual long-sleeve shirt. I had to turn away from them to hide my smirk.
It was another busy night and I wasn’t complaining. But I also wasn’t going to wait on their table if I didn’t have to. I pretended to clean something but all the other girls were busy with their tables. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and made sure my wig was on straight. I plastered on a smile and approached the table. Derek didn’t even look up as I walked his way. That was fine, I could forget about that night too. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. Over six months gone. Bruises spotted along his jaw and stitches stretched across his eyebrow. The other guys sported a few bruises too. Concern flowed through me but I didn’t let it show on my face. It must have been a tough deployment.
Beers for all of them except Derek who didn’t say anything at all. I expected his show liquor if anything but no, he remained silent. When I got to the bar and looked in the mirror he finally looked up. His eyes were dark with pain and I had to pinch myself to keep my head in reality. I knew that look very well. It was the same look I had every morning when I woke up from my nightmares.
What demons are you running from, Derek?
Chapter Eleven
Derek
Every kindof woman was at the bar tonight. All ages, all races, and all backgrounds of life. There was an array for me to choose from but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Jace elbowed me in the ribs that weren’t bruised and whispered, “That one is checking you out.”
I looked up at a little blonde with short spikey hair. She smiled softly and took a sip from her martini glass. She had curves in all the right places. I could get behind that. I took a sip from my glass of water and watched her. She put on her bedroom eyes and it didn’t turn me off. It was a good start. She knocked back the rest of her martini and marched across the bar.
Okay, a woman with a backbone and no fear, I could really get behind that. Weak women wouldn’t survive my profession or, well, me. Her blue eyes looked at my long sleeves and her eyebrows went up. Her eyes held desire, but her face was stoic. She leaned against the table in front of me and bit her lip.
“Hello there,” her voice purred out in a British accent. I would have been lying if I said it wasn’t hot. Ian’s jaw was on the floor and then his look went stormy. Leave it to him to get jealous. No one had approached him yet and somehow, I was the first. I was never the first. “I’m Alex.”
It was a nice change of pace.
“Derek,” I nodded to her.
“Whatcha drinkin’ Derek?” She pouted and I wasn’t sure why. I felt myself frown.
“Water,” I held my glass up and showed her the transparent fluid.
“Boring, what if I bought you some whiskey? You seem like a whiskey guy.” Her eyes traveled down the length of me again.
“No, I’ll have water or maybe a coke.” I leaned back in my chair and Ian gave me a dirty look like he couldn’t believe I wasn’t accepting the whiskey. “Actually, ya know what, whiskey sounds great.”
Alex smiled with all of her teeth and went to the bar.
Ian punched my ribs. “You are the biggest idiot I have ever met. Do you want to go home with someone for the first time or not?”
It was my turn to smirk, even though his punch hurt my ribs, I wasn’t going to let him know it. “I have already gone home with someone at the bar.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah? And we didn’t hear about it?”
I leaned forward as I watched Alex out of the corner of my eye. She was flirting with the bartender. I sighed. “Six months ago, the night before we left for deployment. I was late for the debriefing.”
Ian frowned and shook his head. “I don’t believe it. Who?”
The owner of the bar walked up just in time with the beers for the rest of my brothers. “Aiyanna.”
