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She laughed, and her childhood memories added to the mellowness he felt with her. Something about the night they shared before and this night ignited his comfort and stability with her. He wanted to relax and let her in fully, but that was a mistake he’d made one too many times before.
Shaking out of his thoughts, Langston turned an eye to one of the criminals in the portrait on the wall. “Do you know the story of the men in the portraits?” he asked.
Lisa shook her head. “No. I never asked. Do you think that’s crazy?”
“Not at all. It gives me an opportunity to show that intelligence you said I have.”
She laughed, and the sound wrapped around his heart, sending chills down his spine.
“You have a beautiful laugh, Lisa.”
Crimson ran into her cheeks, and her melanin darkened as she blushed. “Thank you.”
“There’s no thanks warranted.”
They stared at each other.
The silence between them was pregnant with possibility, and Langston couldn’t help but feel a flicker of desire ignite within him. He leaned in closer, his eyes remaining with hers.
“Langston,” she started, her voice husky with emotion.
But before she could say anything more, the door to the bar burst open, interrupting their moment. A group of rowdy bikers walked in, their leather jackets creaking as they made their way to the bar.
Langston watched them closely, assessed their auras, then split his attention between their movements and Lisa. “I guess you’re used to the rowdy crowd like them, huh?”
She smirked. “Not anymore. But I’m not worried.”
“I don’t know. Things could get crazy at the Horseshoe; you said it yourself.”
“That was a long time ago, and besides, I’m not worried.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’ve got you.”
He stared at her and smirked, and quietness broke over their table as the bikers’ voices rose in an argument.
Langston broke the silence by pointing to the portrait on the wall, ignoring the men. “Let me tell you a story about this one.” He gestured to the painting of a man with a long beard and piercing blue eyes. “Jerry Malign. He was a notorious smuggler who dealt in illegal weapons and drugs. He had a network of associates and informants worldwide, and he made a fortune from their cooperation. But one day, the FBI finally caught up with him. They raided his warehouse and seized all his merchandise. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison.”
A server approached their table, and they ordered drinks and hot wings.
When she left, Langston continued, “Jerry’s story doesn’t end there. He had a daughter who was just a baby when he went to jail. He never saw her grow up, but he hated that she would grow up without a father. So he spent years planning his escape, studying maps and schematics, and gathering intelligence from his contacts on the outside. And eventually, he made it out. He dug a tunnel from his cell to the outside world and escaped from prison. He went into hiding, changing his name and appearance, but he never forgot about his daughter. He eventually made his way back to her, and they were reunited after years of being apart.”
Lisa listened intently; her eyes fixed on Langston’s face as he told the story.
“Jerry Malign became devoted to protecting his daughter and keeping her from his dangerous lifestyle. He did everything he could to ensure she had a better life and stayed out of trouble. And in the end, he sacrificed himself to save her from one of his former associates who had come seeking revenge.”
“Wow. That sounds like a movie. How could you possibly know all of that?”
“His full story is in the criminal database. He wrote a journal detailing his plans, the escape, the reunion, and what he planned to do to save her. The government has been offered millions to sell his story because it would make a fascinating movie, but of course, they don’t want to turn his criminal empire into something to be hailed.”
“Hmph, they will eventually.”
“You think so?”
“They always crack in the end. Money is power. Besides, looks like this place has found a way to hail him anyway.”
Langston nodded as the bartender approached with their drinks and food.
