Page 20 of Star Mates

CHAPTER SIX

Sparta was an interesting blend of several generations, a town caught somewhere in between the American Old West and modern suburbia. The people were dressed in pale linens and cotton weaves, with women in dresses and men in suspenders.

Raiden and Pikon parked in front of a two-story wooden building. It wasn’t painted, only stained with age, with a door under a sign that read “Leona’s Saloon”. The men beckoned for them to follow.

“A saloon?” Logan muttered. “Are you kidding me?”

“There aren’t any windows,” Emmarie said, ignoring him. She looked around. “There aren’t any windows on any of the buildings. Isn’t that odd?”

Logan grunted but didn’t respond.

They went inside the saloon, and it was like stepping back into time. On a raised platform, a piano player banged away on the ivory keys. Circular tables littered in front where patrons could sit. A long bar ran along the back wall with stools pushed in. A staircase in the corner wound up to a second floor.

“Get the hell out of my place, Pikon Brant!” came an angry shout from the bar. The music abruptly stopped. A beautiful black woman stood glaring at them, hands fisted on her hips. Her hair was cut ruthlessly short, the curling ends resting against her scalp. Her large black eyes were narrowed angrily at Pikon.

“Leona.” Pikon spoke in a voice gentle enough to tame a bucking horse. “You can’t stay mad at me forever.”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do, Pike!” She snapped back at him.

The bar patrons watched them in rapt fascination.

“What did you do to her?” Emmarie asked.

“She thinks I cheated on her,” Pikon replied.

“I don’t think, I know!”

“Did you cheat?” Emmarie asked again.

“No!” Pikon answered, aghast. “How could I ever cheat on the love of my life?” He turned up the volume. “Hear that, Leona? The love of my life!”

Leona’s lips thinned out.

“Why do you think he cheated?” Emmarie asked her.

Leona turned her dark, angry eyes on her. “I saw him coming out of Lusty Lisa’s. There’s only one reason why a man visits that place!”

“You have to trust me, Leona!” Pikon growled. “I would trust you if I saw you coming out of Lusty Lisa’s!”

“’Cause you know I don’t do girls!” she growled in return.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Logan muttered.

Emmarie elbowed him in the arm. “They’re in love.”

“Great,” he mocked. “We’ve had the worst fucking day of our lives and they’re in love.”

Leona turned narrowed eyes on him, having heard his impertinent remark. She walked over to stand in front of Logan, eyeing him up and down. She raised her open hand in front of his face and then closed her fingers together, pantomiming shutting him up. She shot a quick look at Raiden. “Not sure if I like the new rescues.”

“Not quite, Leona,” he replied. He glanced around, noting the still interested gaze in some of the patron’s eyes. “But perhaps we can move this into a more private setting?”

Leona pursed her lips but seemingly caught his meaning because she waved over one of the drink servers to replace her behind the bar. “This way,” she motioned with her index finger and the four of them followed her into a side office that housed a desk, some papers, a round tub and various tubes. The smell of fermented alcohol was strong in the air.

Emmarie wrinkled her nose.

“My God, is this moonshine?” Logan asked, incredulity raising the pitch.

“Excuse me?” Leona asked, a hand going on her hip as she studied the man in front of her.

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