The last thought I have before everything turns black is I hope I can tell Hero how sorry I am for not believing him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hero
The beer goes down smoother than I anticipated. Then again, when you’re pissed off at the entire world and you need an outlet other than fucking, it’s going to.
The petite bartender with fake boobs slides me another beer as if she can read my mind. “I get off in an hour if you want to drink some free beers at my place.” She bats her eyelashes at me.
Ha. As if there was a fucking chance in hell I’d take her up on the offer. “No thanks. I like spending nine bucks for a beer at a strip club.”
She gives me an eyeroll and walks back down to the other side of the bar, probably on a mission to find her next one-night stand. I can’t hold it against her, though. She doesn’t know the organ beating in my chest isn’t my own anymore.
Damon takes the seat beside me and slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Did you see the new girl on the stage?”
I fist the beer bottle in my hand hard enough to break it.
He leans in closer, his voice a whisper. “That one likes it rough. She’ll give you exactly what you want and need. You want me to send her to the backroom to meet you?”
I have to remind myself he means well in his own fucked-up Damon way. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to smash his face in any less. “No, I don’t want to fuck your stripper or strippers.” I sigh. Explaining this to him is going to eat up most of my patience. “I know the concept is foreign to you, so I don’t know how I can make you understand it, but I love Elyse.”
Anger festers. I love her, even though she’s the biggest pain in my ass. Even though she tests me and pushes my buttons—fuck, I love her.
Damon’s eyes go wide. He has no fucking idea what I’m talking about. I realize this would be like trying to explain algebra to a toddler.
“Okay…well, I’ll be in my office if you change your mind.”
I shake my head, completely dumbfounded at his response, and watch him walk through the place like he’s in a hurry.
All right, so he doesn’t really care to hear about things with Elyse. He disappears to the back office, and I continue my crusade to drink the entire place out of beer. But as I do so, my thoughts change. The feelings I’ve pushed down rise to the surface.
I come to terms with the fact that I shouldn’t have walked away. I should’ve fucking stayed at the house, tried to talk to her about everything, tried to reason with her and explain how her safety is my greatest priority.
My anger toward Elyse shifts and now I’m madder at myself than I was at her in the first damn place. I’m so mad at myself, I consider starting a fight with one of the assholes in this place just so I can get my ass kicked.
Music blasts through the speakers, making my head pound. I down the rest of my beer and stand from the bar stool. I nearly collapse against the bar, my feet not quite ready to carry me. I know I need to get home to Elyse, but I’m not sure how I’m going to do that. Forcing myself upright, I drunkenly walk toward Damon’s office.
Maybe he can give me a ride home.
As I get closer to his office, the voices get louder. Damon’s not alone. I lean closer to the door so I can hear them without looking conspicuous. In my mind, I’m doing a good job. Sober me would probably say I’m not.
“You will listen to me, Kiera, or you will die. This world isn’t the same as yours. You’re walking into a fucking nightmare. One wrong move in this world will get you killed. Do you understand me?”
Kiera? I can’t remember anyone named Kiera. In fact, I can’t remember the last time Damon let a woman into his office.
“Just tell me what happened to him,” Kiera pleads, her voice tiny, just like my Elyse’s.
“First rule, don’t ask questions. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Questions like that will get you killed. Just keep your mouth shut and do what I say, otherwise I’ll find another job for you, and you don’t really look like the sucking cock type.”
I hear a sob, and curiosity finally gets the better of me. I knock three times in quick succession before opening it without bothering to wait for his invite to come inside.
He looks furious for a moment, then sees it’s me and sighs. “Changed your mind about the girl I offered?” Of course, everything is about business with this man.