Page 70 of Honey Undone
“She’s not a quitter,” Adeline mocked Kaia’s tone.
“Right…” Taylor rolled his eyes, backing away from us, “I’m going to go get a drink and see if I can find Zane before his set. It was nice to meet you, Jensen.”
“That went horribly,” I said to her and she just turned her face into my chest, laughing.
“At least your tongue wasn’t down my throat,” she shrugged and all the color drained from my face at the thought. “It’s okay, we aren’t like that…”
“Like what?” I asked, confused by her statement.
“We aren’t really close, Zane is seven years older than me and Taylor another four,” she said, “We’re cordial, but we’re more passing friends than we are siblings. Their opinion of you doesn’t matter to me,” she clarified, “That’s all.”
“Good because there’s no way I’m keeping my tongue out of your mouth all night,” I whispered, calming down her racing heart and kissing her gently until the tension in her shoulders disappeared. “Should we save Kaia or…”
“If anyone needs saving, it’ll be Christian. She’ll be okay,” Adeline said, tugging on my arm and pulling me inside the busy pub.
The Hollow was a fascinating place. From what I knew about the bar, it was a space for first responders created by two brothers who both had served the public for a number years before opening the bar as some sort of haven. The location had been in the papers more than once for awards. Live music filled the enormous space from wall to wall. A long bar ran down the middle of the large rectangular dimly lit pub. The walls were floor to ceiling black tile with a vault roof of exceptional dark red architecture. None of it should have worked but it felt moody and gothic while still so alive, packed with people at all the tall standing tables and shoved into the leather booths.
There were more than six employees behind the bar all dressed in the same black t-shirt with ‘The Hollow’ sprawled across their chests in red printing. It was busy tonight and the back corner was alive with a band and the dance floor was flooded with bodies.
“It’s incredible in here,” I yelled to Adeline over the music as she pulled us toward the bar. I recognized Sunday behind the bar almost instantly, her small frame darting in and out of the sea of other employees with a smile on her face and a bottle of vodka in her hands.
“Hi!” She screamed, climbing up on the bar.
I watched as she stepped over an empty glass with precision, kicking it backward with the heel of her boot right into the hands of another employee.
“Is that?” I leaned into Adeline in shock, watching as the guy moved around behind the bar. I recognized him from T.V. and like a little kid I couldn’t contain my excitement about the sight of that tufted blonde hair and angry look. “Judd Loveday, liketheJudd Loveday…”
I was completely ignored as Sunday wrapped her hands around Adeline’s face, vodka bottle and all. She kissed her quickly before tapping her chin and without skipping a beat Adeline tipped her head back and opened her mouth.
“Sunday!” A voice boomed from the other end of the bar.
“Drink faster,” she urged Adeline, who had downed at least three shots since Sunday started pouring. “Quick he’s closing in,” she laughed and Adeline almost choked but kept drinking.
Two hands reached out to grab Sunday but she was faster, “Catch!” she yelled to me and hurled herself off the bar top.
I barely had time to react before throwing my hands up to grab her by the waist and pull her down into me in a bundle of blonde panic and spilled vodka.
“I fucking warned you,” the guy said from across the bar.
“Oh calm down big baby Brighton,” she mocked him but did it just out of his reach. “It’s one bottle!”
Brighton Black. Sunday’s brother.
He was tall, taller than I expected him to be against how little Sunday was. It was like he had stolen all her height. He had to be at least six-four in shoes, if not taller. With sharp blue eyes that narrowed on his younger sister and a tight jaw that was clenched so tight all the muscles in his neck and shoulders popped. He was an animal.
“Bright!” Someone called and his attention was diverted off his sister for a moment. Sunday took her chance and darted away from the bar, weaving through the crowd until she was climbing over a booth in the back and falling over Rhea in laughter.
“Does the back of her t-shirt say ‘You have to fight my brothers for my phone number?’” I asked Adeline and she nodded, opening her mouth to say something but was silenced.
“Where’d she go, Addy?” Bright turned back, his grip on the bar violent.
“Dunno Brighty,” she mocked, licking the drops of vodka off her lips with a smile.
“Don’t call me that,” he warned, “and if you find Sunday, bring my bottle back or I’m making you pay your tab!”
“Quivering,” Adeline teased and he rolled his eyes, throwing the towel over his shoulder down on the bar and disappearing. The back of his shirt had more writing on it in red, and said ‘Thing One’ which made me laugh. “Welcome to the Hollow.” Adeline beamed with pride.
“What the hell was that about?” I turned expecting to find Bright, the voice matched but the face did not.
