It was crazy. No wonder I struggled to accept it when I first realized it.
Just when I thought I might manage to distract myself, Javier sauntered up to the counter looking far too smug for my liking. I thought he had learned to stay away from me after his confrontation with Mateo, but it seemed that nothing had changed.
Javier leaned forward on elbows, flashing a shit-eating grin.
"Well well, look who decided to grace us with his presence today!"He drawled."Sleeping Beauty finally wake up?"
I glared daggers at him, fingers tightening around the neck of an unopened bottle of tequila."Fuck off, Javier. Not in the mood. Plus, you should know better than to be doing this to me."
He held up his hands in mock surrender, still smirking."Easy there, tiger! Just trying to be friendly-like."His gaze turned calculating then, eyes narrowing slightly."Though now that I think about it... you seem awfully tense lately. Something on your mind?"
My stomach clenched with dread even as I forced a scoff past my lips."Nothing important,"I muttered, turning away to shelve the liquor out of sight. I didn't want to say anything to him about my life. The less he knew about me, the better."Just tired is all."
Javier hummed and I could feel his wheels spinning as he tried to put the pieces together. Shit. If he started digging too deep...
Before I could dwell further on potential disasters, a deep voice cut through the tension:
"Kael Morales!"
Spinning around, I found myself face-to-face with a tall, imposing figure clad in a tailored suit. Dark hair streaked withsilver framed a stern countenance dominated by piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. And maybe he was actually seeing right through me and I just didn't want to admit it.
"I'm your new manager. Mr. Novak,"he introduced crisply, extending one hand across the bar top."We need to talk privately in my office."
My heart stuttered before resuming its normal rhythm at double speed. New manager? What happened to the old guy? And why did I get the distinct impression this wasn't just a routine meet-and-greet?
Because it wasn't,I told myself. At least, it wasn't as bad as Mateo being my new boss. At least, it was someone different.
Swallowing hard, I shook the proffered hand for a brief moment before extracting myself from his grip."Of course, sir,"I managed to choke out, mind racing with possibilities."Lead the way."
Mr. Novak nodded curtly before pivoting on his heel and striding towards a door marked 'Private' near the back of the club. It was the same office as the one the previous boss had.
I followed close behind, each step feeling like it carried me closer to some unknown fate. Most of the time, when I was suspicious about something, I was right, so that was why I was nervous.
Once inside the cramped space, he gestured for me to take a seat while he settled behind a cluttered desk. Folding my hands tightly in my lap, I braced myself for whatever revelation awaited me. Maybe he was going to fire me. It wouldn't be surprising. That was what usually happened when there was a new boss.
"So,"Mr. Novak began without preamble, steepling his fingers beneath his chin."You're the omega currently entangled with our mutual acquaintance, Mateo Sanchez."
My blood ran cold at the casual mention of my mate's full name. How did he know about that? Had Mateo been talking about me behind my back? Betrayal coiled tight around my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Or maybe Mr. Novak had seen us together. We tried to keep our relationship private, but we didn’t put much effort into it. There was no real reason to hide it. Not as far as I knew, anyway.
"I don't know what you mean,"I lied, even as denial warred with grim acceptance within me. Of course he knew. It made sense now why Mateo had been acting so strange lately — keeping secrets and not being clear about certain things. He'd been hiding something crucial from me.
Mr. Novak sighed."Please spare me the pretense, Mr. Morales,"he admonished."I am fully aware of your relationship with Mr. Sanchez and his involvement with the Nightshade Wolves cartel."
The bottom dropped out of my stomach at those words. Cartel? Was Mateo really mixed up in something so dangerous? Images of guns, drugs, and violence flashed unbidden through my mind, making me dizzy with fear. I was aware he was keeping something from me, but I never thought it was something like that.
I had never asked Javier for specifics about how he knew Mateo, but I was beginning to realize that I should have pressed him on that.
"What does any of that have to do with me?"I demanded, hating how small and powerless I felt."I'm just a bartender here, not part of anyone's criminal organization!"
"You may not be directly involved yet,"Mr. Novak conceded, leaning back in his chair."But your association with Mr. Sanchez puts you squarely in the crosshairs of very powerful and ruthless individuals."
A chill raced down my spine despite the stuffy confines of the office. This was bad. Really bad. Why hadn't Mateo warned me about any of this instead of feeding me lines about fate and destiny? Maybe all that was nothing more than bullshit. I wouldn't be surprised.
As if reading my thoughts, Mr. Novak continued:"I understand your confusion and anger regarding Mr. Sanchez's omission of certain details concerning his life. However, I assure you he has his reasons for maintaining secrecy."
I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest."Oh yeah? Like what? Keeping his little pet omega safe from harm while he goes about his business as usual?"