“I wish I’d known,” Jaxon said. “I could have talked to her about it, figured out where her head was at.”
“No!” Dylan raised a hand. “Don’t say anything to her about this. I don’t want her to feel pressured, and I sure as hell don’t want her to stop coming into the bar because she feels uncomfortable.”
“So what are you gonna do?” Jaxon felt for his friend’s plight. At least he knew Sela was attracted to him. Last night had reinforced that.
“I don’t know what the hell to do,” Dylan admitted, looking dejected. “I’ve tried to be there for her, be her friend, but it seems like that plan backfired. Now she sees me as a big brother or something.”
Jaxon laughed at the absurdity of that suggestion. He’d seen Dylan and Sabrina slow dance after she’d had a few drinks. No way did she think of him as a brother. “I don’t think so, buddy.”
“Okay. Maybe she sees me as her brother’s friend or something.”
“You are her brother’s friend,” Jaxon reminded him. “Does Dalton know how you feel about her?”
“No, God, no.” Dylan looked horrified. Dalton and Dylan were former teammates, and Dalton was a defensive lineman who Dylan often joked weighed as much as a refrigerator. “Whatever you do, don’t say anything to Dalton about this. He’d have my ass.”
“You’re a good guy,” Jaxon argued. “Dalton knows that. Could be he’d put in a good word for you with his sister. It couldn’t hurt to talk to him about it.”
“Yeah, it could. It could hurt a lot.” Dylan smirked. “Seriously, I’m not afraid of Dalton, but I need to work this thing out with Sabrina on my own. I don’t want her to feel pressured into going out with me.”
“Fine, play it your way.” It was pointless to argue with Dylan when he’d made up his mind about something.
“Tell me about you,” Dylan said. “What’s going on with Sela? You said you were out with her last night. How do you think her boyfriend would feel about that?”
“She doesn’t have a boyfriend anymore.” Jaxon shouldn’t take pleasure in something that obviously caused Sela pain, but he couldn’t help being happy that she was a free agent again.
“Wow.” Dylan checked his shiny diamond watch. “That must be a new record for you. It usually takes you at least a month to lure them away from the husband or boyfriend.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Jaxon said, glaring at his friend. Jaxon had never been the odd man out before, and he wouldn’t have put himself in the line of fire if it hadn’t been for Sela. “He broke up with her, not the other way around. Apparently he didn’t think she was as committed as she should be to the relationship.”
“His loss is your gain, right?”
“I hope so. We’re still testing the waters, but I think we’re getting closer.” If their passionate kiss good night was any indication, they’d be back together in no time. “I just have to be patient and let her decide when the time is right.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
Jaxon gave him an incredulous look. “Man, this is Sela we’re talking about. I’m just grateful she’s talking to me at all.”
“You should be,” Dylan concurred. “So does she know you got Joe to fire her so she could come work here?”
“No, and don’t you dare tell her.”
Dylan chuckled. “Keepin’ secrets from her already, man? Not a good plan.”
“I’m gonna tell her, just not yet.”
“Didn’t you learn anything from the mess Grayson got himself into with Alana? He almost lost her because he wasn’t honest with her. For most women, that’s a deal breaker, and after everything you’ve been through to get Sela back, I’d hate for you to lose her because you weren’t upfront.”
“You’re right.” Jaxon thought about how and when he could break that bit of news to her. “I’ll tell her. I swear I will. I just need to find the right time.”
Dylan stood. “Just make sure you tell her before she hears it from someone else.”
“Who else would tell her?” Jaxon asked, feeling uneasy. “The only people who know are you, me, Joe, and Marlie, and I trust y’all not to tell her.”
“Okay,” Dylan said, reaching for the doorknob. “Just don’t waste too much time, Jax. Secrets always have a way of comin’ back to bite ya in the ass.”
Jaxon frowned at the closed door. Dylan was right. He had to find the right time to tell Sela the truth and hope she would forgive him.
