AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Anna climbed out of her car and strode into Sloan’s. Her eyes met Damon’s—her old boss, and one of the only people she’d classify as a friend. He knew she was underage when she’d started working for him, but he also knew she’d needed the job. So, when she handed him a badly forged driver’s license, he’d taken a long look over it and asked her when she could start. She started that night and she only quit when Diaz demanded it. She missed Sloan’s—she loved meeting and talking to people all day and night—and thought maybe she’d open her own bar one day.
Damon gestured toward a bar stool and she gave him a grin. “The regular,” she said as she took a seat, her eyes sweeping over the crowd. Most of them were wannabe gangsters, or at least that’s what they looked like. Jeans pulled down, thick chains around their necks and wrists. These young men might think they look cool, but they would never garner the respect of a true gangster like Diaz who, despite his lack of morals, demanded his men dress like normal civilians. He wanted them to fit in and not draw attention.
Satisfied no one was watching her, she exhaled a soft breath and wrapped one hand around her glass of whiskey. She hated whiskey until she started dating Diaz. While she still didn’t care for the taste, she loved the burn on the back of her throat and the way the heat settled in her stomach, calming her.
The back-bar at Sloan’s was an old mirror with a few cracks and a lot of desilvering, but it added charm to the old place. It also provided a way for Anna to watch her back at all times.
She was one whiskey down when a man slid in next to her. “Whiskey on the rocks,” he said, then added, “and another for her—whatever she’s drinking.”
Anna’s eyes snapped from the mirror to the man sliding onto the stool beside her. He was dressed better than the other men in there, so he definitely wasn’t with the crowd of wannabes at the pool table behind her.
Then she took a longer look at him. It took her a second before her heart began racing like he’d pulled a knife to her throat. She checked herself, forcing herself to remain calm and suppress her emotions.
The shaved head had thrown her. He wasn’t exactly in disguise, but he’d changed his appearance enough that none of Diaz’s men would recognize him. Only someone who had gotten close enough to look into those baby blues would. She’d gotten a close look, and now she struggled to look away.
Men like him should come with a warning:I look cute, but trust me, I’m dangerous.
He paid for the drinks then finally turned to look at her.
Her heart stammered in her chest.
This could not be happening. He could ruin everything.
If anyone saw them talking, she’d be in Alex’s seat tomorrow. She needed an exit plan.
Anna resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off her brow. She cast her eyes toward Damon, but he took the money without a second look and that slowed her heartbeat by a fraction, but no more.
Damon turned his back to grab the whiskey and she turned to face him. “You can leave after the drink. I have nothing to say to you.”
His eyes met hers and her heart skipped a beat. Her emotions were running wild but his eyes were like a mirror. He knew he was taking a risk and she sensed he wasn’t there to cause trouble—although all logic would suggest otherwise.
“I’m new in town. Someone in the office told me this is a good place to grab a drink. Looks kind of quiet to me,” he said, looking over his shoulder then back at her, “but that’s how I like it.” He took a sip of his whiskey.
Yeah, you and me both.
“How has your day been,Anna?” he asked casually, looking ahead.
Her body flushed cold but she kept her face impassive and refused the instinct to bolt. She couldn’t do that; it would only attract attention.
And even in her panic, she wondered whether anyone but her would recognize him.
“It’s Louisa,” she said. “And my day has been fine, thank you...” She raised an eyebrow.
He turned, looking directly at her. “Jackson,” he said. “I’d say it’s been a pleasure meeting you, but the purple shadow on my jaw would suggest otherwise.” His face was impassive but there was a smile in his eyes.
If not for the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she would’ve mused at how handsome he was. The shaved head suited him—it made him look a little less preppy and a whole lot tougher. He was almost unrecognizable as the man at the warehouse.
He wore a small diamond stud in his ear. Tiny, not the kind of bling the wannabes at the pool table would appreciate. But she was learning Jackson flew under the radar like her. He was either brave or incredibly stupid to turn up here tonight after he’d just raided Diaz’s warehouse. That realization took her anxiety down a notch; he had as much to lose as she did.
She gulped down a large mouthful of whiskey and tipped her head back slightly, letting it run down her throat.
“You don’t have to drink it all in one go. The bottle is full,” he said with a hint of a smile.
She hid the faint smile that wanted to slide across her lips. “What are you doing here?”
He looked straight ahead but their eyes met in the mirror. “I think we can help each other. It seems we have a common interest.”
She raised one eyebrow and lowered her voice. “Leave before you get us both killed.”
