Page 10 of Kings of Decay
“Willow.” I can’t pull away. His grip burns into my flesh and leaves me helpless.
Pearce and Ainsley exchange glances again.
“Cute name,” he said. “For a cute girl. Where are you from?” His eyes flick over my body. “Obviously not from around here.”
Anger bubbled up in my gut, and I wrenched my hand away from him. “No, I’m new.” I don’t offer any other details. The last thing I’d want is these dangerous creeps, knowing where I live.
I glanced around, praying for another customer to call me over, but no one made a single move. All their eyes are on us, and Todd is nowhere to be seen.
“Well, new girl,” Ainsley flicked his dark wavy hair back as he spoke. “Why don’t you have a drink with us?” He raises his glass.
“No thanks,” I stepped back, desperate for something to do.
The brothers’ expressions harden.
“I insist,” Pearce growled.
I’m terrified. I know nothing about these guys except that they are dangerous as hell. Red flags and alarm bells are ringing inmy head. Should I take a drink to appease them? No, if I did, I'd be just as bad as everyone else in this town.
“No thanks.”
That was when I signed my own proverbial death certificate.
A sound came from behind me as Todd opened the back door. A cold breeze and the scent of cigarettes followed him.
“How’s it going, Willow?” His voice faltered when he saw the Winston brothers leaning over the bar. “Ah! Good evening, boys. I see you met our new part-timer.” He plasters a smile across his face that even someone who barely knows him would see through.
It's a strange sight to see a wall of a man suddenly cautious.
“Yes,” Pearce said, throwing a twenty on the bar. “We were inviting her to take a shot with us.”
“Ah,” Todd said, cutting between us to redirect the conversation. “Sorry, boys, she’s not twenty-one yet.”
The brothers knocked back their drinks, which were much more than a shot, in a single gulp.
“Keep the change,” Ainsley said as they shoved off the barstools and left. The cold October wind whistled as the door opened.
Pearce looked over his shoulder again before letting the door slam behind him.
I relaxed, feeling like I could both sink into the floor and hug Todd at the same time. I felt like a balloon animal letting the air out all at once as I slumped against the wall.
“What did you do?” Todd asked.
“I just said I didn’t want a shot,” I said.
Todd scrubbed his gnarled hand over his wiry beard, a troubled look passing over his face. “No one says no to those boys, Willow.” He shoved the crinkled twenty in the cash register and went back to tending to the bar.
I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t say another word to me for the rest of my shift.
Chapter seven
Ainsley
“Who does that bitch think she is, talking to us like that?”I seethed.
“Someone who doesn’t know who we are,” Pearce shook his head as he stated the obvious.
I tightened my grip on the ice-cold steering wheel. “She’s going to pay for it.”
