Page 29 of Haunted

“You stupid, clumsy bitch,” he roared.

Before I had a chance to respond, Keaton blocked my view. He didn’t engage with Chase, instead he began inspecting each of my arms.

“Where does it hurt, baby?”

Momentarily stunned, I didn’t answer him. Mitzy ran over with several towels in her hands, tossing the majority of them to Jade for the mess on the floor, before she started to gently wipe off my arms.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re more concerned with the fucking help than a paying customer who’s soaking wet thanks to this bitch?”

“Oh, he’ll deal with you in a second, asswipe,” a blond woman I’d never seen before responded. “And a word ofadvice. I’d stop calling her a bitch before we need more towels.”

Warm hands cupped my cheeks. “Henley. Did you get burned?”

“No.” I shook my head slightly. “I don’t think so.”

“Thank God.” Bending down, he kissed my forehead, then straightened and in a tone which left no room for argument, said, “Stay behind me.”

Keaton spun on his heel, taking one menacing step after another, until he’d backed Chase up against the booth. You could’ve heard an ant fart with how quiet the diner had suddenly become.

“Not so tough now, are you?”

“Look, man,” Chase blubbered. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Funny.” Keaton flexed his fists at his side. “Didn’t seem that way two minutes ago when you accosted my girlfriend.”

“Hell’s bells. You’ve been keeping secrets, little miss,” Mitzy chastised.

Chase’s henchmen proved their worthlessness by slithering out of their seats, disappearing out the door like a cheap magic trick, leaving him to face a pissed-off wall of muscle on his own.

“You’ve got three seconds to vanish like your buddies.” Keaton’s voice was steady, despite the rage wafting off of him.

“Or what?” Chase sneered, obviously recovering some of his earlier bluster.

A chorus of “oh fucks” sounded through the stilted air, followed by a round of chuckles, all from the two men and one woman who’d arrived with my—apparent—boyfriend.

“No bloodshed in my restaurant.” Shirley stompedacross the room, planting herself a few feet away from the drama, hands on her hips. “I’m not opposed to you kicking his ass, just do it outside where you won’t bust up my place of business.”

“Jesus, woman.” Sal roped his arm around his wife’s waist and drew her backward about ten feet. “Do you have no self-preservation?”

“I was fine, Sal. No need to get your boxers twisted.”

“Keep sassing and you’ll get that spanking you’re itching for.”

“Why have we never come here before? These two are a riot,” the tall blond, who looked more like a surfer than an FBI agent, remarked.

Blush stained my cheeks as I learned more about my bosses’ personal life in one interaction than I had in all the years I’d worked with them. It was entirely too much information to process with everything else going on. Especially when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Keaton reach out and roughly grab ahold of Chase’s arm, slinging him around like a rag doll until he had pinned it behind his back.

“Noah, get the door.”

The other male, I now knew as Noah, shook his head, but did as he was asked.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Chase shouted, struggling the entire way.

Once they reached the threshold, Keaton released his hold with a less-than-gentle shove, sending the jerk crashing down to his hands and knees on the unforgiving sidewalk. A thunderous boom rang out from the diner’s patrons as they clapped and called out praises, but I knew it was far from over.

When Chase climbed to his feet and spun around, my body jolted. His lips were curled into a snarl and his facewas fire-engine red, but it was the promise of retribution bleeding from his evil eyes—the same look I became acquainted with when he dragged me into those trees—which had me retreating a step.

“He won’t hurt you anymore. We won’t allow it.” The soft feminine voice was in complete contrast with the harshness of her message. “I’m Lanie, by the way. The big blond over there is Koen and the broody one holding the door is Noah. We’re his team.”

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