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Barely audible, her command rippled through the room. Without unleashing the full might of her voice, we were aware of the manipulation. Bruno released my arm, leaving me to return to the bar. Before I started on the limes, I regretted speaking out in front of the staff. Even if I felt she was ditching us for greener pastures, Scarlet deserved more respect.
I wanted to apologize, but the echo of her command wouldn’t let me leave my station.
The bar backs danced around me, polishing glasses, ensuring the presentation met the owner’s strict guidelines. Scarlet pressed keys on the piano, humming along to a melody that never quite reached her fingertips.
She spun about, meandering toward the bar. I half expected her to reach across the counter and slap me. The mascara had run down her cheeks, making it look as if her tears were black. Superpowers were the least impressive thing about her as she pulled back her shoulders, finding her stride.
“Buy the club.”
The knife slipped through the lime, butchering the fruit. Her voice wavered with the statement, a sign she spoke without her hypnotic powers. She reached out until her hand slid over mine.
“Buy it, Alejandro.”
“But you said—“
“I haven’t agreed to the sale. This has been my life for such a long time. I met Max here. He would come and listen to me sing before the supers. As I finished my set, he always gave me a nod. If I didn't approach him, he wouldn't have talked to me. We closed the bar that night talking about dreams. He doesn’t believe me, but I knew then that I’d marry him.”
The confident businesswoman had a soft side that few saw. Out of all her employees, I had known her the longest, and somewhere along the way, she stopped being my boss and became part of my extended family. When she gave birth to her daughter, I was the one who drove Max to the hospital.
“I wouldn’t know the first thing—”
“Don’t kid yourself. There is nobody here more passionate about the Alley. If we didn’t need the money to retire, I’d simply sign it over.” She gripped my hand, squeezing my fingers. “You’re the only person who loves it as much as me.”
“Is this going to be an awkward three-way?”
She laughed. “When has a three-way ever been awkward for the legendary Alejandro?”
“But the buyer?”
“There’s time.” She let go and walked away. With a slight turn of her head, she eyed me over her shoulder. “Kid, I wish you would see yourself the way I do. You might not know it, but you’re ready for more.”
Scarlet had dropped a bomb before walking away. My cheeks grew hot, and in a well-rehearsed motion, I grabbed the tequila from under the bar. I flipped over a shot glass, filled it, and slammed the drink. Repeat. Three shots later, liquid courage coursed through my veins.
“Definemore, Scarlet.”
* * *
Flare wasn’t required, but it was appreciated. Sure, I could throw a little muscle into shaking the woman’s cocktail and it’d be a fine drink. But adding my signature shake of the hips while vodka sloshes in the mixer ensures a bigger tip. It’s accented as I open it, giving a lengthy pour and an extra olive on the toothpick.
Raven smiled as I slapped down a napkin, setting her drink down in front of her. Like always, she takes a sip, taking a moment to savor the drink before she nods her approval. “Your martini is the perfect end to a day of protecting the museum’s jewels from thieves.”
“And yet you’re stealing my heart,” I shouted over the music.
With black eyes, I couldn’t be sure if they rolled back, but I had my suspicions. “When you decide to play for the other team, call me.” She slid the money across the table. “Keep it.”
The tip jar had a ways to go before it reached pre-depowering numbers, but it just meant I had to dial up the charm. The crowd inside continued to grow, but there weren’t many heavy hitters from the superhero community. As I searched for familiar masks, I found most of the Alley’s patrons were new supers. It was good to get fresh blood, but we always hoped for one of the billionaire heroes like the Machinist to come in and throw money around.
As Raven turned toward the table with her feathered husband, Raven froze. I followed her eyes to the door. “¡Por Dios! There goes the night.”
The Guild, five of the most egotistical supers roaming Vanguard City. On multiple occasions, their leader went toe-to-toe with Scarlet. Eclipse acted as if they were on par with the Centurions, but to date, nobody had seen them saving the city. There were plenty of people with superpowers that frequented the club who didn’t use their abilities to protect the average Joe, but none of them bragged about their superiority. No, Eclipse needed a seat for him and an entire table for his ego.
He also didn’t understand the concept of tipping.
Eclipse and his lackeys wore tailored white suits that accentuated their muscles. The cowl covering the Guild leader’s face made it impossible to identify the jerk underneath, but I assumed he was nothing to look at. Heroes who padded their suits always had something to hide alongside their alter ego. With the bulge in his suit, I suspected he’d be neither a shower nor a grower.
Of course, he headed straight for the bar.
“Whisky, top-shelf, heavy on the pour.”
