Page 16 of Broken Promises
Finally, realizing I was driving myself crazy looking for her, I pulled out my phone and called the one person I didn’t want to involve in my search for Hannah. The line rang twice, and when he picked up, I heard a lightness in his voice I’d never heard before.
“Rhys, what can I do for you?” Lucian asked.
It panged me to say the words, but I pushed through and said, “I need you to send me a tracking link on Hannah’s phone. I know you put one on it, since James was reading her text messages this after. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Why don’t you just call James and ask him?”
Sighing, I rubbed my forehead as I answered, “I don’t need his opinion on the situation.”
“You mean that we all think you need to pull your head out of your ass where Hannah is concerned?”
“Jesus, do you sit around and gossip like children where everyone is concerned or is it just me?”
Lucian chuckled through the phone before he answered, “It’s just you. And to answer your question, yes, I’ll send you a linkto her phone tracker. But do me a favor, will you? Try not to be a dick to her. This isn’t the schoolyard, and you don’t have to be mean to a girl to let them know you like them.”
I literally looked to the side, asking myself who the fuck he was talking to and why everyone felt it necessary to discuss my life. Up until now, I’d managed to live a quiet life, helping people—mostly women—who needed to escape bad situations. Sometimes, it was fucked-up, like with Grace and The Community and their sick need to warp young, clueless girls. But most often, it was a woman trying to grow and heal after an assault. Now, with all my deeds coming to light, the spotlight shifted to me and I didn’t like it.
No one needed to worry about me or what my intentions were with Hannah. If and when she and I became something, then and only then would I let anyone know what I was doing. And probably not even then, because fuck them. I wasn’t used to being part of anything even close to a real family, besides Regan, but I was almost twenty before I knew she even existed, so I tended to be gruff and uncomfortable as a defense mechanism.
“Asshole,” I remarked, hanging up to the sound of Lucian’s laughter.
A minute later, my phone chimed, and I opened the message from Lucian with a link. Clicking on it, Hannah’s exact location popped up. Turning on my heels, I walked straight to the bar, which was four blocks away, moving with purpose and causing people to shift out of my way to allow me to pass.
I’m sure my all-black attire was intimidating to the Saturday evening partygoers and tourists, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. Since I walked away from her, I’d been going out of my mind, replaying that fantastic kiss and my subsequent actions. The hurt on her face was etched in my memory and all I wanted to do was lay eyes on her and make sure she was okay.
I’d never been this way about any woman, and deep down, I knew Lucian and James were right. Maybe it was the familiarity of her from watching her for so long, or maybe it was something else, but Hannah was destined to be in my arms, protected and cared for by me. Now, all I had to do was get her onboard without causing her more pain.
When I walked up to the front of the bar, there were a few people waiting in line, but I bypassed them all and walked straight to the bouncer at the door. He sized me up, and I could see him take a step back as I approached.
“Cover’s ten dollars, and you’ll have to get to the back of the line,” he said, and I lifted my eyes to him as I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet.
Reaching in without looking, I grabbed a hundred-dollar bill and handed it to him. “I’m coming in, and you can keep the change.”
He looked at the bill and back at me before nodding and attempting to stamp my hand. I shook my head at him as I returned my wallet to my back pocket, and submissively, he stepped to the side and allowed me to enter. He couldn’t have stopped me even if he’d tried, but I was glad he relented so quickly.
I knew I was going to have a fight on my hands with Hannah, but I didn’t want one with some man just doing his job. I’m an asshole, but not that kind of asshole.
Stepping into the bar, I could smell weed wafting faintly through the crowd and I shook my head as I began to move through the people, looking for Hannah. There was a little dance floor and a few people slow danced to a song that seemed off for a bar, but who was I to pass judgement?
Not seeing her at the tall tables along the wall, nor on the dance floor, I maneuvered around the crowd and began walking the length of the bar. When I saw her, I stopped short andobserved how beautiful she was when she smiled. I’d never seen that on her face, and at that moment, I vowed to make her smile every day.
Like two magnets drawn to each other, her soulful blue eyes found me in the crowd of people. I saw the resolve blanket them before she lifted a shot glass, clinked it with the man in front of her, and drank the contents. Fighting the urge to pound the guy, I slowly approached behind them.
The man turned and looked at me before turning back to Hannah. He said something to her, and she locked eyes with me as she raised her voice and spoke. “Him? He’s the guy who said kissing me was a mistake and nearly broke his neck to run from me.”
He turned back to her, said something, then stood from his chair and approached me. I stood taller, ready to explain the simple fact to him that Hannah was mine.
“My name is Samuel, and before you get all butthurt, I’m gay and that sexy ass bartender is my boyfriend. I’m a friend of Hannah’s and I’m tired of seeing her sad. If you can’t and won’t treat her right, then walk away and leave her in peace. If, from the look on your face and how hurtful your actions were to her, you’re craving a little vitamin H, then do it right. ‘Cause I might take it up the ass, but I will kick yours up and down Peachtree Street for hurting that sweet girl.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, “Is that so?”
“I’m a gay southern man, so you bowing up doesn’t scare me. Just do right by her. Something tells me she’s seen pain on a level most don’t understand.”
Samuel walked around the side of me and straight up to a man behind the counter. They watched as I turned away from them to face Hannah, and I could see she was more than a little tipsy. The closer I got to her, the more I could see her eyes were glassy and she was swaying slightly in her chair. Whatever plansI may have had were out the window until she was sober and could fully consent.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, lowering her gaze to her lap.
I couldn’t stand that I was another reason she was hurt, so I carefully reached over and, using two fingers under her chin, lifted her gaze to mine. She stared into my eyes, and I leaned forward so I could speak without yelling.
