Rory had asked Brad for a private meeting. She wanted to be as transparent with him as possible because she thought he was fair. She’d explained that Lydia was a good friend who needed the work. She also told him that she’d spent weeks teaching her and that Lydia had also gone online to learn as much as possible. She was hardworking and would give her all at the job, but she had no practical experience. Rory was still asking for the favor. Brad had agreed to try Lydia out, more, Rory thought, because he needed extra hands at the bar than for any other reason. He also knew he owed Rory, and this was the first time she’d asked for anything.
Lydia was doing great. She worked hard and didn’t slow downeven if she accidentally stepped in the barback’s path. She hadn’t yet picked up the natural flow of traffic behind the bar, but she was getting there. Rory was proud of her.
Rory worked on autopilot, keeping one eye on Lydia just in case she needed help, which she did occasionally. She scanned the bar for trouble whenever she felt a possible shadow. She tried to stay alert for trouble, but being the only experienced bartender in a crowded bar made it difficult to do much besides keep her mind on what was happening around her.
There were two women seated at a table at the back of the bar, not in her section, who she had originally considered might be part of Gideon’s family. There was just something about them that seemed different, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Neither paid the least attention to her. They shared an animated conversation that flowed naturally between them.
Both were beautiful, but one of the women was absolutely gorgeous. That could be trouble if the crowd turned rowdy, or any of the groups of men drinking quite a bit turned ugly. She tried to keep an eye out for them, but after Rory was slammed with so many customers, she couldn’t watch over the two women sitting close to the front door. That was the bouncer’s job.
Halfway through the night, she began to get a nagging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong. No matter how many times she scanned the bar, she couldn’t find the source of the lengthening shadow. It seemed distant.
The last thing she wanted to do was reach out to Gideon, especially since she’d already opened herself up to him. Each time they connected telepathically, the bond between them only strengthened. Her declaration to have him stay away from her hadn’t lasted very long. But what if he had ripped open that wound again, and he was bleeding internally? He had come close to death the last time.
Torn, she made several drinks, hoping the feeling would go away. It didn’t. She glanced at Lydia several times. She was laughing and talking with the customers, looking carefree, although Rory could see a little bit of strain on her face from trying to concentrate. The nagging feeling that something was wrong kept growing. Eventually, Rory felt she had no choice.
Reluctantly, she reached out to him.Gideon?She held her breath, waiting for him to answer. She should have tried to text Javier. She’d kept his phone number. Why hadn’t she done that first?
Red.
Just his name for her. The relief was tremendous.Are you feeling weak at all?
No, not really. I’m feeling fine. Why?
She tried to analyze his denial. Not really. What did that mean?Do me a favor and send for that doctor of yours. He’s always driving you nuts. I know it’s the middle of the night, but they have to earn their money somehow. Have him go to you right away and examine you. Make sure that wound didn’t open back up.
He was silent for a little while, but she felt him moving through her mind. She talked to several customers, answering them, giving them bright smiles, all the while focusing her attention on Gideon, willing him to do as she asked.
You’re certain the danger isn’t to you? It isn’t there in the bar?
Gideon.She hissed his name, allowing her impatience to show.
Red, the moment you asked me to call the doctor, I texted him. He’s on the way. I feel the foreshadowing you’re feeling. The intensity is growing. I’m certain the repair the doc did on me is holding. I’ll have him check, but I don’t think your warning system is going off because of me. Who else? Can you judge the distance?
If not Gideon, who would it be? She did a quick rundown of her friends. Lydia was working with her. Janice and Pam were at work.She sent them both a quick text, asking if everything was going okay. Cindy was watching Ellen, and she would have immediately gotten ahold of Lydia if anything had happened to the little girl. Sally had come to the bar to lend moral support to Lydia. That accounted for everyone she was close to. She waited a little anxiously until Pam and Janice checked in with her, affirming they were both fine.
She made drinks and talked to customers as she assessed the shadow spreading through her. It wasn’t going away.Distance.She texted Cindy just to be on the safe side. Making sure.
Doc’s here. He’s checking me internally. Says repairs are holding and mending better than last time.
Not Gideon, then. Who? What? Was someone in danger? Could it be Harvey? She wasn’t close to Harvey, but she knew him. She couldn’t very well text him. She’d broken off contact with him and didn’t want to start up with the police breathing down her neck. Still...
Why hadn’t Cindy texted her back? She nearly dropped a glass as she spun it around to place it on the bar, and that brought her up short. She was really agitated. It was nearly closing time. Cindy was most likely asleep. There was no reason to be panicking. But she was.
Gideon, is Javier around?What if it was Javier? She hadn’t even thought of him. He could be in trouble. He just seemed so invincible.
He was here with me when you called. He just left to look around.
Her phone vibrated, and she stepped back from the bar to take the time to look at the text from Cindy. It was long.
Called Larrsen and his partner. Lydia’s apartment broken into. Same with Sally’s. They destroyed furniture like in ours but didn’t take anything. The noise was reported, and two men were seen running from Sally’s apartment. They were both heavier set and wore those pullover beaniethings with the eyes cut out. Two other men had been in Lydia’s apartment. They were seen running down the stairs. One was slender, pretty fit, the other looked older and a bit heavier, both wore masks covering their faces.
Rory let her breath out slowly. Her lungs burned for air. This was another blow she hadn’t been expecting, but she should have been. She and her friends were being targeted, but she couldn’t figure out why. Whoever had done this was searching for something. What? And why?
Not the worst. Jarrod Flawson’s body found. Stuffed in suitcase between machines in laundry room. The lady who found him was so hysterical they had to sedate her. He’d been there for some time. He’d been tortured and shot, the same as Dustin, except he was stuffed in the suitcase.
Rory had to work at keeping her body from panicking. All the signs were there. Numbness. Tingling. Dizziness. She signaled to Brad she needed to use her inhaler and would be right back. He nodded and stepped up to take her place.
Rory went to the break room and sank down into a chair, needing to get off her feet before she fell to the floor while she used her inhaler. No doubt Harvey was next if they could find him. Then her? Was Harvey right about framing him? Framing her?
