Chapter Nine
Violet
I strode into Buck’s Steakhouse to meet with Luke and headed straight to the bar where he was sat nursing a beer. When I took a seat next to him, he looked me over from head to toe then let out a low wolf whistle.
“You look stunning,” he said simply.
Color rose in my cheeks. I hadn’t expected the compliment, but it was nice of him to make it. “Thanks.”
I got the bartender’s attention then ordered a Mojito. As he set about making it, I turned to Luke.
“You tricked me,” I accused.
His eyes widened. “What? How?”
“This is a date.”
“It’s not a date. We’re friends, remember? Friends eat dinner together.”
“I have friends,” I told him. We don’t eat dinner together two nights in a row.”
The smile that stretched across his lips made my belly do somersaults. He leaned in close to me then said in a whisper. “Yeah, but how many of those friends do you let fuck you up against a wall?”
I blushed harder, averting my gaze. “It’s a date.”
“It’s not.”
“Well, it feels like a date.”
“It’s not a date.”
The bartender deposited my Mojito in front of me and just as I took a sip, I heard a voice that made me groan inwardly.
“Oh, look! There’s Violet!”
I lowered my head and pretended not to hear. Luke, however, swiveled around in his seat.
“Hey, Libby,” he greeted. “Mason. How you doing?”
I cursed mentally then turned to face them. Sometimes, I hated living in a town as small as Creede.
“Hey, guys!” I said, feigning enthusiasm.
Libby’s bright smile turned up a notch as she looked between us. “I didn’t know you two were dating!”
I shook my head. “We’re not.”
She blinked, looked at each of us in turn, her eyebrows pulled together. It was obvious that she couldn’t quite understand what was going on.
“We’re friends,” Luke informed her.
“Oh, okay. Well, as we’re all here, why don’t we eat dinner together?”
“Great idea,” Luke said before turning to wink at me.
I wanted to murder him.
Libby was practically floating. “Great! I’ll grab us a table.”
When she went off in search of said table, Mason shook his head as if in exasperation, but he was smiling fondly.
“Sorry about that. You guys don’t mind eating dinner with us, do you?”
“What?” I said. “No, of course not!”
I did.
But I didn’t want to hurt Mason’s feelings by telling him that. I liked Libby. A lot. I liked Mason too. The only reason, in fact, that I didn’t want to eat dinner with them was because being out with a couple would make this seem even more like a date.
Which it wasn’t.
“She’s been like a mother hen these past few weeks,” Mason said. “Always running around ensuring everyone is taken care of and trying to make everyone happy.”
“It’s probably because of the pregnancy,” I told him. “Must be her nesting instinct.”
He pursed his lips. “Yeah, I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
When Libby got back to us she had one of the waiting staff in tow, who, apparently, had found us the perfect table on the far side of the room. I picked up my drink then followed them over there, with Mason and Luke bringing up the rear. We took our seats and made small talk as we browsed the menu.
“This is great,” Libby said, flashing her one hundred watt smile. “We should do this more often. “Shouldn’t we, Mace?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that would be good, babe. It’s been a while since I had any kind of social life. I missed it.”
The look that she gave him was pure affection and love and it was so damn sweet it brought a tear to my eye. I cleared my throat then took a sip of my cocktail.
The same waitress that had shown us to our table, came back a few minutes later to take our order. Mason and Luke went with the sugar steak, Libby ordered a vegetarian pizza and I opted for the lamb. I’d ordered just about everything on the menu at one time or another, but the lamb they served was so good, I kept on coming back for more.
“How’s the website going, Libby?” I asked between sips of my cocktail.
Her face lit up. “Great, thanks. The only problem I have now is that orders are coming in faster than I can make them so I’ve already got a backlog. If things keep up, I’m going to have to hire someone to help me out.”
“Yeah? That’s amazing,” I praised. “It never hurts to be busy, especially when you’re trying to get a business off the ground.”
“Libby recently started a soft furnishing business,” Mason explained to Luke. There was such pride in his voice when he spoke about her. It was endearing.
She nodded. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t have got as far as I have without Violet’s help. She designed the website for me. It’s gorgeous. And she wouldn’t even let me pay her the going rate.”
“Heck, no,” I said. “You’re a friend and it was a favor. I don’t make money out of my friends.”
