Page 3 of Hawke

“Hey there, Delilah!” Anaki sang from the bar again. He waved me over with his white rag, signaling that he needed some help. I took the tray, balancing it on one hand, and pushed it far above my head as I headed back through the crowd.

The club was bustling with not just MC members but other patrons, too. They come in here, trying to act like they were part of something great, but when in actuality, they were just supplying the club with more money.

They were charged a little more, not that they noticed. Club members ate for free as did those who they’d helped and who now worked here. That’s how Locke designed it.

I could feel the heat of someone’s gaze as I continued to battle through the crowd.

I set the tray at the end of the bar, still feeling the overwhelming uneasiness that bubbled in my stomach. Tonight was going to be different. I just had to be brave enough to let it happen.

“Did yah hear?” Anaki leaned over the table as if to tell me a big secret.

I briefly scanned the room, seeing if anyone needed me. But let’s be honest, I was looking forhim.But he wasn’t anywhere.

“Hear what?” I playfully set my elbow on the bar and batted my lashes.

Anaki smirked, his bright white teeth glittering against the lights. “Grim has claimed Journey as his old lady, or mate, as they say in this club.”

My bright smile didn’t falter, nor did my eyes fog with unshed tears. Jealousy bubbled inside me. How dare me! How dare I envy what Grim and Journey had? I had it all. I was healthy, I had a job, I had…myself.

“That’s amazing!” I almost cried, slapping my hand on the bar. “Journey is fine with this, right?” I quickly tempered my excitement.

Anaki smirked and nodded. “Yeah, she is. They’re coming in tomorrow night to make the big announcement. You’re working tomorrow, right?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it! It’s so wonderful for them. Grim was having a hard time. Having a woman in his life will raise his spirits.”

Grim was a rough soul. If there was anyone that rattled me, it was Grim. He had a feral look in his eyes at times. Like he was on the edge of something dangerous. I don’t think he would ever purposely hurt someone he cared about, but his strength outmatched almost everyone else’s in this bar.

“Hey, it’s like marriage, you know. Calling someone your mate. I wonder if they’ll have a ceremony or something? Or maybe they get matching tattoos?”

I hummed thoughtfully, putting the beer glass in the tub under the bar. Anaki fiddled with a few more glasses, organizing them in the order he liked. He was a particular fellow, a bit of OCDness if anything. He liked things in order, his rags, his glasses, and his cleaning supplies.

“Do you have anything for me to do?” I asked, changing the subject. Anaki was still going on about Grim and how the entire club was excited for the guy. And who wouldn’t be? Grim was losing himself, and the few times I saw him since Journey came into his life, he was… Well, he looked alive. Not like he was going to kill someone.

“You’re quiet, girl,” Anaki said, loading more dirty dishes into the cart I pulled out from under the bar. Some servers were too lazy to take twenty steps back to the kitchen and would leave a mess on Anaki’s bar.

He was not a fan of that.

“Just mentally checking some things off my list.” I poked my temple with my index finger. “The girl on the last shift didn’t clean up like you like.”

Anaki growled, almost hissing.

I snorted, holding back a laugh, and he wagged his finger at me. “I’m not stupid, girly, you’re changing the subject.”

I smiled and hummed in agreement.

Yeah, I was changing the subject. But it was too embarrassing to speak out loud.

“But they left such a mess! Let’s get this taken back.” I pulled the cart, filled with dirty dishes, and backed away from Anaki. I pushed the swinging door open to the bar and backed my way into the next swinging door.

Other men who’d been rescued in similar situations and didn’t have the heart to leave this place were flipping burgers, steaks, and making salads. I nodded, and they responded by waving their spatulas in acknowledgement.

“Delilah came to save the day!” one of them said, and I let out a bolt of laughter.

They hated doing dishes.

I wheeled the cart until I hit the back of the kitchen. The lights weren’t the best back here, despite everywhere else in the kitchen. Maybe that was why everyone hated doing the dishes so much. They were just afraid of the dark.

But aren’t we all really afraid of the dark?

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