Page 29 of Throttle Therapy

“Good to know.What can I get for the two of you?”

She took their orders back to the bar and waited while Mason pulled the bottles from the cooler and set them on the tray unopened, as she’d requested.She took them back to the table and set them in front of Roadkill and Slide then left them to check on her other tables.

Jenna spent the next hour either waiting on the few customers that were in the bar, or working her way around the room with an industrial strength cleaner, cleaning empty tables, seats and all.She swore no one else bothered, and if she didn’t do this every shift then before long, the few customers they had would be sticking to the seats and tables.

She glanced around the room, checking on her tables and making sure no one else had come in, then she went back to work.It was back breaking and left her sore and exhausted, but at least it helped her shift pass faster.

The front door opened and she continued working.She usually gave them a couple of minutes to decide if they wanted the bar or a table, then she’d go check on them and take their orders.She finished the bench seat she was working on scrubbing then looked up and felt her eyes go wide when she spotted three Mobile County Sheriff’s deputies in full gear standing in the middle of the room, another standing at the bar.Her heart sped up until it felt like it thundered in her chest.

Jenna frowned then froze as she watched the deputy at the bar say something, she was too far away to make out what.Mason’s face went white.He glanced around and Jenna got the feeling he wanted to run, but even if he did, where would he go?She turned to look at Roadkill, he was watching her, not the deputies, not what was happening right there.Movement drew her gaze lower, where his hand under the table was motioning her to him.

Since she didn’t have to pass the bar or any of the deputies, she inched her way toward him and his friend.When she got close, he slid out of his seat, touched her arm, and told her to get in.Jenna glanced around once more then slid into the seat he’d just vacated, and kept going.She stopped moving when her side hit the wall, by then, Roadkill had sat back down and was between her and the rest of the room.

“What’s going on?”she whispered.

“Just watch,” Slide said, his voice soft, she assumed so they could hear anything that might drift this way.

The deputies in the rear moved around to either end of the bar while the one in front continued to talk to Mason.None of the men in uniform had their weapons out, but she could tell by the way they stood, the tension in their shoulders, one hand hovering over their pistols, that they were alert and prepared for however this might go.

Jenna twisted in her seat so she could lean back against the wall.Wiggling her butt into the seat, she got comfortable.This looked like it would be entertaining.She’d love to see her boss get smacked around a little and she hoped he resisted whatever they were going to do with him.

It wasn’t that she wanted to see him hurt, not really but she wouldn’t mind if he got to feel a bit of how he’d made her feel over the years.

Mason’s eyes went wide, he glanced around, as if looking for a way to escape.Jenna could read his thoughts as they crossed his face and knew when it occurred to him to take off through the back of the bar, and she hoped the cops had put someone out there, just in case.

But before Mason had a chance to move for the door, the deputy at the open end of the bar moved in.

She bit her lip, wondering how desperate Mason might be to pull one of the weapons she knew were under the bar.There were a pistol grip shotgun and a revolver under there, at opposite ends of the bar.She’d assumed that had been so that there was something nearby wherever he was when trouble broke out, but in the three years she’d worked here, she’d never seen him pull one.

Then again, she worked afternoons, and most bar fights happened at night, when patrons were more drunk than she typically dealt with.

The deputy behind the bar reached Mason, his arms dropped to hang limp by his sides, and his chin hit his chest.The deputy, who was too far to be able to read his name, pulled Mason’s hands behind him and cuffed him.She heard bits and pieces as the deputy recited Mason’s Miranda rights.

Jenna watched as the deputy pushed Mason out from behind the bar.Then another moved up to stand on Mason’s other side, and escorted him outside.

The original deputy, the one who’d done most of the talking and who still stood in front of the bar turned around and spoke to everyone in the place.

“The Driftwood’s closed until farther notice.Is there anyone working here?”

Jenna raised her hand but didn’t move.She couldn’t get out without asking Roadkill to move, and she liked the idea of having him between her and the man in uniform.

“Everyone else clear out.”The deputy moved closer, he was a large man, but not as large as Roadkill, with dark skin and a deep voice.

“What’s your name, miss?”the deputy, whose name badge read ‘J.Price’ asked.

Neither Roadkill, nor Slide moved or acted like they had any intention of leaving.At least not without her.

“I’m Jenna.Jenna Hodge.”

“How long have you been working here?”he asked.

“About three years.”

He didn’t say anything right away, just nodded.“Do you know where the keys are?Can you lock the place up?”

“I do and I can.”She touched Roadkill’s back.She’d have to get out of here to do that.He didn’t move, or at least not right away.She noticed the deputy who hadn’t taken Mason out and wasn’t in front of them, working on herding out the few regulars sitting around the place.

“I’m going to need your information, so we can reach you if we need to.”Price pulled a small notebook and pen from one shirt pocket.