* * *
Sela sat across from Riley, wiggling her toes as she kicked off her high-heeled shoes under the table. “Oh man, it feels good to sit down. It’s been crazy busy tonight.”
“Must be because of the game.” Riley hooked a finger over his shoulder at the big screen behind them before he reached for her legs. “Here, put your feet up. Relax for a while. I took the liberty of ordering you a drink. I knew you’d only have a few minutes to kick back.” He nodded toward the soda in front of her.
“Thanks.” Sela felt uneasy when he massaged her arch, but she couldn’t deny it felt amazing. She tried to pull her foot away. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” he said, winking at her.
“You’ve been in a lot lately.” Sela had agreed to have a drink with him so she could tell him she wasn’t interested in picking up where they’d left off a year ago. Riley was a decent guy, or at least he pretended to be, but he wasn’t her type.
“I have good reason now that you’re workin’ here.” He grinned as he dug his thumb into her instep.
She lifted her butt off the seat, torn between pain and pleasure. “About that…” She took a long drink of the soda he’d ordered for her. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until she drained half the glass.
“Yeah?” He lifted an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“I don’t want you coming in here on my account.” When he frowned, she added, “Of course you’re free to come in whenever you want. It’s a free country, and I know you’re a valued customer and all, but—”
“But your boyfriend doesn’t want me sniffin’ around you, is that it?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend anymore,” she said, trying to placate him. She wanted to be honest with Riley, but she didn’t want to cost her employers business. “Sheldon and I broke up a few days ago.”
“I wasn’t talkin’ about that boyfriend,” Riley said as he began working on her other foot.
Sela was decidedly uncomfortable with the way his touch made her feel… hot.
But before she could ask him to stop, a waitress passed by their table. “You didn’t get your break earlier, Sela. You should take thirty now.”
Sela feared she might be reduced to a puddle on the floor by then. “It’s okay, fifteen is good. I know how busy we are.” She took another drink as Becky ran off to tend to another table.
“I was talkin’ about Jaxon.”
Sela looked at Riley, confused as she tried to remember what they’d been talking about. “My head.” She rubbed her eyes. “It feels kind of funny.” She reached into her bag, hoping she’d find a pain reliever buried at the bottom of her purse.
“No better pain reliever than this,” Riley said, obviously trying to distract her by working his magic on her instep.
Sela let her eyes drift closed. “That feels so good. I should stop wearing these shoes to work.”
“But they look so damn sexy,” Riley said, gliding his calloused hand up her bare leg. “Course, you’d look sexy in anything… or nothing.”
“What the hell’s going on here?” Jaxon demanded, fisting his hands on the table.
Sela opened her eyes to see Riley leering at her and Jaxon looking ready to commit murder. “I was just telling Riley…” What had she been about to tell Riley?
“Seems our girl here has a bit of a headache, Jax,” Riley said. “You should think about givin’ her the rest of the night off.”
“Is that true?” Jaxon’s rage turned to concern in a split second.
“I was feeling fine up until a minute ago.” She reached for another drink of her soda. “I haven’t had time to eat today. Maybe I’m just hungry and a little dehydrated.” She held up her near-empty glass. “I’m sure this will help. I’ll be fine in a minute.” Her skin felt prickly, and she squirmed when Riley’s hand glided farther up her leg. “God, yes…”
“What the hell is with you?” Jaxon demanded, reaching for her chin. He turned her head toward him. “Have you been drinking?”
“No.” She tried for outrage but failed miserably when her voice came out husky. “Of course not. This is all I’ve had tonight.” She looked at Riley, wondering why he seemed so out of focus. “Don’t stop. That feels so good. Higher.”
The murderous look returned to Jaxon’s eye as he turned his attention to Riley. “Take your goddamn hands off her before I knock all your teeth out.”
Looking smug, Riley said, “Why don’t you ask Sela if that’s what she wants?”
“I’m gonna kill you, you worthless bastard,” Jaxon said, lunging for Riley.
