Bloodlines

Chapter 31

The tension in her bar was high. Higher than it had even been in all the years she was owner. The men didn't even want to drink or eat. They were either too scared or tense to order food or alcohol and it irritated her to no end. It had been going on for a day and they didn't make any income.

Shanks came back not too long after Mihawk stepped inside the bar and the tension rose. She was still in shock. Of all the times and of all the things she expected to happen a quarrel between them was not one of them. Especially since that quarrel involved her.

She felt as if she was in a whirlpool. She didn't know which way to go or what to say. She was in her own predicament and didn't know which way was out. She hated it. She hated being cornered by something she vowed to herself to never be problem for her.

A love quarrel.

Usually, she didn't have any problems with men. She could easily cast them aside but these two pirates, they were different. Too different. They were the first men she ever felt attracted too and she didn't actually know how to react in this situation.

She thought that after two years, she would forget the peculiar feelings that Mihawk aroused in her heart. She thought even more so when she secretly started to develop feelings for Shanks and accepted that Mihawk wouldn't come back.

However, he did.

As soon as her blue eyes met his piercing golden orbs, everything came rushing back to her. The passion he stirred in her, the way he challenged her with his eyes, his smooth words and everything that happened two years ago.

The passionate part of her burst aflame and she wanted to curse at herself. She knew that he vowed to come back...to come back for more. She honestly thought that it was just another empty promise as usual. Yet, it wasn't.

She didn't know what she was going to do. Things finally looked like they were going well between her and Shanks. She would lie if she said that she didn't have feelings for the male. Unfortunately, it was all a mess because she still had feelings for Mihawk as well.

Liza groaned and hit the wood beneath her, wincing at the straining in her back as she did so. She let out a sigh and relaxed her aching muscles. She sat at the small desk next to her bed in her room trying to do some of the bar's taxes and tried to list all the things they would have to restock.

Thus far, she wasn't getting anywhere. Her mind continued to trail off on its own and it frustrated her. She let out another heavy sigh and stacked the papers neatly, then stored them in a drawer attached to the desk.

She calmly stood up, put her hat on and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were starting to get dark circles under them from the sleepless nights. She could tell that her body was stiff from only resting, which she couldn't do.

Deciding that resting or trying to do her normal business, was not going to help her get her thoughts straight, she exited her room. She closed the door behind her only to hear a yelp follow that came from Richard's room.

Raising an eyebrow and finding that her curiosity overcame her, she walked towards his room and softly knocked on his door. It wasn't completely closed and was a bit open but she didn't want to barge in unannounced.

"Richie? You in here?" She asked as she opened the door completely, her blue eyes widening at the sight. Aston sat shirtless on a wooden chair, his eyes clenched slightly shut and his expression filled with pain.

"Oh, Liza-chan? Yeah, I'm just busy removing this disgusting piece of art from his shoulder and neck," Richard said and briefly pushed up his goggles. He sat next to Aston, a strange yet small machine in his grasp as he slowly removed the ink of the tattoo off Aston's skin.