“Let me know if you need a signed release or anything. Meanwhile, I think I’ll head on over to the bar with you. I’ve had a hankering for one of Dan’s double cheeseburgers and a big pile of sweet potato fries all week.”
They crossed the street together, but Emmett stopped short of going in the bar. “I’ll wait a couple of minutes before I come in. That way people won’t think we were together.”
She immediately hooked her arm through his. “And why would I care about that? Now, let’s go in before Dan has my head for keeping you out here so long.”
Emmett let her tug him through the door. As he walked behind the bar to resume his duties, he watched Jana greet several people in the bar before perching herself on one of the stools at the bar right in front of Dan.
His boss wiped the counter in front of her. “The usual, Jana?”
She sighed dramatically. “I try to stay away, Dan, but I can hear your evil burgers calling my name every night as I walk to my car. Even knowing they’re bad for my arteries, sometimes I just can’t resist. It’s a weakness.”
Dan laughed. “And I tell you every time you complain about my cooking that you could order a single burger wrapped in lettuce with no cheese and have a salad instead of the fries.”
Jana looked horrified. “And destroy the perfection of the thing?”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t offer you the healthier side of my cuisine.” As he spoke, he popped the cap on a local microbrew and set it front of her. “This is on the house. It’s a new one I just started stocking, and I’d like your opinion.”
Emmett watched as she took a long drink before setting the bottle back down on the bar. She made the simple act of drinking a beer appear almost sensuous. As if sensing his attention, she glanced in his direction and smiled. “Hey, boss man. One more thing. If Emmett was late getting back from his break, blame it on me. When we ran into each other outside, I conned him into carrying some heavy boxes from the clinic to my car for me.”
Dan’s gaze bounced from Jana to Emmett and back again. “No problem. It’s about time you let someone give you a helping hand. We all know you work too hard. Now I’ll go fix that burger for you.”
“Thanks, Dan.”
Emmett waited until his boss was back in the kitchen before approaching Jana himself. “You didn’t have to cover for me. If he had problems with me being gone a few extra minutes, I would have handled it.”
“I would have done the same for anyone, Emmett. Don’t sweat it.”
Before he could respond, Meg, the waitress on duty, brought him a stack of orders to fill. While he made a couple of frou-frou drinks and stuck some of those stupid umbrellas in them, Jana left her spot at the bar to talk with a few people in the place. Most seemed glad to see her, but a few ducked their heads and looked guilty. If he had to guess, they were more of her patients who hadn’t checked in lately. Even they ended up chatting with her. Okay, so maybe she was right, and he was overreacting. He hadn’t known her well enough to realize she treated everyone with the same warmth and friendliness, so she wasn’t singling him out for special attention.
He should be relieved. Instead, it pissed him off. He looked away from her and drew a couple of draft beers for some regulars who’d come in and sat at their usual spot at the far end of the bar. When he finished delivering the drinks, Dan had returned with Jana’s order. In fact, he was carrying two baskets filled with huge burgers and piled high with fries. He shoved one at Emmett. “Take your dinner break.”
What the hell? “I just got back from break. My dinner isn’t for another hour.”
“I know what the schedule says, but Meg needs to cut out early tonight for some event at her kid’s school. We’ll have to cover her tables after she leaves.”
Emmett glanced toward the waitress in the back corner of the bar. It had to be hard to work evenings when she had kids at home, although he’d never heard her complain about it. He fixed himself a soft drink and took his basket to the back corner of the bar where he usually sat. Most nights people him left alone to eat his meal in peace, but evidently this wasn’t most nights. No sooner had he settled in than a shadow fell across his table.
“Mind some company? I hate to eat alone.”
Emmett normally preferred it himself, but he pushed the opposite chair out from the table with his foot. “Have a seat.”
Jana sat down and reached for the bottle of ketchup and poured a lake of it over her fries. Then she added a couple of good shakes of hot sauce over the top for good measure. Emmett snickered. “Like some fries with your ketchup and hot sauce soup there, lady?”
She gave him a superior look as she fished a fry from the pile and nibbled on it. “I find that I like a fifty-fifty mix of fries and ketchup. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.”
He eyed the disgusting sight with suspicion. “Sorry, I think I’ll pass.”
For the next few minutes the two of them concentrated on their food. Dan’s cooking wasn’t anything fancy, but he made a mean burger. On some nights, Emmett devoured two of the huge double cheeseburgers but figured Jana wouldn’t be able to finish even one. He would have lost that bet, though. She actually beat him to the finish line and was licking the last of the ketchup off her fingers when he swallowed the last bite of his sandwich.
“God, that was good.” Jana leaned back in her chair looking pretty damn pleased with life. Then her eyes zeroed in on his basket as he set it aside. “Hey, you’re not going to let those last few fries go to waste, are you?”
Emmett shoved the basket across to her side of the table. “Knock yourself out.”
She started to reach for one but pulled her hand back. “No, I shouldn’t make a pig of myself, especially when it’s only the first time we’ve shared a meal. I wouldn’t want to make a bad impression.”
