“I thinkyoumight be.” His beady eyes narrowed.
Hey, I recognized those dead eyes. Now that I got a better look, he was stout, probably sporting some tight muscles beneath that long, black shirt. It tucked into his thin waist, blue jeans, and he was sporting cowboy boots. So the opposite attire from the techno crowd we were drawing tonight.
I slowly backed to Bill’s door. Not that he was in there, but I didn’t like the vibe rolling off this guy at all. He’d gotten in my way before, too, when was that?
Halloween, maybe…
“What makes you think I’m lost?” I asked.
“Pretty girl like you belongs in a better bar. Classier.”
“Let me guess. There’s an audition in the back of your van you want me to show up for?” I rolled my eyes. “Pass,” I said, still inching back. Every move Hunter had taught me in self-defense class came roaring to the front of my mind.
“Sassy little thing.” The guy encroached on my space a little quicker than I’d expected, and I stumbled back to get my footing, then bent my knees, fists at the ready.
“Back off, Walker.” Drey’s voice boomed through the small space from behind me. I didn’t need to move to see anything, that was how much I trusted Drey.
Wait, I trusted him. A wave of warmth cascaded over me at the rightness of it. He’d had my back so many times at this place with unruly customers, of course he had my back now. This guy was more lethal, I could tell. Wait, Drey knew his name?
“Here comes Drey to the rescue.” Walker came even closer to me. Drey eased me behind him a step.
“Don’t you have your own place to manage?”
“Checking out the competition,” he said, eyeing me. “Damon said you had a new…friend.”
“She’s one of our waitresses. You know how this bouncer-thing works.” Drey’s voice was deeper, more pressured. “How are things?”
Now he was going to do small talk? What the hell was going on?
“Fine. Damon’s a nice asset.” His grin turned wicked.
“I’m sure he is.” Drey cleared his throat. “You should probably be leaving. Wouldn’t want Bill to get ahold of you.”
“Still hiding behind him, are you?” He glanced at me then back to Drey. “Take care, buddy.”
Drey grunted his answer then faced me when Walker was out of sight. “You okay?”
“Fine. What thehellwas that?”
“Trouble,” he said. “I have to get back to my guy. But when I saw him heading in here, then you…shit. We’ll talk later. Steer clear of that asshole.”
“Tell me who he is?”
“Short story…my gang brother.” He pierced me with a stare. “Now steer clear of him.”
“What’s he want with me?”
“Not sure. Might just be trying to push my buttons.”
“But we’re not…together.”
He stepped toward me, boxing me against the wall with a hand on either side of my head. “Oh we are most definitely together, Sarah. Even if you don’t see it yet, we are.”
Chapter Seventeen
Drey
“You’retakingmetothe community center for our first date?” Sarah asked as we walked up to the main entrance. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”