Page 26 of Twisted Hearts

I decided in a moment. This guy was more trouble than even Daniel in a totally different way. He could hurt my heart, my emotions…not just my body.

“It’s not on the menu,” I replied and gave a firmer yank on the cash. He released it easily and sat back in the stool.

“You sure?” He cocked an eyebrow, giving me a look thatalmosthad me second-guessing my decision.

Absolutely. “Do you need change?” I asked. My response was enough. He got it instantly. I caught a flash of disappointment clouding his pretty blue eyes before he nodded once.

“Understood. And no, keep it.”

He grabbed his drinks, pushed off the stool, and disappeared back into the small crowd before I could change my mind.

Thank goodness he moved quick, because I was a half-second away from taking it all back.

Would wanting a guy, being with him, be such a bad thing? It wasn’t like I had an emotional attachment to Daniel I needed to get over.

I was more concerned about my family, what he’d do to them…or me, once he found me.

No, my earlier instinct was correct.

Until I knew I was free and clear from Daniel, bringing someone else into my mess would only end in disaster.

* * *

It wastwo-thirty in the morning by the time the bar closed and we’d finished our after-closing cleanup duties. The bars had been wiped down, all dishes stacked by the washer in the back for the dishwasher in the morning. My feet ached. A week of training and spending hours on my feet in a way I wasn’t used to was taking its toll on me.

“Nice job tonight,” Malcolm said, coming out of the back. “You too, Parker.”

“Thanks, man. It was a great night, and the newbie only made a few mistakes.” He shoved me playfully in the shoulder as he passed on by, his messenger bag slung over his shoulder on his way home.

“Hey,” I teased back. “You’re a newbie too, you know, and I’m pretty sure I saw you dump a drink or twelve.”

“One,max.”

I laughed. I’d had more fun working with a group of co-workers that week than I could have predicted. When I volunteered in Charleston, it was all so stuffy, so posh. Everyone ensured they were portraying their Southern upbringings in the “proper manner” and did everything they could to avoid being gossiped about. We were perfect, or expected to portray perfection at all times, no matter the cost. I’d never worked with so many people from so many different backgrounds who smiled so easily, laughed loudly, and truly seemed to enjoy their jobs, despite the late hours and sore backs and feet at the end of shifts.

Best of all, it feltgoodto be doing something solely for me—but that didn’t mean I wasn’t exhausted at all hours of the day.

Particularly now, after working for eight hours running back and forth across the bar to keep everyone happy. We’d only opened up at about a third capacity, but the entire night had been a great time. Shannon came in, introduced me to her sister-in-law, Paige, and her brother, Beaux. I met a half-dozen more players from the football team, and while their career didn’t make me googly-eyed or impressed, their looks and bodies sure as hell did.

Seriously. The guys wereripped. Sure, they had money, but most of them seemed like good guys. Also, incredible tippers. My purse was heavier than it’d been hours earlier from the hundreds of dollars I’d made weighing it down.

“We all good here, then?” I turned to Malcolm, who was still behind the bar. After a week, I’d learned he might have given me the job to help me out, but he wasn’t going to cut me any slack doing it. He was a pretty big hard-ass to have for a boss, not that I minded. I could handle criticism and hard work and someone correcting me. Plus, he’d helped me out when he didn’t have to. Based on the number of employees working, he hadn’tneededto hire another server and bartender.

“We’re good, and it’s late. Give me a minute and I’ll walk you home.”

“Thank you, but do you mind if we take the long way tonight? I could use the fresh air.”

His gaze narrowed. He knew I was in trouble, obviously, and he didn’t like it, but he also had kept his word and hadn’t pressed. He had, though, ensured someone walked me to my door every night, usually through the alley. Tonight, I still had too much energy and excitement flooding me from the shift, and I wanted a longer walk.

“That’s fine.” He tapped the bar with his palm a couple of times. “Just let me finish something up and then we’ll head out.”

I shoved my thumb toward the door. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Addi—”

“It’s a minute, right? I’ll be okay.” It might not have been the smartest idea as Daniel could have been anywhere, but he hadn’t so much as emailed me to try to get a hold of me, so I still figured he didn’t know where I was. A minute or two alone wouldn’t hurt anything.

“Be careful. And if you don’t have it already, you should think about getting some mace or pepper spray, you know?”

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