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Chapter14
Hayden
I blinkagainst the afternoon sun streaming through the windshield of my car and sip my coffee.
Unfortunately, this caffeinated beverage didn’t come from the Sugar Cube. It took all of my remaining self-control not to go in there. It’s because of my fierce desire to see Calista that I avoided the coffee shop.
She’s already fucked with my psyche more than I care to admit.
Besides, I’ve decided to give her time to see that she needs my help. She’s an intelligent woman and will come to the same conclusion eventually, although it might take some more convincing from me.
In the form of nightly visits.
I scan the surrounding area, my vigilance high. Unfortunately, the T&A is an establishment that’s meant for night entertainment, which forces me to conduct this meeting with the manager during the daylight hours. I prefer the cloak of darkness, but I have no problem meting out justice whenever karma calls for it.
Jim unlocks the front door. From this distance I can make out the wrinkles in his shirt and the stains on his jeans. This man contributes nothing to society. It will not miss him.
After waiting several minutes, I exit my vehicle and make my way to the rear entrance. I quickly pick the lock, not wanting to be seen lingering outside this place, and turn the knob. Once indoors, I secure the lock once again. The room is nothing like it was the night before, now void of its degenerate customers, loud music, and bustling waitresses.
Technically, Calista would be considered one, even though she only worked there for a mere fifteen minutes. Maybe ten. It would’ve been less than five if my court case hadn't gone over the allotted time. Fucking day job.
It doesn’t matter. She’ll never step foot in this place again. If everything goes according to plan, no one will.
I walk up to the bar and retrieve a glass and a nearly empty bottle of cheap whiskey. It’s not usually my drink of choice, but when digging in the garbage, one shouldn’t be surprised to find trash. After pouring a decent amount on the countertop, I fill the tumbler and sip the contents, waiting for my target to come out of the back office.
Jim shows up and stops in his tracks the moment his eyes lands on me. When I flick my gaze to his, he pales.
“Hey, you can’t be here,” he says. “How did you get inside?”
“Join me.” I lift my now half-full glass. “Although you’ll have to find yourself a different drink since I finished this one off.”
He eyes me warily, unable to hide his suspicion from leaking onto his features. “Yeah, sure.”
I finger my glass, tracing the rim, keeping my movements unhurried, restrained. He pours himself a shot of vodka and taps it on the counter before downing the contents. I salute him with my drink and take a long swallow.
“Ask me why I’m here,” I say.
“Come on, man. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I click my tongue in admonishment and he flinches at the staccato sound. “Jim,” I say, drawing out the name. “Ask me why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?” he asks, his voice thin. Like he’s having a hard time breathing.
“You know why,” I say. “Now tell me. I want to hear you say it.”
“If I do, will you leave?”
I nod. “You have my word.”
“Okay.” He gulps, causing his Adam’s apple to bob. “Well, the thing is, I didn’t actually hire the girl. Once you left, I realized that I didn’t have a phone number on file to reach her so I couldn’t contact her and tell her not to show up for work. Mack didn’t know about our…agreement,” he says, stumbling over the word. “So he let her start her shift. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“I see.”
He meets my gaze. The hope inside almost makes me smile. “I’m glad you get it,” he says.
“First of all, it wasn’t an agreement. That would’ve meant that I needed your cooperation. Which I certainly don’t. Our prior conversation was an understanding between two parties with consequences attached. However, given your actions, I believe you think they weren’t real.”
I take a sip of my drink. “Even with your inferior intellect, I assumed you’d be smart enough to heed my warning. That was my mistake. Or perhaps I didn’t make myself clear?”
