Page 93 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

Memories assaulted my senses, the names, the curses, the physical, emotional, and mental abuse. Most of my time with him was a haze since he’d kept me sedated and pliant, but those memories were still as vivid as if everything had happened yesterday.

No. I was happy now. I was stronger than the woman who’d allowed him to treat me that way. I would not allow him to take away my peace.

Stepping between Amir’s spread knees, I pressed a soft, but passionate kiss to his lips then turned and went back to checking on my tables and taking orders.

There were a few of us waiting tables tonight, so I’d hoped Antonio found himself in one of their sections.

When I wandered over to a table with a mixture of alphas, betas, and two omegas, I spotted my former alpha from the corner of my eye…and the asshole was absolutely sitting in my section.

How long had he been here? Couldn’t have been long or I would have noted a new patron and would have taken their order. So that meant he’d watched me, waited to see where I was working, then took up space there.

I was shocked he’d been able to find an empty table, even the four-seater high top. Tables were valuable and rare real estate on the weekends.

I should have alerted my alphas to his presence. At least let them know in case there were any issues.

No. I could do this. I would remain professional, do my job, and treat him like any other asshole I’d waited on in my short stint as a server at The Vault.

Squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin, I made my way to his table, keeping my eyes on him the entire way, and stopped with my tray under my arm. “What can I get for you?”

He didn’t speak for a few seconds, merely studied my face as though looking for a difference or seeing me for the first time.

“If you’re just here for the show, I’ll bring you a glass of water.” I turned to check on my other tables, but his hand wrapped around my arm again. Turning just my head, I glared at him.

“That’s the second time you’ve put your hands on me. I would suggest keeping them to yourself.”

A smirk pulled up one corner of his mouth and his body shook slightly with a chuckle. “Look who learned to speak up for herself.”

I tugged my arm from his grip, keeping it casual so as not to garner attention from my coworkers or pack, and returned his smirk.

“Easy to do when my alphas aren’t drugging me to keep me silent. Last chance – do you want something to drink or not?”

“Vodka martini,” he said, his smirk gone and something dark and slightly sinister flashing through his eyes.

Putting on the most saccharine smile possible, I nodded. “Got it. Be back in a few.”

And then I hurried through the crowd, smiling at the bachelorette party, who had all turned their chairs toward the stage in anticipation for the show that would be starting soon.

I let the smile drop but blew a kiss at Amir, who was watching me closely. I could put on the best act in the world, but he would feel my apprehension and anxiety through our bond. Which meant our alphas would feel it, too, if they were paying attention.

His eyes left my face and looked in the direction where Antonio was sitting. He had never met the alpha, had never seen a picture of him. But he would have felt my spiking nerves and might have even seen Antonio grabbing my arm.

While I had no intention of telling him or my alphas that my former alpha was here right now, I would absolutely tell them after he left or when we got home, and fully expected a whole lot of lecturing.

I didn’t want to be the reason The Vault got a bad reputation, didn’t want to be the reason for yet another brawl to break out. I wanted to be seen as simply another employee as long as I was on the clock.

Aryn turned and raised her brows at me, then lowered them until there was a fairly deep groove marring her beautiful face. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Need a vodka martini,” I answered, trying to keep my voice and expression as neutral as possible.

She jerked her head toward the door that would flip open and allow me to step behind the bar, then pulled me close. Bending her knees, she looked into my eyes and narrowed her own. “Something’s up.”

“It’s fine. Just…tired. That’s all,” I lied. And I’d always been terrible at lying.

She didn’t back off. Instead, she rested her warm hands on my shoulders. “Someone fucking with you?”

“Not yet. But hey, the night is young,” I said, hoping my smile didn’t look like a grimace.

It was another few seconds before she straightened and stepped away to make the cocktail.

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