There were tough times; of course, as teens,everythingwas more difficult, but those times were rare. He’d only seen Maya cry a handful of times, and each time it drove a small dagger into his heart.
For as long as he could remember, he hated seeing his sister cry and would often do something stupid to get her to laugh again. Usually, a silly face or a bad joke would get her to smile, and often, he could have her laughing within five minutes of her tears.
There were so happy back then, so confident of the direction their lives would take and sure nothing could derail them from their dreams. They had the whole world at their feet, and nothing could stop them. They hadn’t realized that a loss so profound it would shatter the lives of those who remained, waited on the horizon.
Caught up in the memories and the song, Dante hadn’t realized the bartender returned until the glass hit the bar near his hand. Dante tore his attention away from the stage and back to the bartender.
Something flickered in the man’s eyes as they ran over him, and for a second, his features softened. Then the softness vanished, and he pushed the glass toward Dante.
Chapter Five
“That’s ten dollars,”the bartender said.
“I’ve got it, Kyle,” the woman intervened. “Put it on my tab.”
“No,” Dante said. “Thank you, but no.”
The woman gave him a sexy smile that he was sure worked on many men before. “It’s my way of saying welcome to the neighborhood.”
Dante didn’t tell her this wasn’t his neighborhood. “It’s appreciated, but I’ve got it.”
He suspected she was the type who would take an inch and try to turn it into a mile. Her bottom lip pushed out in a sexy little pout, and she fluttered her lashes before smiling again. “I like a man who takes care of himself.”
Dante pulled out his wallet and slid a twenty toward the bartender. Kyle took the cash and retreated to the cash register.
“What’s your name, stranger?” the woman asked.
“Dante,” he said.
He’d already revealed his real name to the woman on the stage; he couldn’t start using his alias now. He sipped his drink and felt the burn all the way to his stomach. Kyle may not want him here, but he made a good drink.
“I’m Tammy.”
“Nice to meet you,” he muttered as Kyle returned with his change and went to pour another drink.
“I think I recall seeing you in here a couple of weeks ago,” Tammy said.
“It’s possible.”
Dante didn’t want to be around her, and he doubted she’d seen Julie, but he couldn’t walk out of here without asking about the girl. Removing Julie’s photo from the inner pocket of his jacket, he flattened it on the bar and pushed it toward Tammy.
“Have you seen her?” he asked.
Her hair brushed against the bar as she leaned over to examine the photo. “No, who is she?”
“Someone I’m looking for.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you looking for her?”
“It’s my job.”
She perked up as she rose away from the photo. “Oh, really? Are you a cop?”
“No.”
“Then why—”
“Hey, Tammy!” one of the other women called and pointed frantically at a phone on the bar. “Your kid’s calling.”
