I lost the cockiness and shook my head. The thought of being confined within walls again clawed at my mind as more coldness seeped into me. “I can’t. I need this.”
War nodded instantly.
After several seconds, Max’s exhaled a rough breath. “Fine. I’m in. Can’t have your stubborn ass yanked under by the currents.”
Shutting him out and ignoring theNo Swimmingsign, I sprinted toward the violent waves colliding with the shoreline, blood pumping through my veins. With my body primed for action, needing the outlet provided by the rigorous—and dangerous, especially during this weather—sport, I threw myself on my board and swam out into the turbulent waters of Ocean Beach.
Yeah, I would need every canny instinct I possessed to work this and not fall into its perilous rip current trap. A sure way to take my mind off the new shitstorm I now faced.
RAY
The muted noise from the bar did little to block my frustrated thoughts as I sat in the cramped staff room during my ten-minute break, flexing my tired feet.
I needed a full-time summer job and new lodgings—in that order—within the next two weeks. Because if nothing panned out with the positions I applied for soon, I would have to ask Jude, Mulligan’s owner, to take me on full-time. I needed to earn enough to afford my first term fees when school started in the fall.
Sighing, I slipped on my shoes again, tucked back the pesky tendril of hair escaping my pigtails, and made my way back to the front.
I slowed as War, the god of hockey and my friend, strode my way. One of the groupies that always hung around glided toward him, but he waved her off. The guy was an amazing and brutal player on the ice, but sadly, a player outside of the rink, as well. With his good looks, muscular build, and striking, dark blue eyes offset by sun-kissed brown hair, women swarmed toward him like bees to pollen, ducks to water—
“Another round for us, Ray,” he said as he drew closer.
At his not-too-happy stare, I kept my expression firm and smoothed my short black skirt. Nope, he wasn’t pleased that I’d refused to budge from the plans I had for later tonight. Heck, I’d even taken the early shift to make sure mymission Ohappened. He sighed but didn’t attempt to change my mind again.
“You’re worse than a brother, you know that?” I grumbled.
“If I truly were your blood, I’d lock you in your room,” he grumbled before disappearing down the corridor to the restroom.
Man, you’d think I was the first woman to initiate these plans, break some kind of guy code. I scrunched my face at his overprotective stance and headed to the bar.
Petra, my friend and one of the bartenders, lifted an eyebrow as I gave her the order.
“You okay?” she asked, drawing a beer on tap for a customer.
“I’ve been here for five hours. It’s a given I’d be dog-tired after that amount of time on my feet. Though, I wonder ifdog-tiredis the correct word,” I mused, leaning my elbows on the scarred wooden counter. “Sure, dogs get tired—but dog-tired? I mean, their tongues hang out, and they slurp water. It doesn’t relate, but…”
At her laugh, I broke off the sporadic rambling my over-weary brain sometimes drifted toward. It usually drove my sister crazy. I cast a quick look around the rowdy place, the tables mostly packed with men, their drunken laughter filling the air. The TV on the wall blared, adding to the noise
“What’s going on?” Petra asked.
“The usual.” I sighed. “Hunting for a summer job, new lodgings. I have to check out of the dorm in two weeks.”
“Why don’t you stay with Ila and her fiancé?”
“Great. Be the third wheel. My life’s ambition.” I rolled my eyes.
“Hmm, you do have a point…” She readied a couple of tequila shots for the customer seated at the counter.
“Hey, you!”
At the new voice, I pivoted as Denise, my best friend since high school, flung her arms around me in a quick hug. She was tiny, and just about reached my shoulders. At my five-eight height, I felt like a giant next to her at times. “I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Been busy. What are you doing here?”
“Besides checking up on you? I’m meeting Chris. We’re having dinner with his folks in some restaurant in a little while. So, how goes the O quest?” She waggled her eyebrows as if I didn’t know what she meant.
“That’s still on.”
“Someone here caught your fancy?” she asked a little too eagerly, smoothing back her hair she’d scraped into a ponytail. Her solitaire engagement ring sparkled in the dim bar lights.