He suspected she was only teasing, but that left one question unanswered. If this was only their first meal, was she assuming there would be others? Interesting, but there was only one way to find out. He checked the time and saw that his dinner break was about over. It was time to man up and make his move even though the words he wanted to say were jumbled up in his throat in a huge knot. Finally, he forced them out, his normally deep voice sounding like five miles of gravel road as he spoke.
“Look, I’m off this weekend. Want to have dinner Saturday night?”
Jana had been about to take a drink of her beer. Instead, she carefully set the bottle back down on the table. “I’m sorry, Emmett, but I can’t. I already have plans.”
Fine, he’d tried. He should have known there would be someone in her life. A woman like her wouldn’t be short on male admirers. He stood up, ready to retreat to the safety of the bar. She caught his arm before he could get away. “I would love to have dinner with you, but I promised my parents I’d come to my niece’s birthday party. You could always come with me, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t be up for that, especially considering all five of my siblings and their broods will be there. I love them all, but they’re definitely an acquired taste.”
She was right about that. He hadn’t really expected her to accept. “Maybe some other time then.”
Jana bit her lower lip briefly and then said, “How about Sunday? I’m free then even if I can’t stay out too late. I have early clinic hours on Monday.”
Wow, she actually said yes. Emmett dropped back down into his chair. Now what? It’s not like he had any kind of plan in mind. He hadn’t been out on a date in nearly sixteen years, and he doubted she’d like a monster truck rally even if there was one around. “Sunday would be great, Jana. Any preference on where we go?”
He lowered his voice. “Considering where I was living until recently, I’m not up on the local restaurants.”
Would the reminder that he was an ex-con, exonerated or not, make her change her mind? Evidently not because she was definitely giving the matter some
thought.
“I do paperwork at the clinic on Sunday afternoons. Why don’t you meet me there at six o’clock? My favorite Italian restaurant is close enough that we can walk if the weather is nice.”
Did she think he couldn’t pick her up? Or more likely, maybe she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to know where she lives. Rather than get all paranoid over nothing, he said, “Sounds like a plan, and I can drive if it does rain.”
Her smile was all he could have hoped for. “Perfect. I’m looking forward to it. Make sure to bring a healthy appetite. The food is great and plentiful.”
It was time to get back to work. “See you on Sunday.”
“You mean you won’t see me tomorrow when I walk back to my car? I won’t know what to do without those gorgeous eyes of yours following my every step.”
Considering that was exactly what he was planning on doing, his cheeks burned hot. “Okay, yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow and then on Sunday.”
“Have a good night, big guy!”
She winked at him and headed out the door while Emmett went back to working behind the bar. And if Dan wondered what had Emmett grinning every so often, he didn’t ask.
Chapter 4
It was hard to know if the big crowd gathered in the bar was due to the rainy weather outside or if Fridays were always this busy. Either way, Emmett hadn’t had a minute to call his own since he’d started work. It didn’t help that he’d been on edge all day and didn’t know why. Despite having worked late last night, he’d awakened long before sunrise and spent the entire day pacing the streets, circling the same blocks over and over again. He’d lost count of how many times he’d ended up standing outside the secret entrance to the Paladins’ headquarters with a weird compulsion to pound on the door.
The strange feeling lasted long past the time he had to be at work. In between orders, he’d caught himself clenching his fists and looking over his shoulder as if someone were stalking him. He hadn’t felt this hunted . . . no, this haunted since right after he’d been sent to prison. Back then it had taken a few bloody fights to convince the predators in his cell block that they’d live longer if they sought out easier prey. Those memories had never really faded, and he still woke up some mornings surprised that he was in his apartment and not his old cell. However, this compulsion was over-the-top, like a nightmare being lived out in real time.
Finally, there was a lull in new orders and the crowd thinned out. Not sure how long the respite would last, Emmett leaned against the back counter to catch his breath. It wasn’t until then that he realized the weird tension that had been dogging his footsteps all day was gone. He rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck from side to side, glad to find his muscles had finally loosened up.
A few seconds later a fresh blast of cool air poured into the room as a group of men filed in through the door. They headed toward one of the long tables along the back wall and leading the parade were Devlin Bane and his buddy Trahern. Both men made a point of making eye contact with him before sitting down. From where Emmett stood, they all looked like hell, as if they’d put in some long, hard hours. Even if they were crazy, he still remembered what they’d told him about developing a connection to the barrier the longer they lived in close proximity to it. They would probably claim that was what he’d been feeling all day.
Only one way to find out. Emmett signaled the waitress who covered that corner that he was going to take care of them. He moved down the bar to where the second bartender stood. “I’m going to take my dinner break. Let me know if it gets too busy for you to handle alone. I’ll be at that back table with some guys I know.”
“Will do.”
Emmett set seven beers and glasses on a tray and put in an order for the same number of burgers with fries. After tossing enough money in the till to cover the bill, he carried the tray back to the table. Trahern immediately scooted over and made room for Emmett to pull up a chair next to him.
He eyed the beers on the tray. “I don’t remember ordering.”
