Little Red (Twisted Dark, #4)

Chapter Twenty: Back to Business

"Get them before they drop!" I bellowed it out as I tossed several beer bottles on the cracked bar top. They were snagged quickly, my regulars tipping the bottles in my direction in thanks. I was glad I was back where I belonged. I wanted to put the nonsense that mother had caused behind me. As it was I had sent her a short note telling her it was best she not come around for a long while. I figured a quick note warning her was better than her showing up unannounced and I did something stupid.

Like trying to punch her.

I still didn't get it, I didn't understand why she had risked Violet's life like that just to get me to stop a blood feud she could have resolved on her own. I had told her I didn't want to deal with the blood feud, that it was her problem to solve. She had then dumped it on my head without warning and left me stunned at the sheer audacity of it all.

The music blared through the shitty speakers, I was fairly certain one had been blown completely now and I shook my head with agitation. I didn't really have the want or the money to fix every single thing there was to fix. I knew I could have done it easily on my own but I didn't want to. It was the same with the pipes. I didn't want to start a project and have it turn into a massive thing that would cause me to shut down my bar while I fixed it.

That wasn't to say I never made improvements or money from the bar. I did. I just sent most of my money to Tia and I had gotten the bar when it was nothing more than a shitty slum bar that had holes in the floor. I had done a fair bit to get her up to standard. I had repaired all the major things, had done everything to get it up to par of not falling in on our heads. It was just some time afterwards the want to do those things had run out.

I grabbed the bottle of tequila as I spotted a yellow hand above the crowd. "Tequila in bound!" I called it out and I watched as Raph snagged it over top of the heads I had thrown it over. I yanked my towel from off my shoulder and wiped at a wet spot behind the bar before I grabbed some more bottles of beer. "Belly up!" I tossed the bottles up onto the bar top before grabbing one for myself and cracking the top off. I took a heavy pull of it, grimacing at the taste. I was more of a hard liquor type but I didn't want to start taking shots. That was because I knew for a fact my mind would go straight back to that Forest where Lyxton had pinned me to a tree and damn near fucked my brains out.

I didn't like how my mind would slip back to that. I normally was a one and done and never think about it again. So the fact that my mind kept wandering back there was... well it wasn't something that I appreciated. That was not something that had happened before and shit that didn't usually happen, didn't impress me much. Especially if I wasn't used to it. I downed my beer quickly before I tossed some more bottles up to the bar top. They were gone before I even had to say anything.

"Well well well, little red." At the voice I stiffened and slowly turned and spotted Lyxton as he leaned against the bar top. "Ye left so quickly-"

"For a reason, mutt." I flipped him off and moved towards the other end of the bar. I tossed a few more beers up to the bar top. However I was still very much aware of the werewolf I had been doing my best to not think about since I had left the Forests earlier this morning.

"Red, can I get a two finger of whiskey?" Marquis lifted his glass and I smiled at him with a nod. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and quickly poured him his wanted whiskey. He saluted me with the glass, giving me a wink as he did so.

"Can I get a drink, little red?" The damned werewolf had moved down the bar towards me and I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly before I turned to look at him.

"What can I get you?" I forced a smile on my face as I looked at him and I didn't miss the way his eyes swept up and down my body, his tongue peaking out to wet his bottom lip. I couldn't stop the shudder of remembrance I got as the look sent my body straight back to that Forest. That did not impress me at all as I internally bitch slapped my body for the response.