“George?” Rowan calls out.
“Who’s George?”
“He owns the place.”
“Then who’s Zeke?”
Rowan shrugs her shoulders. “Never bothered to ask. Wasn’t important.”
I smile inside. That’s the Rowan I’ve come to know. She doesn’t sweat the small stuff and is very much a big picture kind of person.
A door from the back opens and a small, wiry man comes out from behind it. He’s probably close to sixty if the gray hair he wears in a military buzz cut is any indication, but his forearms are laced with ropy muscles, indicating this guy is in shape.
He looks at me, then at Rowan, and a grin splits his face wide open. “Damn, Rowan. It’s good to see you, honey. I was worried sick.”
I’m assuming this is George and he walks up to Rowan, giving her a hug. I notice it’s short because Rowan steps away first. She has a warm look on her face, but I’m guessing physical displays of affection bother her. It’s probably why she stepped away from me so quickly this morning when I tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Hey, George. I was wondering if I could get my pay from the last week I worked?”
“Sure thing, darling. But sit down for a second. You have to tell me what’s happened to you. When you didn’t show up for work, well, I just feared for the worse.”
Interesting. This guy was worried for Rowan and I’m guessing it has everything to do with her ex.
Rowan looks around, and I can tell she’s on edge. “We really don’t have time, George. If you don’t mind, I’d really like to just get my money and go.”
George’s eyes flick to me, lingering just a second in an attempt to figure out who I am. Then they slide back to Rowan. “Are you hiding from Juice?”
Rowan grabs her lower lip in between her teeth and gives him a short nod. She looks vulnerable, which is not a good look on a woman as tough as her, and it makes me just want to sweep her into my arms and hug all of her problems away.
George sees it too, and his gaze hardens. “All right. Sit tight and let me get it.”
When George disappears back through the door, I reach my hand out and softly lace my fingers through hers. She doesn’t even turn to look at me, but just stares down at our hands. I give her a short squeeze, telling her it will be all right. She squeezes back and then releases me from the grip.
True to his word, George is back almost immediately with the money. He counts out three-hundred and fifty dollars into Rowan’s hand.
“This is too much, George. I should only be getting three hundred.” She tries to hand the money back to him but he lays a gnarled hand over her, pushing it back to her.
“Take it,” he says. “Take it and just be safe, okay?”
“But—”
George grabs her by the shoulders and turns her my way. Giving her a gentle push, he says, “Get out of here, kid. It’s not safe for you to be around this area.”
Rowan gives George one last look, and I can see the affection written all over her face. It says, I want to hug you, old man, but I don’t know how.
Instead, she gives him a nod and walks past me toward the door.
I look at George one last time and his look says, Take care of her. I also give him a nod and follow her out.
When I step out on the sidewalk, Rowan is tucking the money into her back pocket. She looks up at me. “I can’t believe that old goat did that. I’ll have to figure out some way to pay him back.”
I mentally roll my eyes at Rowan’s need to shy away from generosity and take her by the elbow. “That’s fine, but let’s get out of here, okay?”
I start leading her away from Zeke’s—back west down Bergen Street, toward the train station. But we don’t make it twenty feet before doors are opening on a dark sedan parked by the curb, and two burly men step out into our path.
Rowan immediate freezes and I can feel recognition pouring off her. The guys are dressed in jeans and t-shirts, completely innocuous, but the menace pouring off them tells me there’s going to be trouble.
The back door of the car opens, and a guy steps out. He’s dressed in jeans too, but they look designer and he’s wearing a black silk shirt. His dark blond hair is slicked back from his face and he’s pinning Rowan with a look that makes my blood instantly flame.
“There’s my girl,” I hear him say, and there’s no doubt I’m looking at the infamous Juice—kidnapper and potential murderer.
Rowan takes an involuntary step backward, stepping right into my body. I immediately take my arm and push her behind me, never taking my eyes off the three men standing before me.
Juice’s gaze narrows on me as he watches my protective move. His lips peel back and he sneers, “Ah... my girl is stepping out on me. Interesting.”
“Not your girl anymore,” I tell him, keeping my arms loose beside me.
He doesn’t take kindly to my proclamation and his face darkens in fury. He never even hesitates before he says, “Get this piece of shit out of my way. Rowan and I have places to go.”
I tense because I know the attack is coming, and it’s quicker than I can even prepare for. Both guys lunge at me, grabbing me by the shoulders and driving me down toward the sidewalk. I manage to tear one arm free, swinging my elbow at the nearest face. I hear a resounding crack when my elbow meets his mouth and blood sprays everywhere.
I don’t even have time to enjoy the victory of that blow, because the other guy lands a solid punch to my right kidney while the other dude’s knuckles drive into my left temple. My knees buckle and the sidewalk rises up to meet me, but not before a knee rises up and catches me under the chin. My teeth slam together with my bottom lip caught in between and blood fills my mouth.
Fuck, that hurt!
Rowan lets out a piercing scream, the word “Stop” reverberating through my bones. I’m dizzy and struggling to hold onto consciousness as both guys really start landing some blows. They have me at such a disadvantage with their coordinated attack, I’m only able to block a few of the punches and kicks they’re aiming at me.
To my surprise, Rowan screams again and tries to jump on the back of one of the guys that’s hammering on me. Then I see Juice come up behind her, grabbing her around the waist to pull her back. She screams again in outrage and my stomach flips over when I see Juice actually nuzzle her neck.
The sensual move practically shuts Rowan down and I can see the light exit her eyes, her body going limp. I’m enraged this fucker has the power to do this to my girl... yes, my girl... and I push my way to my feet, throwing one of the guys backward. I don’t hesitate, ramming my shoulder into the other guy, driving him back onto the hood of the car.
But again, it’s another short-lived victory and, within a matter of seconds, both guys have me back down on the ground again. While one holds my shoulders, the other aims a well-placed kick into my ribs, which causes stars to burst in my head from the pain.
My mind is frantically still working though—trying to figure out how to get me out of this mess and get Rowan out of that fucktard’s arms—when I hear the unmistakable sound of a shotgun cocking.
“You tell your goons to get off that boy or I’m going to splatter your brains all over the sidewalk in front of my bar.”
Everyone goes still—one of the guys who is whaling on me has his arm cocked back, ready to throw another punch. But I don’t have time to worry about that… my gaze goes to Rowan.
She staring back at me with a look that is so intense with worry, I can feel it down into the marrow of my bones. Juice, on the other hand, is gritting his teeth together, a vein in his temple throbbing in anger.