Page 31 of Feral

Somehow, I don’t think anything in this place can be described as boring.

Chapter 11

Yannis

By the time we finish going over the computer system, the front doors are open and a DJ is in the booth. Instrumental music, beat heavy and sexy, fills the space and the lights dim. Hale is at the bar speaking with Tiago, who glances in my direction several times as he nods.

“Hey, stranger.”

I turn to the voice, smiling when I see who it is. “Hey. It’s you.”

“Jade.” She offers her hand. “I see you decided to check us out.”

“Thanks for the card. I start working tonight.”

“I know. I’m with you for the first hour. It’s a good time to get your feet wet. The early customers tend to be pretty chill and low maintenance.”

“Oh good.”

“Are you nervous at all?”

“Not really, but I probably should be.”

“Nah.” She musses her bright pink hair with her hand. It was green before I think. “Be confident and act like you own the place. The customers will respect you.” She leans in. “They’ll hit on you too, but as long as you firmly state your boundaries, you’ll be good.”

Exhaling, I nod. “I can handle myself.”

She pats my arm. “I figured you could.”

Hale approaches us, handing me a small notebook and a pen. “Hemsley is opening the doors now.”

“I’m ready.”

He smiles, his gaze lingering on my face. “Have fun with it.”

Hemsley jogs over to us, a frown on his face. “Boss.”

“What’s up?” Hale asks.

“Trouble. It was that guy who was here last night. He was in the parking lot in a car with another dude, but as soon as I started walking in that direction, they took off.”

“Fuck,” Hale murmurs. “I’ll make a call. We may need some backup if those losers have decided to make Lair a target. I really don’t want a murder here tonight.”

A jolt of adrenaline courses through me, making my body heat with nerves. Hale turns his head sharply in my direction.

“Don’t worry, Yannis. The murder will be theirs, not ours.”

“Right. Yeah.”

When I look at Jade, her face is a mask of anger. “Bring it on. If they’re stupid enough to fuck with us they deserve whatever happens. I have no issue making someone bleed.”

Hale nods, blinking slowly. “If it comes to that, we’ll handle it. I’ll be back.”

He leaves us, pulling his cell phone from his pocket as he walks. Jade shakes her shoulders out and the sultry smile returns to her face.

“Okay, the first group just entered,” she says. “Let them choose a table and then approach.”

I consider Hale’s question again, about wanting to know upfront what kind of person…uh, being…I’m dealing with. Maybe I’ll just figure it out over time, or I’ll wait for a sign. I’m sticking with the idea that I’ll have more confidence if I convince myself they’re just regular people.

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