Page 37 of Vow of Vengeance
The sound of the door seal giving way echoes deep in the pit of my stomach as I step back, letting it swing open a bit.
The space beyond the door is dark and I left my phone sitting somewhere, so I can't turn on my flashlight to see anything. I decide to step in, feeling around for a wall, and subsequently, a light switch.
I don't find one, so I edge inside cautiously, afraid of stepping right off the side of the building or something. I turn around to get a glimpse of the light from the room behind me and nearly scream when I see the flash of movement beyond it.
Instead, I keep quiet, stuffing down my scream and pressing myself into the shadows as a second figure crosses the path. I didn't hear anybody come in, but now I’m aware of their voices fading as they move out into the bar.
I hear my name, recognize Tony's laugh.
Part of me wants to hide in this space and pretend I didn't see them, pretend I never showed up. But my car is in the parking lot and my phone is out there, and I left the lights and music on. I can't pretend I wasn't here at all, and instinctively, something inside of me knows not to let Tony know I found a secret room inside my bar.
I wait until their voices are far away, and then, holding my breath, I creep out of the closet, shutting it softly behind me. My heart is in my throat as I push the storage rack back into place, terrified at the slight screech it makes.
I grab the bucket and gloves, hurrying after them but sure to keep my eyes down so that when someone speaks my name and I jump in surprise, it looks genuine. The fear is, at least, as I press my free hand to my racing heart and let go of a nervous breath.
"Fuck." I laugh, feeling like I might throw up. "Pete."
"Damn, baby." Pete licks his lips, laughing as he takes me in. His tongue flicks at his lip stud thoughtfully. "Goddamn, you look good. Better than good, actually."
I hate my mind for even considering that Pete could be involved in whatever disgusting affairs my husband was a part of, but the truth is, I don't know. And the way he's looking at me right now has me tense, uncomfortable. My skin is crawling, but I don't know if it's because of the way he's looking at me like he's never seen me look so good, or if it's because I know he's with Tony. And Tony, I know, has to be tied up in whatever my husband was.
"Thanks." I laugh. "You scared me! I didn't hear you come in. I was in the back getting supplies and I thought I was the only one here."
"Not anymore." Tony laughs, coming to join us. He's lowered the music significantly, and I see my phone in his hand as he advances. "You forgot to lock the door behind you, though. It's not safe to be here alone, not paying attention to your surroundings." He holds his arms open, expecting the hug that I usually greet him with. I muster a smile and give him one, trying not to wince as he pulls me tight against him.
"And with the music up like that, nobody would hear you scream if something happened."
I feel my spine stiffen at his words, trying to sense whether they were meant as a warning or a threat.
"I... didn't think about that."
"Of course you didn't." Tony laughs, finally pulling away so he can get a look at me. "You do look good, Princess. Gained a bit of weight." He jabs me in the stomach with one stubby finger, and the irony makes me want to vomit all over him.
"Yeah," I bite my lip in an effort to contain myself. "I've been busy, but I'm working on getting better."
"Better?" Tony asks, seeking an explanation I'm not likely to give.
"Yeah." I shrug. "Just, focusing on myself as much as I can. It's been hard, with Marissa being missing and all, but I decidedI need to be my best self so that when she comes back, she can count on me."
"Marissa's missing?" Pete asks, turning to Tony to see if he's as surprised by the info as him.
"Yeah." I sigh. "I went on a work trip a while ago. When I came back, she wasn't answering my messages. I reported her missing over a month ago. You haven't seen her missing posters everywhere?"
Pete scratches his head. "No. Fuck. I'm sorry, babe. That's... intense."
"Yeah." I swallow past the lump in my throat as Tony stares at me like he's trying to see inside my head. "It's fine. I'm sure we'll find her soon. I just stopped here to check on everything since I've been neglecting it, and..." I look around. "Apparently, I'm not the only one. Nika's on my shit list."
"Ah," Tony chuckles, shrugging. "It has been a bit messy around here lately, but it isn't Nika's fault. I fired her a few weeks ago."
I blink at him, wondering whether he really just said what I think he said. "What?"
"I fired her." Tony shrugs. "She was stealing from the till."
I don't believe that, and my face says as much.
"Nika?" I repeat. She's worked here at the bar since it opened. I can't imagine her stealing a bottle from the inventory, let alone stealing cash.
"Yep." Tony shakes his head. "I didn't want to bother you with the details. Your friends said you were out of town. We've just been covering her shifts one day at a time. Guess we let the cleaning fall to the wayside though, huh?"
