Page 52 of Claws and Feathers

Cooper certainly had a lot of questions, and something told him that Ryan Stone might be able to answer some of them. He picked up the receiver on his work phone and dialed in Ryan’s listed phone number. According to Cooper’s research, Ryan lived in Glenview, Illinois and worked in finance. He seemed like an up-and-up citizen. Paid his taxes. Drove the speed limit.

But Cooper knew all too well that appearances could be deceiving.

Ryan didn’t answer, so Cooper left a brief message, prompting him to return his call on his personal cell. It was all he could do for now.Damn, he hated waiting.

The hours ticked by, and Cooper finally completed his shift and clocked out, waving goodbye to Faye as he exited the station. He wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep away his feelings, but his father had put a wrench in that spectacular plan. So, instead, Cooper was off to job number two.

He entered The Crow Bar a little after eight P.M., nodding his head to his sister and Hannah who were waiting tables. Cooper’s father and Henry were tending the bar, struggling to keep up with the crowd. The band had just begun to play, and patrons were eager to fill their glasses.

“Coop. Glad you made it,” Earl said, wiping down the bar with a clean rag. “I’m going to help in the kitchen. You’ll be good?”

“Think I can manage,” Cooper said wearily. He eyed Henry at the opposite end, hoping the asshole kept his distance for the next few hours. “I’ll stay until midnight.”

“That’s great, son. Thanks.”

Earl disappeared through the kitchen doors and Cooper began assisting customers. Another hour rolled by, and Cooper was in the midst of propping lemon wedges onto shot glasses, when his sister breezed up behind him and elbowed him in the ribs.

Cooper groaned. “You really need to find a less painful way of getting my attention.”

Kate cocked her head to the entrance of the bar. “I’m not the only one trying to get your attention,” she said with a wink. “Your girlfriend just walked in, and holy cream cheese on a cracker, she looks good.”

This most certainly got Cooper’s attention. He lifted his head and watched as Abby and Daphne strolled in through the entry doors, linked arm-in-arm. He could have sworn the scene played out in slow motion as heads turned and jaws dropped.Holy cream cheese on a cracker, all right.Whatever the hell that meant.

Abby was wearing a skin-tight, electric blue tube dress. It cut off mid-thigh leaving little to the imagination. Her heels were high, and her head was held higher. Her hair was long and curled, cascading down her back and shoulders, and her pretty face was painted with more makeup than she normally wore. She looked sexy – he couldn’t deny it. But she looked just as sexy the day before, covered in lake water and seaweed, with streaks of mascara running down her cheeks and sunburn on her nose.

“Damn. Does she have a keg under that dress? ‘Cause I wouldtapthat.”

Marky Kravitz slid onto the bar stool in front of Cooper. Cooper groaned in disgust – the last person he wanted to deal with was Lyle’s obnoxious, degenerate little brother.

Marky was practically salivating as he leered at Abby. “Please tell me you’ve hit that, McAllister.”

Cooper leaned forward until he was only inches away from Marky’s pickle breath. “Go be elsewhere,” Cooper said in a dangerous tone.

Kate poked her head around Cooper’s shoulder and flipped Marky off with a smile. Marky puckered his lips at her, though, his gaze remained fixed on Abby, hard and predatory, as he strolled away from the bar counter.

“Just give me a reason to arrest that asshole again,” Cooper grumbled.

Kate snickered before loading up her tray and heading back out to the floor. “I can give you plenty, but you won’t like any of them.”

Cooper sighed as he pushed up from the counter. He handed out a round of shots to the needy college girls, while his eyes strayed to Abby. She looked in his direction with obvious intent, her eyes gleaming with trouble. Cooper was surprised when she let go of Daphne’s arm and approached his side of the bar.

He kept his sights level with hers, andnoton her cleavage that was practically spilling out from her dress. “Hey, Abby.” Cooper pressed forward on his arms as she ambled up to him, oozing a certain kind of confidence he hadn’t witnessed before.

“Hey,” she said stiffly. “Gin and Tonic, please.”

Cooper wavered. “I texted you earlier.”

She leaned forward, mimicking his stance, her expression unruffled. “I know.”

He narrowed his eyes, not loving this new development. Abby was clearly working her own angle, trying to get under his skin, and Cooper didn’t like it. He stepped away from the counter and made her drink, sliding it over to her and taking the cash she had laid out for him. “Abby… I don’t like games,” Cooper told her, his tone firm.

Abby took a sip from the straw, her gaze fixed on him. She tilted her head to the side with feigned bewilderment. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said sweetly, though, the inflection of her words portrayed otherwise. She smiled. “I must have misread something. You seemed to enjoy playing them yesterday.”

She turned her back to him and joined Daphne out on the dance floor, leaving Cooper reeling.

Goddammit.

It hurt. He wouldn’t deny it. Abby was throwing in his face everything he had turned down the day before, and it was fucking working. But she didn’t get it – no,no, she didn’t have the whole story. And she couldn’t possibly begin to understand how much he was breaking inside.

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