Page 4 of Where Demons Hide

I move to slide off the stool. “Coming here. I should go.”

“No,bellisima. Not yet.” The woman’s voice is firm as she puts a hand on my arm, holding me in place.

The two men in suits walk up to the bar, one on each side, flanking us. Silence is its own presence in this room. An entity.

I fight the urge to run. To scream. I swallow hard, keeping my panic at bay.They’re just men. This is just a bar. These are just women.Eva brought me here to rattle me, to stir up emotions, to invoke jealousy. This is payback. That’s it. That’s all this is.

So, why do I feel more like a captive than a guest?

Then, loud voices cut over the sound of the piano and my beating heart. Someone is arguing. I glance over my shoulder to the source of the commotion, noticing it’s coming from the entrance.

I recognize one of the voices.

My ears prick at the sound.

My heart jack-knifes.

I know one of those voices.

I lean over, getting a better look just as Jaxon peers over the bouncer’s shoulder.Jaxon.His eyes lock with mine, and his stare is heated, furious. Relief floods over me, followed by confusion.What in the world is he doing here?And then courage.I’m not alone anymore.

I yank my arm from the woman’s grip and climb off the stool. Jaxon is here. Which means I have a witness. There’s someone on my side. It’s no longer seven against one.

“I said I’m done here.” I turn to Eva before heading to the door. “Whatever this little game is, I’m done playing.”

“This isn’t a game.” Her nostrils flare, and her jaw goes tight.

The other woman moves off the barstool and steps in front of me, a wicked grin on her red lips. “And we’re just getting started.”

3

Makenna

The bouncer at the door glances over at the three men sitting at the table. Their eyes are wide. Their faces are pale and their gaze laser-focused on Jaxon as if they’d seen a ghost. Finally, one of them gives a single nod, and the bouncer steps aside so that I can pass.

The moment I’m outside, my lungs drag in the fresh, cool air. The tension rolls off my shoulders.

I can breathe.

“What was all that about?” I ask Jaxon.

“Nothing.” He cuts me a glance but keeps walking. Fast. Almost too fast for me to keep up. His chest heaves and his eyes flare with fury. “I could ask you the same thing.” He points back to the wine bar. “First, I walk out of work and find your car in the parking lot with the tires slashed, then I find you here, with Eva Mason of all people.”

I stop walking. My muscles tense and my mouth goes dry. “My tires were slashed?”

He peers over his shoulder but keeps moving. It’s like he can’t get away from here fast enough. “Yeah. You didn’t know?”

I take a breath and follow him again, walking fast until I catch up. “No.” I only knew they were flat. I had no idea why.Eva.What a vindictive bitch.

I’ve seen the effect he has on women. He turns them into sex junkies.I said that to Brynn. And now, I’m fighting off visions of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and an obsessed Kathy Bates fromMisery.

Jaxon’s voice breaks through the thick moment of silence. “Are you two hanging out now?”

“God, no. That was a one-time deal. Are you going to tell me whatyouwere doing there?” I slam to a stop when I turn the corner and see the fortuneteller.

She’s sitting at her table. Small candles lined across the front flicker in the darkness. Shadows dance across her face. Her gray eyes burn through me. My stomach flips. Her lips are moving as she looks back to where we just left. I follow the path of her stare, and my heart leaps to my throat. Lingering fear pounces on me, knocking the wind from my lungs.

How did I not notice it before?

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