“Hey,” I said as I entered the kitchen, surprised by how big it actually was.No wonder Axel didn’t complain about not having a kitchen in his apartment when he had this luxurious one downstairs.“I have a food order and Axel said to bring it to you.”
“Sweet,” she replied with a smile as she wiped her hand on her apron and then reached out to take it.“Is this for Jo?”
“How did you know?”I asked, tilting my head to the side as I wondered how she knew who it was for just based on the order.
“She’s the only one who comes to abarand orders aDiet Cokeandextra lettuceon a sandwich,” she replied with a laugh.“But given that there’s not much around here, the bar doubles as the only restaurant that’s close by.I’ll get started on this right now.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled and turned to head to the door when Axel suddenly appeared, concern etched on his face.
“What’s wrong?”I asked as a shiver ran up my spine.
“There are two guys who I’ve never seen before who just came in.I want you to stay back here until I come to get you.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it when I couldn’t get the words out.He turned and stormed out the door, leaving me behind.
Fuck.They found me.
Ten
Axel
Itried to act nonchalantas I walked back into the bar and nodded at the two guys who had taken a seat at one of the tables.My heart raced wildly, knowing they were there for Charlie.They had to be.We didn’t get out-of-towners that often, so it wasn’t just a coincidence that they showed up a day after she did.Not only that, they had dark beanies pulled low on their heads, making it nearly impossible to see their faces.Add in the matching tattoos on their hands, and I had a terrible feeling lingering in my gut.
I walked behind the bar, locking eyes with Jo for a second as she sat rigidly on the barstool, her hand hovering slightly at her hip.I knew she had already been making a list of ways to kill them if needed because that’s what she did best.She could take a dangerous situation and analyze it in seconds, finding the best possible outcome to protect what needed protection.I reached beneath the bar, grabbed my gun, and tucked it in the back of my jeans, knowing it was fully loaded and ready to go.
I was getting ready to head over to their table to see what they wanted when the door opened and Mr.and Mrs.Stewart walked in.They smiled, and she waved at the two guys sitting there, immediately stopping me in my tracks as I frowned.Apparently, they knew them, which was surprising to say the least, but at least they weren’t there for Charlie.
“Hello,” I said as I walked over and stood by their table after they were all seated.“Can I get you all something to drink?”
“Hi, Axel,” Mrs.Stewart said, smiling up at me as she squeezed her husband’s hand.“These are our grandsons, Michael and Vinny.They were passing through town, heading to Oak Creek to see their mom for Christmas, when they got stuck in that storm last night.They’ll be staying with us until the weather clears.”
It wasn’t uncommon for people around town to give you the full story about someone new in town, mainly because we were all so guarded that we saw anyone who lingered more than a few minutes as an automatic threat.
I nodded and pressed my lips into a smile as I pulled out the notepad and pen from my back pocket.Both guys took off their beanies, making them look as threatening as the sports-themed matching tattoos on their hands.I shook my head subtly, disappointed with myself for being so paranoid.But at the end of the day, I would do whatever it took to protect Charlie and the baby, even if I looked like a fool for thinking everyone was a possible threat.