Jaxon was on top of Riley, dragging him out of the booth and punching him in the face. He landed several solid punches before one of the waitresses shouted for the bouncers to break up the fight. It all happened so fast, Sela didn’t have time to scream.
“Get him out of here,” Jaxon shouted at the man who pulled him off of Riley. “I don’t ever want to see his face in here ever again!”
“You’re not above the law, Davis!” Riley shouted as two bouncers ushered him out. “You won’t get away with this!”
“Do you need anything, boss?” a waitress asked, gesturing to Jaxon’s lip. “An ice pack, maybe?”
Jaxon swiped his hand across his mouth, narrowing his eyes when his hand came away bloody. “No, I’m good.”
Sela was too stunned to move as she tried to process what had just happened. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” She felt as if a mouthful of cotton was preventing her from forming the words.
“I said I’m fine!” Jaxon gripped the back of the bench seat. “You care to tell me what the hell was going on here? Why did Riley have his hands on you?”
She felt the urge to cry but had no idea why. “I… he…”
Jaxon’s face tightened as his skin stretched into a snarl. “You looked like you were enjoying it. Is there something you want to tell me? Are you two… together now?”
“What?” Sela rummaged in her bag some more, trying again to find the pain reliever.
“What are you doing?” He reached for her arm. “I asked you a question. Answer me, damn it!”
“I…” Her hands fluttered as though she had no control over her movements. “Don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel… weird.”
Jaxon dropped to one knee beside her as he stared into her eyes. “When did you start feeling this way?”
“A few minutes ago.” Her words sounded slurred, as if she’d been drinking. She hoped she could convince Jaxon she hadn’t been. She couldn’t afford to get fired, and given how angry he was, she couldn’t rule out the possibility. “Please don’t fire me. I haven’t been drinking, Jax. I swear to you—”
“I know.” He grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. “Can you walk on your own?”
Confused and tipsy, she admitted, “I don’t know. I’ll try.”
He pointed toward the three stairs leading to the main bar. “Try to walk in a straight line.”
He was giving her a sobriety test? So much for trust. But Sela knew he was asking as her boss, and she had no choice but to comply. She tried her best to put one foot in front of the other as she focused on the floor under her feet, but by the time she made it to the stairs, she had to grab the railing for support.
Jaxon slipped his arm around her waist. “It’s okay. Let’s head back to the office.”
“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered. She’d always been in perfect health. At her last check-up, the doctor had joked that if he had too many patients like her, he’d be out of business. “Why do I feel this way?”
“I have some idea.” Jaxon whispered something in Becky’s ear.
Becky looked alarmed as she gaped at Sela.
“What did you say to her?” Sela asked once they were out of earshot. “What do you think’s wrong with me?” When he didn’t answer, she screamed, “Tell me! What is it?”
Jaxon ushered her inside the office and helped her stretch out on the couch. “Just close your eyes for a few minutes, sweetheart.”
“I didn’t have anything to drink, except for the soda Riley ordered for me. I promise.”
“I believe you.”
He sounded cranky, making Sela wonder whether he was irritated with her or Riley. “Are you sure you believe me?”
Pounding on the door made Sela jump. “Police. Open the door, Mr. Davis.”
“What are they doing here?” Sela asked, trying to sit up. The room spun, and she had to lie down or risk vomiting.
“I have a feeling I know,” Jaxon muttered, yanking the door open. “Officers”—he gestured for them to enter—“I’m glad you’re here.”
“We need to know what happened between you and Mr. Riley, sir,” one of the uniformed men said. “According to him, you assaulted him and uttered death threats.”
Sela felt as if she was slipping in and out, like maybe she was on the verge of falling asleep.
“Is that what he said?” Jaxon shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m surprised.”
Dylan rushed into the room. “What the hell happened, Jax?” He looked from the police to Sela before his eyes settled on Jaxon’s split lip. “I heard you and Riley got into it.”
