Page 43 of Hooked on Marshall

Marshall and I both relax at his response. Then Marshall straightens and gives his orders.

“Serve him as you normally would,” he says. “I‘ll be out there in a minute.”

Jace nods and disappears. I rise in fear, but Marshall is quick to take me into his arms.

“Just relax, gorgeous,” he says warmly. “I’m going to take care of everything.”

I take a breath to protest but he silences me with a delightful kiss. As always, a moan leaves me as I melt into him. When he pulls back, he gives me his gorgeous smile.

“I’ll take care of everything, okay?”

“Okay,” I nod.

He kisses me again and then leaves to go to the front of the house. I don’t know who is out there. It might not be Jonas.It might be a friend of mine from high school who heard I was back here. It won’t be an ex-boyfriend because I only have two of them. One of whom married a hotel heiress and the other died during a bad heroine outbreak a few years ago. So, considering the fifty-fifty chances of my exes, the reality that it’s Jonas makes me want to vomit.

So much so that I abandon my work and start to pace the office. Because if Jonas is out there, it means that he’s after me. And if he’s after me, then he’s going to be after Marshall. And the last thing I want is for Marshall to be in danger. I let out a choked sob. Then I hear my name.

“Lana.”

Thirty-One

I leave Lana and head out to the bar. My protective instincts are in overdrive right now, but I know I need to reel them in. I have no idea who is asking for Lana. Considering she’s also from Willow Point; it could be anyone. A friend from high school. A former teacher. Or…a former boyfriend.

While the last makes me cringe, I know that I’ll have to keep my cool to deal with this. When I walk behind the bar, Jace gives me a half-hearted smile. Then he nods his head to the corner of the bar where only one man stands out to me. Having seen his picture on his company’s website, I know that I’m about to confront one Jonas Freeman. Before I can take another step, Jace grips the inside of my elbow.

“You okay, man?”

“No,” I growl. “I’m not.”

“Do I need to call the police?” he asks.

“No,” I say again. “Not…yet.”

Understanding my meaning, he simply nods his head and releases me. After a deep breath, I move toward the man who has been harassing the woman I love. I say nothing at first, I just do what I would normally do when I come out here to check on things. But as I get closer to where he’s seated, he speaks.

“Excuse me, sir,” he says.

“What can I do for you?” I ask with a forced smile.

“I was wondering if you knew a woman by the name of Lana Rose.”

I laugh a little. Then try for a bit of humor.

“It would be poor form for a bartender to give up the whereabouts of anyone to a stranger, don’t you think?”

He has the good sense to look ashamed. Then he holds up his hands as if in surrender.

“Fair point,” he sighs. “But I’m an old friend of hers.”

“If you were an old friend of hers, why don’t you know where she is?”

“You know how it is,” he starts. “Life takes people in different directions, and you lose touch. I’d heard that she moved back home, and I was hoping to surprise her. You see, I’m only here for the weekend.”

Thank fuck for that.

“Tell you what,” I nod. “Give me your name and number, and if I see her, I’ll let her know.”

“So, you do know who she is?” he asks hopefully.

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