Libby rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point. “You’re a professional and you’re talented. You should have at least let me pay you for your time. You should see her work,” she told Luke. “It’s really good.”
“Yeah?” Luke turned to me with what appeared to be genuine interest. “Maybe you can show me one day.”
I shrugged. “Sure, if you’d like to see it.”
“I would.”
I always got embarrassed when people sang my praises. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to take a compliment, but I didn’t think my work was anything special. I’d been designing websites for quite a few years and I’d become successful at it, but I wasn’t the type of person who liked to blow my own trumpet. I had always preferred to sail under the radar. I didn’t like to brag. As long as I had clients and I was making a living doing something I enjoyed, that was alright with me.
I couldn’t fail to notice that Libby was watching my conversation with Luke very carefully and there was an expression on her face that looked a lot like hope. I didn’t want her to get any ideas about us as a couple if that was what was on her mind because she’d end up being disappointed.
She let out a dreamy sigh. “You know, you guys look so good together. You should definitely consider dating.”
“Libby,” Mason warned. “That’s none of our business. Besides, even if they were dating, perhaps they would want to keep it private for the time being?”
“Oh,” she said conspiratorially. “I get it. That’s cool if they are. I can keep a secret.”
I rolled my eyes, but Luke saw the funny side of it and let out a hearty laugh. I had to admit, the smile on his face was contagious. Pretty soon I was laughing along with him, and Libby and Mason joined in, but then Luke caught sight of something across the room and his smile faded.
I followed his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“Those two men who just came in. I’ve seen them a couple of times before. They were with Ryker.”
“If they’re friends of Ryker, chances are they’re not good guys,” Mason said.
Luke nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.”
“You think they have something to do with the drugs he was dealing?” Mason asked.
Luke nodded. “It wouldn’t surprise me. They’re not from Creede. What would they be doing here now that Ryker is in prison?”
When the men headed over to the bar and ordered a drink, Luke’s eyes widened.
“Shit.”
“What is it?” Mason asked.
“I met with Ian yesterday, Ryker’s old VP. He’d been roughed up. When I asked him about it he said a couple of heavies who worked for Ryker’s dealer had done it. Coop called us into church after and told us that Ian is in hospital. Internal bleeding.”
I gasped at the news. “Is he going to be okay?”
Luke sighed. “Yeah. Coop went to the hospital to check on him late last night. He said Ian was out of surgery and it had gone well. What are the odds that the two heavies who worked him over and these guys are different people?”
Mason frowned. “Slim to none.”
Both men were tall with wide shoulders and thick arms that appeared to be corded with muscle. They seemed calm and at ease in their surroundings, but they were looking around the room as if they were searching for someone. Their gazes landed on our table, or more precisely on Luke and they grinned almost triumphantly and whispered something to each another. My stomach lurched. I didn’t like them looking at him like that.
When they next glanced at us, it was as if they were studying each of us in turn. It was creepy and made me feel like I was being cataloged.
They scared me.
And they made me afraid for Luke.
I was seconds away from asking Luke if we could leave when the men sauntered over to our table, looking as if they didn’t have a care in the world. The taller of the two took a swig from his beer bottle before speaking.
“Well, what do we have here? Another Devil scum.”
Luke made to get out of his seat, but Mason reached out and grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him back down.
“Luke, just leave it,” he warned. “It’s what they want.”
My heart began to thud.
It was obvious that they trying to get a rise out of Luke. Mason was right. Luke needed to ignore them or the situation was going to go downhill fast.
“Anything we can help you gentlemen with? “Mason asked.
The shorter of the two chuckled darkly. “Well, ain’t you polite. Nothing you can help us with, is there John?”
The taller man shook his head then took another hit from his bottle. “Nah. But there’s something we can help you with.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” Luke asked.
His face was a mask of stone and I could see the tension he carried in his shoulders. It was clearly taking all of his effort to remain calm.
“We can help you to understand the way business works.” John laughed darkly and the sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “You see, when you purchase something, you need to pay for it.
“We met up with one of your brothers yesterday,” he divulged. “Tried to pass the message on through him. I hope it was delivered safely.”
He glanced in my direction and the look he gave me couldn’t have been described as anything other than a leer. It made me feel like an army of ants was crawling over my skin.
