Larks must be the leader of their gang, AJ presumed. He was broad, not as tall as the two guys flanking him, but he looked like one mean son of a bitch. He sported a long, white scar up the side of his left cheek, and except for a few strands of dark, stringy hair, his head was covered by an all black do-rag. His leather jacket was thick and only added to the guy’s imposing look. The guy had thighs like tree trunks and big beefy hands. All in all, he looked like a whole lot of trouble.
“Now, Joey,” Larks said, smiling. “As far as I know this is a public bar. You can’t keep us out of here. We’re taking a little road trip this weekend and just stopped in for a quick drink.”
“We don’t want you in here. I don’t want you in here mixing it up with my guys.”
“You lookin’ for a fight?”
“No.”
“Neither are we. Just came in for a beer, then we’re on our way.”
“There are a lot of other places you can get your beer. Take a hike.”
Larks took a step forward. So did Joey.
“Just let it go, Joey,” Teresa said from behind the bar. “We’ll give them their drinks and they can leave.”
AJ turned to Teresa and could feel the anger vibrating off of her, could see it in the upward tilt of her chin, the way she never once took her eyes off Larks or his men. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up in the middle of a gang brawl.
“I don’t think so,” Joey said.
“Leave it alone, Joey. I mean it. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Now see? That’s what I’m talkin’ about. This lady knows how to be hospitable. Besides, we’re paying customers and she knows it.”
Larks took a step forward. Joey didn’t budge. AJ tensed, waiting for it, ready for whatever happened next.
But then Joey stepped aside, and so did his men, opening a path for Larks and his gang to walk through toward the bar. AJ was disinclined to get the hell out of his way. He and Pax stayed rooted to their bar stools, nursing their beers. Larks looked them up and down.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Who are you?” Pax shot back, offering up a lazy glance to Larks.
“You aren’t part of the Thorns.”
“No, we aren’t,” AJ said.
“Then get the fuck out of my way.”
AJ gave him a lopsided grin. “I don’t think so, man. Get your own fucking bar stool.” AJ motioned down the row of empty stools to his right. “These are taken.”
“You lookin’ for a fight?”
“No. I’m lookin’ to sit my ass right where it is and drink my beer. So stay the hell out of my space.”
He stared Larks in the eye, making sure the guy understood that AJ and Pax didn’t want any trouble, but if Larks intended to serve it up, they’d be more than happy to oblige.
Larks shrugged. “Shoot me a cold one, sweet tits,” he said to Teresa as he moved a couple feet down the bar and slid onto the stool.
AJ sucked in a deep breath at the insult to Teresa, who started popping the tops off bottles of beer and sliding them onto the bar. She didn’t even flinch making eye contact with Larks and his men who sidled up to the bar to grab the bottles. Larks threw money in front of her. “Keep the change, honey.”
“Thanks.” She moved to the cash register and put the money in, then turned back to face the bikers.
She was pleasant enough, but she was mad as hell.
Did she have some kind of relationship with Larks?
“What’s got her so riled up?” Pax asked, clearly noticing it, too.
“I have no idea.” He held up his fingers, and Teresa brought them a couple more beers. When he held out the money and she went to take it, AJ slid his hand over hers.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Yeah right. She’d barely got the words out through gritted teeth.
“Let’s go outside and talk.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you insane? Not with them here. I can’t leave my girls alone.”
He nodded. “Okay. Later then.”
“Fine.”
She jerked her hand from his and walked away, her gaze never leaving the Fists.
Yeah, something bothered her. Something bothered her in a big way.
AJ wanted to know what it was.
ANGER CLUTCHED TERESA BY THE THROAT, THREATENING TO CUT off her air supply. Sweat poured between her breasts and down her back. She leaned against the front of the bar where she kept the ice, hoping the frigid rising air would cool her off and help calm the adrenaline-fueled urge to take a baseball bat to the bastards who dared threaten her brother as well as her livelihood.
Those scum-sucking sons of bitches knew better than to stroll into her bar. Everything about them threatened her, her girls and what she did for a living. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she’d never gotten over the thought that any them could be the ones. She had no proof, they’d never been found, but still, something in her gut said it was the Fists. And she refused to cower in front of them, stared them all down as if daring one of them to say something, to just look at her the wrong way, just once.
She gripped the edge of the bar and waited, sensing impending disaster, refusing to ever again feel powerless. She had the gun tucked away where only she could find it. And she’d damn well use it if she had to.
“Teresa. You okay?”
Her gaze shot to Heather, one of her bartenders. She forced her shoulders to drop and sucked in a breath, then let it out. “I’m fine, Heather. Thanks.” She plastered on a smile and patted Heather on the shoulder.
“These guys give me the creeps,” Heather said, her back turned to the Fists crowding the bar.
“I know, honey. They’ll be gone soon.”
“I’m not getting up on the bar and dancing.”
“No worries. You don’t have to. And neither does Shelley. We’ll serve them beer and that’s it. Hopefully they’ll make their point and leave soon.”
