I place my hands on my cheeks, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.
“Oh my God! This looks amazing! You guys did such a great job!” Turning to Jason, I notice his gaze has shifted to both my wrists. My sleeves have slipped slightly, and this time he sees the bruises on both of them. Clear as fucking daylight.
I quickly tug my sleeves down, but I catch the sound of Jason chuckling under his breath.
“There’s no point hiding it, Mila. You don’t need to lie anymore. I’ve seen enough.” Just as I open my mouth to respond, he cuts me off. “I have to go to work. I’ll see you guys tonight.”
He pulls Jake into a hug and kisses him on the crown of his head. Stealing one last glance at me, he lightly shakes his head, then turns and walks out the door. Minutes later, I hear the engine of his Ranger rev outside, followed by the screech of his car peeling out of the driveway.
I can’t explain why, but I have this deep gut feeling that something bad is coming.
Whether it’s to Dean, Jason, or both, I fear I won’t be able to control or stop it. I can only pray that whatever it is, it doesn’t end in bloodshed.
CHAPTER 19
Jason
Two hours have passed since I stepped into the restaurant and locked myself in my office, not wanting to be disturbed while I work on staff wages. I’m too angry, too irritable to deal with anyone’s bullshit tonight, especially after seeing those damn ugly bruises on Mila’s wrists just before I left home. I was so furious I had to fight the overwhelming urge to hunt down the fucker who did that to her.
Something in my gut told me something was wrong the moment she showed up at my doorstep, looking exhausted and run down. Her eyes were sad and puffy, and the thick layer of makeup she wore, as if trying to hide something, made her look unlike her usual self. I was ready to believe her when she said it was from a restless night’s sleep, but then I saw the handprint-shaped bruises, and in that instant, I knew she was lying. That was no accident. Someone had physically hurt her, and I didn’t understand why she tried to hide it.
I still can’t shake the disappointment of knowing she didn’t trust me enough to confide in me—that she chose to lie instead. Is she so afraid of the person who did that to her that she feels compelled to protect them? Last night, before leaving my house, Mila seemed like her usual self—smiling, laughing, and joking around with Jake and me as we sat by the pool, eating pizza. The only time I noticed a subtle shift in her mood was right after she received a text from Dean. Now I can’t help but wonder—was he the reason for the bruises on her wrists?
All I know is this: if he is the one responsible, there’s no doubt—I’ll be out for blood.
Hisblood. By the time I’m done with him, he’ll wish he’d never gotten involved with her.
My hands ball into fists, the pen nearly crushed between my fingers. A burning rage seethes inside me, flaring hotter with every thought of Dean hurting her. If I don’t get the fuck out of here soon, I’ll end up tearing this office apart.
Switching off my computer, I walk out of the room, making sure to lock the door behind me, and make my way towards the bar to see if Chris and Gemma need an extra hand tonight. I need something to distract me from the chaos swirling inside my head.
When I arrive at the bar, it’s instantly clear that Chris has everything under control.
He always does. The guy might act like a clown ninety percent of the time, but when it comes down to it, he’s always someone I can count on to get things done.
“What’s up, boss?” Chris shouts over the counter.
I take a seat on one of the vacant stools, giving a brief nod to Gemma over at the POS system, before turning my attention to Chris. “Not much. Thought I’d join you tonight if that’s cool?”
Chris shoots me a puzzled look, but nods anyway. “Only if you bring these lemon, lime and bitters over to table seven.” He smirks.
Without argument, I nod, grab the tray with the drinks, and head over to table seven.
After serving the beverages to the customers and telling them to enjoy the rest of their night, I quickly stroll back to the bar.
“How’s tonight going? Any dramas yet?” I ask my bar manager as I settle back onto my seat.
“It’s been busy but uneventful, thank God. Gemma’s only been hit on twice today, so that’s a new record.”
I glance over at Gemma who winks, and I can’t help but chuckle.
Since we stopped seeing each other after New Year’s Eve, Gemma and I have slipped effortlessly back into our old friendship. There’s no awkwardness between us; in fact, she would often update me on some of her recent flings. There was even a rumour that she and Chris hooked up one night after work. But neither of them has yet to confirm or deny it. To be honest, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their professionalism at work— they can do whatever they please.
“Well, if you guys don’t really need me here, I think I might head off and finish the rest of my work from home.”
“Everything okay?” Gemma asks.
“Yeah. I just can’t seem to focus tonight. I’ll probably get more shit done at home than in the office.”
