Page 5 of Healing His Darkness
“You heard him George, the man wants some grub and a whiskey. How about you get Brody to grill us up some burgers and fries?” Sexy bartender blushes before taking off down the other end of the bar. My eyes follow her every move, it’s like I have no control over my body.
“That’s George, she’s Clay’s daughter.” Fuck me running, well there’s that. No way am I risking my dad's friendship for a woman, even if that woman is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my fucking life.
“Now you want to tell me what’s going on that’s got you running.” Shit, I was hoping to wait ‘til I got a couple of drinks in him, or at least a few in me before he started. No such luck, my dad liked to cut to the chase. So, I told him everything. I told him about how the clubhouse looked like Cupid vomited all over it. How the guys were so far up their mate’s asses they couldn’t see straight. And how I was a fucking jackass to my best friends because I’m a bitter asshole.
He listened during the whole story, nodded in understanding during some parts, glared at me at others. I knew he’d be pissed at the way I treated the guys mates. Dad believed in treating women like queens. Didn’t matter if they were your queen or someone else’s, they got treated like a fucking queen. By the time, I finished the beautiful bartender returned with our drinks.
“Here you go guys, sorry it took so long. Some of the guys are getting a little rowdy down at the other end. Cole’s taking care of it though. Your food should be ready in a few minutes.” Her voice was like a siren's song to me, calling to my soul. She could read the fucking dictionary and it would sound fucking sexy. What the fuck was wrong with me?
“It’s alright darlin’, we were just catching up. This is my son Darryl.” George cleaned her hand on her bar towel before reaching over to shake my hand.
“I’m George, Sawyer here talks about you so much I feel like I know you already.” She smiles as I take her hand. As soon as our skin touches, it’s like electricity zings all the way up my spine.
MINE. My animal growls in my head.
The gasp that falls from her lips says she felt it too. I let go of her hand quickly, trying to smile, but from the look on her face it must look more like a grimace. What the fuck just happened?
4
GEORGE
What the fuck just happened? I rub my hand feeling the remnants of the electric current that just went through it. My first thought is that electricity is his gift, but if that was the case why did he look like he just got zapped too. No, definitely not his gift, so that left me with the same question. What the fuck just happened?
He looks just as puzzled as he wiped his hand on his jeans, flexing his fingers. The face he made said whatever it was he wasn’t too thrilled about it. Well welcome to the fucking club asshole, because I wasn’t exactly thrilled with feeling like a lightning rod. Sawyer keeps looking back and forth between us with a shit-eating grin on his face. I’m trying to figure out why when Darryl speaks to me.
“It’s Rooster actually, only my pops calls me Darryl these days.” I blink at him trying to figure out what he’s talking about.
“My name, it’s actually Rooster. You know, like Rooster Cogburn.” He gives me a sheepish grin, like he’s almost embarrassed by his nickname. I shake myself a little, remembering I still have to work.
“Yeah, I get it. Like John Wayne in True Grit.” I really don’t know why anyone would call him Rooster. Unless he’s super cocky, but that doesn’t fit with what Sawyer has told us about him. Sawyer talks about his son like he’s an avenging angel who rescues puppies and kittens from all the bad people in the world. But looking at him with his tattooed sleeves and striking eyes he is nowhere close to an angel. No, I know his type, been there done that, got the fucking pyscho ex to prove it. I need to stay away from him.
My body has other plans though, because all my nerve endings are going haywire being near him. It’s like this magnetic energy between my body and his, dragging me closer. I want to lean over the bar just to get closer to him. My dad’s voice booming from behind me makes me jump before turning on my heel and heading to the other side of the bar.
“Sawyer my man. How’s it hanging?” My dad greets Sawyer with a back-slapping hug before starting to chat with him and Darryl, I mean Rooster. I’m just greeting my next customer when I feel his eyes on me. It’s like this tingle that travels all the way up my body into my scalp.
I don’t know why I turn to look back down the bar at him, but I’m compelled for some reason. When I do, I see his piercing blue eyes following my every move I make as I pour my customers’ drinks. I’m so entranced that I couldn’t tell you how much I charged them, or if I even gave them the right change back. The spell is broken when Cole comes behind the bar and grabs me around the waist and starts twirling me around. I squeal as he starts tickling me.
“Stop asshole, I’m working.” I slap him on his shoulder as he puts me down and kisses me on my cheek.
“Yeah, well you looked like you were stressing again. I figured you needed a laugh.” He ruffles my hair and I give a quick glance over at Rooster. Big mistake, he stares daggers at Cole and me like we’ve committed some kind of crime. I decide to ignore his attitude and turn back to my brother.
“Not stressing, just concentrating on working. Now get out from back here before you break any bottles like last time.” There’s a reason Cole is the guy who keeps the rowdies in line, he’s all thumbs when it comes to serving drinks. I swat him on his ass with my bar towel as he makes his way towards Dad’s corner, where he’s still chatting with Rooster and Sawyer.
I watch as Dad introduces Cole to Rooster and his entire demeanor changes. He smiles as he shakes my brother's hand nodding. His eyes find mine, a smirk gracing his lips. I can’t help myself when I stick my tongue out at him, flipping him the bird. Yeah, I know why they call you Rooster asshole, it’s because you’re a cocky sonofabitch that’s why. Turning my back to all of them, attempting to ignore their, and therefore, his presence.
The rest of the night, I couldn’t stop myself from continuing to glance over to their side of the bar. Every time I did, I swore it was the last time I was going to do it, but then I’d find my eyes wandering back over there. We’d finally slowed down, and it was almost closing time, soon I could put Rooster out of mind forever. Sawyer said he was just visiting for a few days; I had the next few days off. I could avoid the bar and him until he was gone. Then I could go back to my life before he strutted into it with his electric touch. I should be happy. So why did my chest feel like it was going to cave in at the thought of never seeing him again.
Sighing I started wiping down the bar to prepare for closing when suddenly he was standing right in front of me. I yelp, stumbling backwards. Before I know what’s happening, he’s jumped over the bar grabbing me by the arms. The electricity is back and as quickly as he helped me, he releases me.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to scare you.” I blink up at him trying to get my bearings. His eyes are like glaciers, crystalline blue, but with tiny specks of seafoam green on the edges. I can’t help myself when my hand reaches out to touch his eyebrow. Cracks of electricity touch my finger and I think I hear him say “fuck”.
“George are you okay. What happened Darryl?” It’s my dad and he’s stepped between me and Rooster, holding me by my arms.
“I think I surprised her while she was cleaning the bar.” My dad growls a low warning, I know that growl, it means he’s not happy.
“I was distracted, he didn’t do anything wrong. Stop. I lost my balance, nothing more. Rooster even came to my rescue.” I have no idea why I’m defending him, but he’s grinning so wide I think I can see his molars. Rolling my eyes, I straighten myself, grabbing the towel I was using.
“He had his hands on you George, and you were as white as a sheet.” Reminding myself that my dad loves me, even if he is a bit overprotective sometimes, keeps me from strangling him some days.
