Page 41 of Love Me Dangerous

I rattle off my order, and he nods before tucking the menu under his arm and hurrying to the console to type it in. He returns with an icy fountain Coke and a straw still wrapped in the paper. The first sip is pure bliss. Sweet and cold. Another wave of gratitude trickles down through me. Though I have one eye on Gabe, the bar is busy and noisy, and I relax a little.

My burger and fries arrive in a waft of grease and savory grilled meat. Even my plate is warm. I tuck in with a bite of my thick burger. Flavors explode on my tongue. The char from the grill and the tangy sweetness of the ketchup are a perfect blend with the melted cheese and the soft bun. I try to chew slowly and enjoy each bite, but I’m so empty that my hunger is in charge. Only when I get to the fries do I start to slow down. At some point, the bartender brings me a fresh Coke and another napkin. I nod to him in thanks, but he’s already back to pouring beers.

My stomach expands in the most pleasant way. I take my last gulp of my coke as a sendoff. The bartender swoops in.

“Need another one?” he says over the music. “Looks like you could use it.”

I give him a smile and shake my head.

He slides my tab from his back pocket and sets it in place of my plate, then peels away again.

I take my bill to the end of the bar. After paying, I give the mirror another glance before heading for the door. A three-person band is setting up on the little stage, and more people have packed into the space. I zero in on a face I recognize.

Sofie.

She’s wearing a pale blue sweater, with her hair wavy and loose down her back, and a denim skirt and boots. In the dim lighting, her excitement is clear on her pretty face as she talks with her friends.

“Like what you see, asshole?”

I spin, nearly crashing into Gabe.

Shit. The first rule in staying alive is to watch your back. I shouldn’t have let Sofie distract me like that.

I try to slip by Gabe, but he blocks me.

“What’s your problem?” My voice is calm but that won’t last if he gets in my face.

Gabe’s dark eyes narrow. He’s taller than me by an inch, and meaner, but that’s where his advantage ends.

“It was you the other night. In town.”

I give him a blank look. “Is there a point to this conversation?”

“What are you doing in Finn River?”

“Why does it bother you so much?”

The tension buzzes between us as we stare each other down. A guitar chord strummed from the stage draws a few cheers and scattered applause from the crowd.

With one last menacing glance, Gabe steps past me.

A flash of blue in my peripheral vision pulls at my attention.

“Hey, you’re here.” Sofie’s smile falters. Confused, she follows my gaze.

I need to get out of this bar so I can think. “I was just leaving.”

“Why? Because of him?” She turns to me, her eyes worried. “Stay for a little longer. Please?”

I shuffle through the growing crowd, but Sofie sticks to me like glue. Outside, the cool air makes my throat spasm shut, like I’ve sucked in ice crystals.

“Zach, wait!”

I spin on her, my head thick with questions. “Did you tell him I was here?”

Her eyes flash. “Who, Gabe? No.”

“How about Jesse, does he know?”

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