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Satisfied, he nodded. "Then we just have to seal the deal."
I looked at Kaden questioningly. Without warning, he drew his knife. The blade reflected the moonlight for a moment and then I felt a surge of adrenaline rushing through my body. Because the next thing I knew, the knife was sliding across my index finger.
I hissed when I felt the cut, but Kaden didn't dwell on my temporary pain. Instead, he took my wrist to press my finger against his warm lips.
His tongue darted out and slid over the wound he had inflicted, hot and wet, before he spread the rest of my blood over his mouth, as if we were about to perform some sort of ritual.
I tried hard to find what I saw disturbing. Repulsive. Strange. Kaden was just an insane man. But the opposite was the case. Instead, I felt a strange attraction to what was happening in front of my eyes. A kind of fascination, because the thought of him handling the liquid that ensured my survival in such a respectful yet captivating way left me momentarily breathless.
Until he looked up at me with a grin and broke the spell. "It looks like we have a deal, Nikau Keahi."
I snorted and shook my head, getting rid of whatever had been building up inside me as I watched the bloody action unfold. "Don't get ideas, Kaden."
He promptly twisted the corners of his mouth into a grin. "But I'm imagining it all, Nika."
Well, the nickname was new.
But it would bea long time before I heard it again.
Nikau
You're closing up today, aren't you?" chirped Jane, my absolute hated boss, as she whizzed past me with her oversized bag and hurried toward the exit.
The kitchen was under her strict command, but, unfortunately, that didn't mean she cared about leaving her workspace tidy.
I glanced at the clock. Half past ten. Most of the restaurant's guests had already left. A few regulars were still sitting at the bar, and the temporary staff in the kitchen were probably still cleaning up the day's mess.
When I didn't answer her directly, she spun around and gave me that forced friendly smile that showed too many teeth. It made the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Dramatically, she fluttered her false eyelashes that were far too long.
"Sure, no problem," I replied in a sugary tone. Satisfied, she nodded, pushed the door open and disappeared into the dark night. Cedar Rapids wasn't exactly a pretty town– all of Iowa left a lot to be desired, if I was being honest– and Jane probably only insisted on leaving early because she couldn't wait to get home, put her feet up and let her kids take care of her. At least, that's how it was in my head, because that's how she treated the staff.
I hurried to the back, pushed open the kitchen door and found Samuel bent over the sink, a pile of dirty dishes beside him. Contrite, I watched him for a few seconds. "Let me just get the remaining guests out the door and I'll help you," I called to him, having already turned to leave. Before I returned to the bar, I put on another friendly smile. The muscles in my face ached every night from the constant effort of trying to be polite to all these people.
As soon as I was behind the bar, I tapped on the counter. "Ron, do you need a taxi or should I call your wife?"
Before he had a chance to reach for his car keys, I pulled them in my direction. After the amount of alcohol he had already consumed, I would hardly let him drive home.
"Alternatively, a walk is a good idea. By the time you get there, your intoxication should have worn off, shouldn't it?"
Frowning, he looked at me. "I like you, girl– especially when you're pouring me more booze without saying anything."
I twisted my mouth. "And tomorrow morning you can like me, because I did not just put you on the street," I replied, already reaching for the phone to inform his wife of his whereabouts.
She would probably turn up in her pajamas and drag him home by his ear. A funny thought.
I turned to the other three customers sitting at the bar, gripping their glasses. "What about you guys? Wives you want me to call?"
"We've already chosen our driver," one of them replied, and I nodded in satisfaction.
"Wonderful. Then I'll get the bill ready for you." I turned away with a wink.
"Will you be here tomorrow as well?"
Actually, I was here every day. I had to be. Somehow I had to make a living in this godforsaken place. Iowa wasn't exactly one of those states where you could freely choose your work. You came to this place, took the first job offered, and almost nine years later you found yourself still in the same job, with the same people, and the same problems kept you up at night.
"Maybe. We'll just have to see," I muttered as I tapped on the till.
Riggs lifted his head. "Tomorrow is our dear Nikau's birthday. We could give her a day off from us old farts," he announced, as if proud to have remembered my birthday.