Emmett sat down. “Yeah, well, this round is on me. So are the burgers that should be up in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Emmett.” Devlin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “One of Dan’s burgers will taste good right about now. It’s been one bitch of a day. I don’t know about the rest of the guys, but I barely had enough energy left to make it this far.”
All right, so there was Emmett’s opening. “Could your bitch of a day have anything to do with why I’ve been on edge and wanting to punch something since I got up this morning?”
Trahern was already nodding. “No doubt. The barrier was up and down like a fucking yo-yo today. As soon as we’d shove the Others back across and restore the barrier, it would fail again. I’d guess that’s what you’ve been feeling. It happens all the time to some degree, but some days are definitely worse than others. The good news is that it’s back up and stable enough to stay that way for a while.”
Emmett didn’t want to hear any more and for sure didn’t want to believe it. Rather than say anything, he went back to the bar to pick up the food. He passed the baskets around the table and sat back down. From the way his companions dug into their food, one round of burgers wasn’t going to be enough. He caught Dan’s eye and pointed to his beer and empty basket before circling his finger in the air to indicate another round was needed.
“I just ordered more of everything. If you want something besides the burgers, let me know.”
The Paladin on the other side of Trahern looked over at him and smiled. Emmett was pretty sure they’d been introduced, but he couldn’t put a name to the face. The other man must have picked up on his thoughts because he pointed at himself and then each man in turn as he called out their names. “I’m Lonzo, that’s D.J., and Cullen is on the far corner. You already know Devlin and Trahern. The scrawny brat on the end is Chase.”
The kid looked up and shot Lonzo a dirty look. “You were mighty glad I happened to be in town, Lonzo. Next time I’ll just sit back and watch you show me how it’s done. Of course, that would be like watching a slow-motion replay that goes on forever and ever, but that’s to be expected from an old man like you.”
Lonzo tossed a fry at Chase. “Hey, watch it, kid. You’ll want to be careful about who you insult around here. Don’t forget Trahern is older than I am. Maybe you’d like to face him in practice tomorrow. Or better yet, Devlin. He’s older than dirt.”
That last crack brought Bane to full attention. “God, can’t you idiots go thirty seconds without starting something? I believe I asked you to be on your best behavior in front of Emmett here.”
D.J. joined the conversation with a big grin on his face. “Heck, this is our best behavior, Dev. At least we all showered and changed out of our bloody shoes and clothes before we came. That should count for something.”
“And we left our weapons out in the cars.” Cullen took a long drink of his beer. “Besides, I’m thinking Emmett isn’t that easy to scare off.”
Surprisingly, he was right about that. Even if these guys were off their rockers, there was something about them that he liked. Maybe it was because they were all big men like him and a little rough around the edges. He also believed them when they said they had a lot of other characteristics in common, especially the ones that had always set him apart from everyone else.
Dan showed up with the new order of drinks and food. Devlin nodded, “Hi, Dan. How’s it going?”
“Things are good. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you guys in here.” He glanced in Emmett’s direction. “I see you’ve met Emmett. Tell me you’re not trying to convince him to come work with you.”
Trahern glanced in Emmett’s direction before answering. “That remains to be seen.”
So Trahern hadn’t given up on him yet. Emmett wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Flattered maybe, but that didn’t mean he was ready to jump into their
end of the crazy pool anytime soon.
“He’s one of the best bartenders I’ve had in a long time. I won’t be happy if you lure him away. For now, enjoy your burgers.” Dan clapped Emmett on the shoulder. “Take your time eating. You worked through your break, so I owe you extra time.”
Emmett watched him walk away, deciding he would finish his second burger and then get back to work. The only reason Dan knew he’d missed his break was that he’d been standing right next to Emmett keeping pace with him as they filled order after order. No way he’d take advantage of his boss’s good nature. As he ate, he was all too aware of Devlin watching him. Finally, he wiped his hands on a napkin and pushed his burger basket away.
“Spit it out, Bane. I’ve got to get back behind the bar in a couple of minutes.”
Devlin leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. Trahern did the same thing, putting both of them closer than Emmett liked. They knew they were crowding him and didn’t care. Finally, Devlin said, “I’m not here to hassle you over joining us, but I wasn’t bullshitting about your inborn connection to the barrier. This feeling you’ve had all day is only going to get worse for you the longer you stay in the area.”
Trahern joined in. “Our local geologist could give you the long explanation about all the tectonic plates that come together in the area and why all the volcanoes are part of the system. The bottom line is that every time the plates slip or the volcanoes start rumbling, the barrier goes down. All of that scientific mumbo jumbo doesn’t mean squat other than to tell you what sets off that urge to get near the barrier and defend it with everything you’ve got. It won’t tell you why, only that it does. I’m not sure anyone knows much other than it’s hardwired into our genes.”
The second beer didn’t do a damn thing to wash away the bitter taste of what they were telling him. Emmett wanted to tell them to just shut the fuck up, but his gut said he needed to hear them out. Devlin picked up where Trahern left off.
Darkness Torn Asunder Page 3