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“A bartender that doesn’t drink, huh? Sounds a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” He’s still eyeing my body and it’s starting to give me the creeps. He’s not a bad-looking man, but the way his eyes are lecherous sends off the warning signals. This man is not a nice person. I’ve had guys hit on me since working here, and although they still make me feel slightly uncomfortable, it’s nothing compared to what this guy makes me feel. The dirty feeling is creeping back in.
I shrug at his question and turn my back to him, but not before I see a hard edge enter his eyes. A few minutes later I turn back to see if he’s still there and find that he’s not. Glancing around the bar, I don’t see him anywhere. Good riddance!
A half hour later I’m so busy that I forget all about the creepy guy with his lingering gaze. Jaxon came out from his office a few minutes ago to help.
Another hour passes before there’s finally a lull in the crowd. I take advantage of it and slip off to the bathroom. Once I finish relieving my bladder I wash and dry my hands. When I reach for the door, it opens by itself and a man quickly walks in. He closes the door behind him, and I immediately recognize the creepy man from the bar. Before I get a chance to scream he slams his hand over my mouth and pushes me against the wall.
I turn my head away when he brings his closer to mine. I can smell the alcohol on his breath and it nearly gags me. Running his nose along my neck, he whispers in my ear. “I’ve been waiting awhile to finally meet you, Bailey.”
I whip my head back around when he says my name. I try hard to remember if I’ve seen him before, but he’s a complete stranger to me. How does he know my name though?
The sound is pure evil when he laughs in my face. He snakes out his tongue and runs it from the bottom of my jaw, up my cheek, and over my scar.
“We’re going to have so much fun later, you and I.” I become paralyzed when he says that. He must be a friend of Steven’s. The thought races through me, and I feel sick. I barely manage to hold down what’s in my stomach.
He reaches down and grabs my breast. He grips my nipple and twists so hard I let out a whimper. Finally releasing it, he takes a step back and says, “I’ll see you later, baby.” He gives me a wink and steps out of the bathroom.
I take in a much-needed breath and sag against the wall. Tears start welling in my eyes, but I force them back. I need to go out there and tell Jaxon what happened. Walking over to the sink, I splash water on my face before leaving the bathroom. I slowly open the door and peek outside. Seeing no one in the hall, I quickly step out and practically run back to the front.
I round the corner just as I see Nick walking in the door. I’m surprised to see him. He wasn’t due back for another few days. What surprises me even more is that Anna isn’t with him.
We both make it to the bar at the same time, and I ask him, “Where’s Anna?”
He looks at me with confusion. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Why would she be with me? The job finished up early, and I just got into town. I went by her house and the diner, but she wasn’t there.”
A feeling of dread forms in my lower belly. Before I get a chance to talk, Jaxon starts speaking. “She left a few days ago to surprise you with a visit. When was the last time you spoke to her?”
“Tuesday afternoon. She told me she was taking on a few extra shifts and she might not be able to talk much. I thought it was odd that I couldn’t reach her when I tried calling a few times, but figured she was either at work or sleeping. She never showed up at the site. What the fuck is going on?”
“Son of a bitch!” Jaxon explodes. Grabbing my hand and pointing to Nick he says, “My office now.” He turns to where Mia is standing and shouts, “Mia, my office,” He then turns and almost drags me in his haste to get to his office.
As soon as we’re all inside, he slams the door and looks at me. “Call her, see if she answers.” Next, he turns to Mia and says, “Call Mom and see if she’s heard from Anna.”
We both nod and whip out our phones from our back pockets. Bringing up her name, I push Talk. As the phone rings, I see Jaxon on his office phone. After several rings, it goes to voice mail. I hit the End button the same time Jaxon slams the receiver down on his base.
“No answer, it rings until voice mail picks up,” I tell him.
“Mom hasn’t spoken to her since before she left,” Mia says.
My hands fly to my mouth and my eyes immediately start to tear up. I glance over at Jaxon.
“Oh my, God,” I whisper. “He wasn’t talking about me. He was talking about her.”
My knees give out, but before I hit the floor Jaxon is by my side, lifting me up and settling me down on the couch.
“Would someone please tell me what the fuck is going on? What do you mean, he wasn’t talking about you, he was talking about her? Where’s Anna? Does this have something to do with Steven?”
Jaxon stands back up from the crouch he was in and turns to face Nick. “Nick, man, I need you to take a deep breath and sit down.”
“Fuck you, Jaxon. Tell me where my Anna is.” His voice breaks at the end and my heart nearly splinters.
Jaxon nods before saying quietly, “We think Steven has her. We didn’t realize until tonight when you came in without her.”
The pain that enters Nick’s eyes has more tears falling from my eyes.
“Why? Why would he take her? I don’t get it,” he asks Jaxon.
Jaxon explains to him what’s happened since he left, ending with the note that was attached to the door. Nick ends up sitting on the couch, bending over with his elbows on his knees and his hands gripping his hair.
