Page 17 of Bound by Passion (Ravage MC)

7

NYX

Another rowdy nightwas in full effect. There was this electricity in the air from the live band that was playing their damn hearts out.

The live music thing was new to Bimbos. There had only been this one band, and they’d played four times since I worked here.

Therefore, this was a treat to Sumner, meaning the place was packed to the brim. Hell, at this point, we were probably over capacity. Not that the owners cared. As long as everyone was behaving, they were good. Fire marshals didn’t visit since we were open “afterhours;” therefore, we were a green light to pack the house and all the employee pockets.

There were three of us behind the bar because when the crowds were this big, it was hard to keep up with the masses. It was Cass, me, and Lex, a man who flirted with everyone, man or woman, and didn’t give two shits about it.

Needless to say, I liked him.

Lex was unique which was most of his appeal. Tonight, he had on tight leather pants that held his round ass perfectly and a ripped up Rolling Stones t-shirt. The man was definitely built, had to give it to him.

“You doin’ good?” Cass asked in passing. He was a big teddy bear. Just hoped that some bitch of a woman wouldn’t come along and stomp that out of him.

I nodded and grabbed a clean glass, dunking it in the ice. “Yeah. Don’t think it’s gonna let up.”

“Nah. If we need to pull someone off the floor, we can.”

There were four girls in the crush of people. Pulling one of them out there would make it worse. “No way. I think we got it.” I looked at my watch. “It’s eight-thirty. Only what? Five more hours. We can hack it.”

Cass burst out laughing. Damn, that was a good sound. It made me smirk just a bit.

Lex was dancing to the music, singing very off key and filling drinks. All in all a pretty good night.

Busy enough to keep my mind from racing about what I learned earlier today. My fingers were itching to look at the feeds, but I needed to work, and I’d left my phone in my bag under the bar.

My instincts told me to turn, and my eyes connected with penetrating steel gray ones. Eyes that were coming through the crowd and directly to the bar. His intimidating presence commanded the floor, and patrons quickly scattered. Like parting the sea, he made his way over.

Yeah, Raid wasn’t a man you fucked with. And here he came bold as you please. Yep. I was absolutely on his radar. Good? Or bad? Did it really even matter? Shit.

“Move,” he ordered a man sitting on a stool on the left side of the bar. The guy looked up, about ready to tell Raid to fuck off by the look on his face, but he smartly decided to vacate his seat and ran like a scared chicken.

“Two nights in a row. That must be a record,” I said to him as I filled an order, but loud enough for him to hear me.

“Didn’t know you paid that much attention to my comin’s and goin’s,” he retorted, and he fucking had me. Not that I’d let him know that. Dammit.

Instead of engaging, I asked, “What can I get ya?”

“Whiskey, top shelf, neat.”

I nodded and then fixed his drink and handed it to him. “Pay now or tab?” I asked.

“Tab.”

Which meant he planned on staying for a while. Hopefully he’d move to his booth or go somewhere else. He had my pulse picking up, and I could feel his eyes on me.

I would not let this unnerve me. I. Would. Not.

Lifting my chin, I went to the back of the bar where we kept the tabs for the night. All the tickets had IDs and credit cards, except this one. Not that I was afraid to ask him for it. No, it was just a rule with the owners. The Ravage MC followed a different set of rules.

I respected that.

Moving back up, I filled the orders and noted that Raid felt comfortable sitting there by himself, nursing his drink. He wasn’t a one swallow man. He liked to enjoy it. That said something about a man.

He liked to take his time.What else did he take his time at?

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