CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GRAVE
THE MASON BROTHERS don’t rape women, but that doesn’t mean their thugs wouldn’t. I have no doubt that if one of them wanted her, they would have done it. The only thing that kept her from being sexually assaulted was that they wanted money from her. If they would have forced themselves onto her, they would have killed her afterward. Then the Mason brothers would have killed them.
She looks away from me, dismissing the direction this conversation was going just as the punk returns with our drinks. “Here you go.” He hands her hers and slams mine down on the table. Then he turns and walks back toward the bar.
I pick mine up and joke, trying to lighten the mood. “They don’t keep rat poison in the back, do they?”
She snorts and places hers down and yanks mine from my hands. She tosses it back, hissing in a breath.
_______________
Two hours have gone by and I’m craving a hit. April is drunk. She can barely keep her eyes open. She hasn’t said much. But Derek hasn’t taken his eyes off us from his post behind the bar.
They have a past. I’m just not sure how far back it goes. The guy obviously has a thing for her, and it’s not hard to tell they’ve fucked. He sees me as his competition, but I have news for him, there is nothing he could do to beat me. If I want it, I win.
April gets my attention when she slams her empty glass down on the table. “I’m ready … to go.” She hiccups.
“Okay.” I pull a few hundred dollars from my wallet and throw them in the center of the table. Then I get out of the booth and reach out my hand to her. She’s going to need help walking out of this place.
“April?” The douche comes up to the table. “You need to stay. Have some water …”
“She’ll be fine,” I tell him, pushing him out of the way.
She takes my hand and scoots across the leather. Once she hits her feet, she stumbles into me. I wrap an arm around her small waist and throw hers over my shoulder.
“April.” He steps into me. His chest pressed to mine. I have six inches on him, but I’m also holding a very drunk woman. Both of my hands are full.
“Step back,” I warn.
“Or what?” He smirks. “Going to hit me?”
The fucker knows I can’t hit him. If so, she’ll fall. So I use the other option I have. My leg. I knee the motherfucker in the balls.
He falls to his knees, forcing him to the nasty ass bar floor when he doubles over. I readjust April, and we make our way out to my car.
APRIL
I know getting drunk was irresponsible. I’m drowning my problems for the time being, which I never really do. They’re still going to be here tomorrow, but I’ll deal with them then.
I fall into his passenger seat, and he shuts my door. My face falls into my hands, and I try my best to keep from crying. Yelling. If my brother were here, I’d punch him again just to get my point across.
“Hey.” He rubs my back while we sit in the parking lot. I turn into him, letting him hug me.
“That was all she had.” I sniff, inhaling his cologne as I bury my face into his shirt.
“Look at me.” He places his fingers under my chin and lifts it, so I have to look up at him. “I’m going to take care of it. I promise. It’s just a speed bump.”
“I won’t be able to repay you.” That’s the hardest pill to swallow. Our mother raised us to live within our means, but this is going too far. Maybe I should just sell the building as is and walk away.
“You won’t owe me anything.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead, and I sit back in his passenger seat as he fastens my seat belt, then starts the car before pulling out of the parking lot to take me home.
I lie my forehead against his cool window and my eyelids close on their own.
“April?” I hear his voice.
“Hmm?” I open my heavy eyes.
“We’re here.” He turns his car off.
I open the door and manage to climb out of his passenger seat. He’s there the next moment to help me up the stairs and into the house. “Ethan?” I call out once we enter. “Ethan?” I get no response. “He better be here.” I yawn.
“I’ll check,” he assures me.
He helps me up the stairs and into my room. I don’t even care about showering right now. I grab my shirt and lift it up over my head before tossing it to the floor. Then I kick off my shoes and undo my jeans. I turn to see I’m alone in my room. “Grave?” I shove my jeans down my legs and fall into my bed. My sheets feel nice and cold. I close my heavy eyes but open them a second later.