“Hey, sweet tits, how about another?”
Larks waved his empty beer bottle in the air.
Teresa wanted to take that bottle and shove it up his ass, but she grabbed a beer and slid it across the bar to him, took his empty and his money and stared him down, daring him to start something.
“You’re not very friendly for a bartender. You got something against the Fists?”
As if he didn’t know exactly what she had against his gang. Guys like him and his gang who thought they could do anything, that they were above the law. Just like the ones who . . .
“Is there something else you need?” she asked.
“Well, now that you mention it...”
“Back off, Larks. You came here for beer, fine. Leave my sister alone.”
Please, Joey. Don’t start anything. Let them drink and get out of here.
“I think your sister is plenty old enough to take care of herself, aren’t you, sweet tits?”
He was baiting her with his insults and she knew it, refused to answer him.
“Are you trying to cause trouble in here, asshole? Because if you are, there are plenty of guys willing to give it to you. Leave the lady alone.”
Pax stood and leaned toward Larks, obviously pissed off and ready to do battle.
He didn’t know, didn’t understand. The last thing Teresa wanted was to start a war between these gangs because of her.
“Pax. It’s okay.”
Pax kept his focus on Larks. “It’s not okay.”
Larks must have realized that Pax would be backed up by Joey and the Thorns, because he held up his hands. “Hey, not looking for trouble here. Just want to drink my beer.”
“Then drink it and leave,” AJ said, moving next to Pax. “I don’t think you’re that stupid. You have to know no one wants you here.”
Larks made a show of heaving a great big sigh. “I guess you’re right. Come on, guys, let’s go. We know when we’re not wanted.”
Right. Like they didn’t know that the minute they stepped through the door. Teresa didn’t care though, because the Fists were leaving, as was the tight band squeezing her chest. She exhaled a breath of relief when the door closed behind them.
“That’s done,” she whispered to herself.
“Now. You need a break, and we’re going to talk.”
She hadn’t realized when AJ had stepped behind the bar with her, or even that he had. He linked his fingers with hers.
“Okay.” She could use some air, even if it was August and the heat and humidity were brutal. “Heather, I’m taking a few minutes.”
“No problem,” Heather said, waving to her as she carried an armload of beers and started passing them to the customers, obviously as relieved to see the Fists gone as Teresa was.
Teresa followed AJ, and on the other side of the bar they met up with Pax, who apparently was going with them.
“Let’s go out the back. There’s a table and some chairs there. The smoke hole for the other girls.”
She led them through the back door and into the sweltering heat. There was an old picnic table and a few aluminum chairs out there. Teresa slid into one of the chairs and let the tension drain from her body. It was over. Nothing had happened. It wasn’t ever going to happen. Not again.
“You want to tell me what upset you in there?” AJ asked.
“The Fists and the Thorns have a rivalry going for territory and it’s getting pretty intense. I worry for Joey and the guys. Plus they were in my goddamned bar. Did you want me to be happy about that?”
“You were tense as hell.”
She shrugged. “Who wouldn’t be, AJ? I don’t want to fight and don’t want to be in the middle of a fight. And I don’t want my bar wrecked.”
“It was more than that.”
She turned her gaze to Pax. “Like I said, the whole thing that went down in there pissed me off. They have no right to be here and just wanted to cause shit. I wanted them to leave. Joey being the leader of the Thorns puts him in a dangerous position. I was worried for him.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing else?”
Okay, enough was enough. She stood. “Who the hell do you two think you are?” Her gaze shot to AJ. “You’ve been gone ten years and you pop in here for an hour and suddenly you’re worried about me? You lost that right the night you dumped me and left town.” She shifted her tirade to Pax. “And you don’t even know me. I can take care of myself. I’m fine. Both of you leave me the hell alone.”
She started toward the door and AJ stopped her. “You’re right. We are just passing through. But you’re still someone I care about, Teresa.”
“You walked away easily enough ten years ago, didn’t you?”
She wanted to bite it back as soon as she’d said it, but it was too late. The words were out and she couldn’t take them back.
“Ten years ago I was a messed-up kid who didn’t know what he wanted.”
She laid her hands on her hips. “And now you do?”
“I didn’t say that.”
She laughed. “I need to go back inside.” She pushed past both of them and toward the back door, but Pax moved in front of her.
“Hey. I don’t know you at all, but I know trouble when I see it. If you need help, we’re here for you.”
His body was so . . . big, covering the door frame. He should have intimidated her, frightened her. Reminded her of things all too unpleasant.
But he didn’t, because he had his hand on the doorknob, turning it to open it for her, not to stop her.
She gave him a curt nod. “I’ve got a handle on it.”
The air-conditioning inside cooled her off. She felt bad for going off on them, but she didn’t need their concern. She didn’t need them at all. She didn’t want a man looking out for her. It was bad enough Joey practically shadowed her every move. She didn’t need AJ and Pax worrying over her, too.