“I think he slipped something in Sela’s drink,” Jaxon said.
His voice sounded far away, but Sela didn’t miss his claim. Was Jaxon right? Could that explain what was wrong with her?
“Sela?” One of the officers looked at Sela. “Is this the young lady in question?”
“Yes,” Jaxon said.
“Is that true, miss?” one of the officers asked, walking toward her. “Did you see Mr. Riley slip something in your drink?”
“No, but—”
“He gave her the drink,” Jaxon interrupted. “It couldn’t have been anyone else.”
“There’s a bar full of people out there, Mr. Davis. If no one saw him do it, it will be tough to prove.”
“We have cameras,” Dylan said. “Was he sitting in the V.I.P. lounge?”
“Yeah, he was,” Jaxon said, snapping his fingers. “If he was stupid enough to do it at the table, we’ve got him.”
“Okay, but we’ll need you to come downtown while we sort all this out, Mr. Davis,” the older of the two officers said, reaching for Jaxon’s arm.
“No!” Sela cried, trying to sit up. “Please! You can’t take him away. It’s not his fault. He was just looking out for me!”
“That may be, miss,” the younger officer said, “but it’s our job to get both sides of the story. I’d like to suggest you go to hospital. If what Mr. Davis claims is true, you’ll want the test results in case you decide to press charges.”
“I don’t wanna go to the hospital.” She covered her eyes with one hand. “I just wanna go home.”
“Baby, please,” Jaxon said, sounding desperate, “we can’t let him get away with this. If he slipped something in your drink, he needs to go down for that.” Jaxon turned to Dylan. “Will you go with her?”
“Of course.” Dylan rushed forward to help her off the couch. “And if you need anything…” He glared at the cops. “Like someone to bail you out of jail, just call me or one of the other guys. We’ve always got your back.”
“Thanks, man,” Jaxon said. “Take good care of her for me, okay?”
“You know I will.”
Chapter Ten
“I find it interesting,” Detective Mulligan said, tapping his thick fingers on the scarred table top, “that in a crowded bar, no one heard you threaten to kill Mr. Riley. No
t one person. Why do you suppose that is?”
Jaxon knew the answer: He had loyal friends and customers. “No idea.” He shrugged. “Can you tell me what happened with Sela? Did the test confirm he slipped her roofies?”
“Why do you think Mr. Riley would do that?” Mulligan was non-committal, which didn’t surprise Jaxon. It was his job to extract information, not offer it.
“He wanted to get her into bed.” Just the thought of it made Jaxon’s skin crawl.
“Do you think Mr. Riley knew you’d be there?”
“I doubt it. I’m not there every night.”
“How many nights a week would you say you are at High Rollers?”
“Until recently, maybe one or two.”
“What happened recently?”
Jaxon had to come clean about his relationship with Sela. If he tried to lie, the cop would see right through him. “We hired my ex-girlfriend, Sela, to work as a hostess in the V.I.P. lounge.”
“I see,” Mulligan said, clicking the end of his pen. “So you’ve been hanging out more often to keep an eye on her?”
Jaxon wasn’t keen on sharing his personal business with a stranger, but he had no choice. He knew he should lawyer up, but he just wanted to get this over with, not draw it out. “I’d like to get back together with her. I figure that won’t happen unless we spend some time together.”
Mulligan said, “Did she have a thing going with Riley too? Is that why you jumped him?”
Jaxon pulled his lips back in something resembling a smile. “If they had something going, he wouldn’t have to drug her to get her into bed, would he?”
“Did I confirm he drugged her? I think you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.”
“Have a look at the video tape,” Jaxon challenged. “That’ll tell you all you need to know.”
Looking smug, Mulligan said, “I have looked at the video, and you’re right, it’s very telling.”
Jaxon knew what he was getting at. The video would show that he’d instigated the fight and threatened Riley. “If you already know what happened, what are we doing here? Are you going to charge me, or what?”
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