A muscle in Luke’s jaw ticked. “Yeah, we got the message. Loud and clear.”
“You hear that, Tom? They got our message.”
The shorter man chuckled. “Good to know.”
“It sure is,” John said, looking at me again. “Because if you didn’t get the message, we figured we might have to send another one. A message that can’t be ignored.”
He glanced down my body, his gaze lingering on my chest and I shivered in revulsion.
The calm mask that Luke had been wearing, finally cracked. He sprang up out of his seat and without pause for thought, he brought back his hand fist slammed it into John’s face causing him to stumble backward before falling on his ass. The man’s beer bottle went rolling along the floor out of reach.
“Shit.” Mason got to his feet and stood in front of Libby, in an effort to keep her out of harm’s way.
Tom glared at Luke before reaching a hand down to help up his friend. Afterward, he turned back to us and the look on his face was pure hatred. There was no other word to describe it.
“You’re going to regret that,” John spat. “You’d better watch your backs. All of them,” he added before staring pointedly at me. “Be a shame for something to happen to your pretty lady friend on account of your carelessness.”
I rubbed my hands up and down my arms as we watched them walk away.
Mason scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Jesus. I think you should call Coop,” he said. “I don’t like the way they were looking at Libby and Violet.”
So it wasn’t just me being paranoid.
The realization was of little consolation.
When Luke glanced in my direction, the fury in his eyes was as clear as dark storm clouds in the morning sky.
“Are you okay?” he managed to choke out.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
I wasn’t, not really, but I didn’t want him to upset him any more than he already was.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he vowed. “Nothing at all. Those assholes are not getting within five feet of you ever again.”
It might have had something to do with the absolute certainty and sincerity in his voice, but I believed that he would do everything in his power to keep me safe.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
When his brow creased in confusion, I nodded to his hand. “You’ve got quite the right hook.”
When he looked down at his hand, the skin on his knuckles was grazed and smeared with blood.
“Oh, this.” His lips stretched into an edgy grin. “It’s nothing. You should see the other guy.”
I smiled at his lame attempt to lighten the mood, but the smile was more to put Luke’s mind at ease than for any other reason.
The incident had left me feeling ill at ease. What if I came across those men again when I wasn’t with Luke? What if Libby was alone with them? I remembered what had happened when Ryker had kidnapped Faith. He nearly raped her. He would have done if Coop hadn’t got there in time to save her. And those men had looked as if they were capable not only of the same thing but of much, much worse. I’d never once felt unsafe in Creede before, but after just one short meeting with those men, I could honestly say that I was now terrified to walk down the street on my own.
My hands began to shake.
Luke took a long hard look at my face then he pulled out his cell phone and called Coop.
“What do you think they wanted?” Libby asked. “When they came in?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. They were definitely looking for someone.”
She nodded. “I don’t think they were looking for anyone specific, though. They probably would have picked a fight with any of the brothers from the club.”
“Yeah, I think you might be right.”
After a brief conversation on his cell phone, Luke hung up the call. He heaved a sigh, rubbing his beard as if debating what he should tell us.
“What did Coop say?” Mason asked.
Luke met his gaze. “He wants us to go to the clubhouse. All of us.”
Mason muttered a curse.
My head swiveled in Luke’s direction. “Wait, what do you mean? What have we got to go there for?”
“Because Coop thinks that we’re all in danger now,” Mason supplied. “Have I got that about right?”
Luke nodded.
Libby’s eyes widened and she put a hand protectively over her belly in what seemed to be an unconscious move.
“Aren’t we safe, Mason?” she asked in a small voice. “Can’t we just go home?”
Mason took her face in his hands and held her gaze with the utmost of ease. “You are perfectly safe,” he said with feeling. “I am never going to let anything happen to you ever again. Do you understand me?”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“Good. And to ensure you’re safety, we’re all going to go to the clubhouse, just like Coop suggested.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason for me to go there,” I told Luke. “Those men don’t know me, or where I live. I’m sure I’ll be perfectly safe at home.”
The intensity in Luke’s gaze was enough to make me fall silent.
“This is not up for debate,” he bit out. “I’m not taking any chances with your life. You’re coming to the clubhouse too, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you there myself.”
I glared at him. “Oh really? I’d like to see you try that.”
He leaned in close and muttered, “Don’t tempt me.”