CHAPTERFOUR
Like a felon walking to an execution chair, Poppy started moving her slippered feet one foot in front of the other. Her jaw flexed, and her eyes glared at the back of Cassander’s head until she silently took the empty seat next to him. She placed her forearms on the bar and started cracking each finger while eyeing the selection of liquor behind my frozen, shocked frame.
She was the feminine version of Cassander. They both looked like stepped on shit.
I cleared my throat, and muttered, “Since I guess dress codes are irrelevant tonight, what can I get you, Poppy?”
Poppy’s brown eyes flicked to me, recognition dawning on her features. “Damn, I didn’t notice you.” Her voice even sounded hoarse, either from disuse or from too much use. I wasn’t sure which.
“Yeah, you were too busy eyeing him.” I flicked a finger at Cassander but shrugged off the comment like it didn’t mean anything. Instead, I commented, “Let me guess. You’ve been on vacation too for the last month.”
That did it.
I had a pair of silver eyes and a pair of brown eyes roving up and down my frame looking for the best place to stick me with their blades. Even though Poppy looked like she’d been in a coffin for the last month, I didn’t doubt she had some knives tucked away in her pajamas. There was an unusual lump on her right thigh under the black silk, and I knew she liked to keep her blades there.
I smiled full of cheer, letting it reach my eyes as I opened my arms wide. “So you’re obviously here to drink. What would you like?”
“Some fucking privacy,” she hissed. Her red head of tangled curls turned in Cassander’s direction, her glare focused full force on his profile. “I can’t get rid of Alaric. And now? It’s you. Both of you can leave me the hell alone. I came to this bar thinking I’d be alone here. It’s out in the middle of nowhere.”
I lifted a finger. “Actually, as I’m sure you noticed, there are a lot of buildings being built nearby. Businesses are popping up all along the street.”
Neither one listened to me as I tried to defuse the situation.
Cassander took a drink of his beer as he flicked a look of pure hatred at her. “I was here first. You get the fuck out, Ms. Carvene.”
There was enough venom in his tone that all those men who had been eavesdropping before were now back to staring, blatantly watching as Mr. Godric King’s girlfriend and Mr. Godric King’s brother went toe-to-toe with verbal bashing.
“I. Will. Not.” Poppy tapped her knuckles on the bar. Hard. “This is my first day out in forever. I’m not wasting it. And my goddamn name is Poppy!”
His narrowed silver eyes dipped down to her attire. “You’re going to cause a scandal.” He paused for full effect. “Ms. Carvene.”
She bared her teeth at him, and then growled, “Fuck whoever writes shit about me.”
“It’s not just about you,” he hissed, leaning forward. “Or haven’t you done enough damage already?”
Poppy visibly flinched. Her mouth thinned and her eyes teared up. “Goddammit, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I’ve told you that repeatedly. How many more times do I have to tell you this? I thought I could help you guys.”
“A lot of help that was.” He snorted in contempt.
Her nostrils flared at his tone. “Just kill me then. Get it over with.”
My eyes widened in shock, hearing the seriousness in her voice. I waved my hands in the air, asking a little too loudly, “Guys, guys! How about we all take a little break? The next drink is on me.”
Desperate times call for desperate actions. Like dipping into my checking account to save a redhead who had clearly lost her mind. Poppy Carvene was strong and fierce, not someone who backed down. Certainly not to death.
What the hell had happened to her?
Still, they both ignored me.
Cassander’s jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together, his eyes never leaving hers. “Is that an official request?”
“It is.” Her chin tipped up.
“Officially denied,” he spat. He shook his head hard, getting right in her face. “Don’t you understand at all why you acted the way you did? You keep giving me excuses except for the right one. Your damn father is General Carvene. I’m sure you learned about it at some point in time.”
Red brows instantly puckered in confusion.
His glaring eyes roamed her face. “PTSD. You were thrown into our world and couldn’t handle it. Not the scary parts some fucker is throwing at us. A soldier plus traumatic events, the same traumatic events over and over, can result in post-traumatic stress disorder.”
