Chapter Two
Brick
I guessed I needed to let off some steam because I was about five minutes away from pushing that Ezra guy against the wall and having my way with him right there.
For starters, he was cute as shit, and he checked off all my favorite boxes. Puffy pink lips, big wide eyes, compact little frame, and cheekbones you could use to cut glass. His skin was soft and golden brown, like the sun had been kissing it. He looked like a little fucking angel, but the kind of angel who was begging to be destroyed.
The kind of angel who would beg me to remove his clothes, rub my hands over every inch of his tender skin, and unravel his desire until he was one needy, moaning, submissive puddle.
What could I say? I’ve always had a thing for geeky guys.
I kicked open the door to the Steel Rose, regaining my seat at the bar and throwing back the rest of the beer I had left behind. Lilith nodded my way, setting down the glass she had been cleaning. “You look like you’re in an even worse mood than when you stepped outside.”
I grunted, leaning against the counter. “I’m always in the same bad mood, thank you. You’ll never guess what, though. One of the nerds from the comic book shop offered me fifty bucks to watch the place.”
Lilith laughed, tucking her green hair behind her ear. “Are you a bodyguard now, too?”
“Just a bartender, doorman, bouncer, and cleaning crew, same as always.”
Even though Lilith had the music pumped up to full volume, there were only a couple of guys in the bar, regulars who were chilling at the counter. The Steel Rose didn’t usually get going until later in the evening, and unless there was a band playing in the big room in the back, the crowd tended to hover around twenty or thirty drinkers max, even on a weekend. You would think it would mean work was quiet, but with the kind of customers we drew, quiet wasn’t the word I would have used to describe the place.
More like unpredictable. Rowdy. Rough.
In a word, it felt like home. From the grimy counter to the flickering lights, the stale scent of beer to the pissed-off music, it was the kind of place where I had always found refuge and community, screwed up as that might be.
Not that I had any trouble handling rough. When Lilith hired me six months ago, she only had a few questions.Can you pour whiskey and open beer bottles?Yup.Can you deal with washed-up punk bands?Yup.You willing to mop up vomit and spilled pitchers?Sure.Can you fight?Fuck yeah.
I wasn’t actually proud of that last one. I just had plenty of experience getting fists slammed into my skull and boots pounded against my ribs. It was a big part of why I moved to Seattle in the first place. Seattle was on the other side of the country from Philadelphia, and not a damn person on this coast knew who I was. They didn’t know my name, my face, or my fucked-up reputation. That meant no more trouble, no more thugs hounding me down, and best of all, no more fights.
No matter how good the money was, there would be no more fights in my life.
A guy like Ezra probably didn’t even know what he wanted me to do to him. He probably had some idea of steamy, sweaty sex, but no clue what the reality would be. The thing was, even if he could handle me for a quick fuck, I knew I would bring nothing but trouble into his life, and I was done leaving a trail of destruction in my path. This new city was going to be different for me, and I had every damn intention of keeping my nose down.
“Another beer?” Lilith asked, already popping the top off.
I nodded, crossing the bar and grabbing it from her, then sucking up the bubbles that erupted out the top.
“Why does the comic book shop need a bodyguard, anyway?”
I grabbed my elbow and pulled it up and behind my head, grimacing as I stretched and rotated the worn muscles of my shoulder. “They said someone is messing with them. Screwing with the building in the evening, spray painting the side of it, that kind of thing.”
“Teenagers.”
“Probably.”
“And you’re going to what, scare them away?”
I grinned, hooking my leg in the stool and leaning back as I took my seat. “What? You wouldn’t be scared if I came running at you?”
Lilith snorted, pulling another glass out of the little sink behind the counter to dry. “Iwasscared the first time I saw you. That’s why I gave you the damn job in the first place.”
“I thought you gave it to me because no one else was willing to work these shit hours for such crappy wages.”
“You counting all the free beers?”
I held my hands in the air. “I’m not complaining.”
Honestly, when I landed in the city, I had just been happy to find work. I had no résumé to speak of and a past I was reluctant to discuss with anyone, let alone my coworkers. I had only stumbled into Steel Rose to catch a washed-up band I still loved, some number who should have retired years ago, but who still brought it with their raspy voices, fast drum beats, and pure, uncompromising noise. When I saw the help wanted sign, I felt like my lucky day had finally arrived. With the meager tips I collected on the weekend, I pulled in enough to keep a shitty apartment and put gas in my truck, with change left over to stock my fridge full of beer.
