That Night

MALIAH

Stretching my lips into a trained smile, I tossed three pints of beer on the counter. “That will be six copper coins.”

My brown-haired patron with cute dimples gave me a crooked smile before digging into his pocket. “Keep the change,” he muttered, sliding one silver coin toward me.

“Thanks, Zane.” I grabbed the coin and blew him a kiss.

His face flushed in a heartbeat. Chuckling nervously, he grabbed the beer, sloshing more than a few drops as he whirled around and walked to his table.

Only three tables were occupied tonight, thank the gods. Of course, more clients meant more tips, but I had been on my feet since four in the morning, and I sincerely appreciated a more quiet evening.

“You'll give that poor student boy a heart attack one day, Maliah.” Misty, my only friend in this shithole called Ferrum Hill, inched toward me and nudged my arm. “Then again, he's not that bad, and you could use going out with a safe guy for a change.”

I gave her a look. “I don't need a safe guy, or any guy. I'm leaving this place by the end of the month, remember?”

She innocently fluttered her lashes. “A one-night stand then? It could help you get over your ex…what was his name?”

My jaw clenched. “I don't need a one-night stand to get over Mason. I merely need to convince my mind he has never existed.”

Misty raised her hands in surrender. “Suit yourself.”

Unfortunately, I knew well that forgetting about my abusive ex wouldn't be easy, especially since he didn't plan to forget about me. That was one of many reasons I'd left Noxville, quit a well-paid job, and moved to this gods' forgotten place.

I watched Misty as she prepared whiskey on the rocks for one of our regulars. He slurred some cringeworthy joke, and she giggled, making her blond curls bounce. She fit in here; I certainly didn't.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at the window, where the full moon proudly presented its silver glow. I hated full moons. Something about that time of the month had always made my body act weird. Tonight, my hormones decided to be overly active, filling me with an unexplainable need to throw myself at the first handsome guy who would enter this damn bar. Luckily for me, after three months of living in Ferrum Hill, I knew that all the good-looking men lived elsewhere.

“Holy fuck!” Misty gasped, her eyes widening in feral excitement.

I followed her line of sight and took in the blond-haired, bulky twins who had just entered our bar. Non-locals, for certain. Among old pricks or skinny students from the nearby college, they resembled two impossibly large muscle towers. To say that they stood out would have been a huge understatement.

“I want them.” Misty licked her lips, not-so-discreetly scanning them from head to toe. “Both of them.”

They looked toward the bar, and Misty gave them a little coy wave with her hand. I looked at them, and a shudder coursed through me—a warning. “Misty… I don't think you should flirt with them,” I said nervously. “There's something odd about them.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on! A little fun won't hurt.” One of the twins moved toward the bar, and Misty gave him a wide smile.

“I mean it,” I hissed. “They have this strange energy… like they were the embodiment of bad decisions.” Even my hormones turned silent as I looked at them, although I decided to skip this piece of information.

“Bad, you say?” Misty bit her lip and hurriedly lowered her tank top, exposing more cleavage.

I shook my head. “You'll regret it.”

She only smirked before locking her blue eyes on the golden-skinned blond guy. “What can I get you?” she all but purred.

I decided that this would be the perfect moment to bring more beer from the back room. Misty's sultry laugh echoed behind me, and I quickened my steps, turning into a dimly lit, staff-only corridor. Several steps later, a tingling sensation spread through my skin—a strange awareness of being watched. I whirled around but saw no one. My heart began to thunder. “Hello?” I called out as a shiver skidded down my spine.

I stayed still for a few heartbeats, stupidly waiting for someone or something to emerge from the shadows. Nothing like that happened, and yet my restlessness remained. I inhaled sharply and all but ran to the back room. Then I grabbed three cases of beer and rushed back behind the bar.

By the time I returned to my place, Misty had a wide smile on her face, and the two twins sipped their drinks by the table in the corner. “I got myself a hot date,” she sang.

I gave her a meaningful look. “Please rethink it. I just know you shouldn't go with them.”

She clicked her tongue. “I swear that you can be worse than my grandma sometimes. And no, I'm not changing my mind.”

My mouth opened, but my words died before they even formed. That tingling sensation appeared again. My gaze drifted to the right corner of the hall, and my eyes locked on the silver-haired man who stood there. His pale blue eyes were on me—piercing through me. My next breath went nowhere. A shudder danced down to my core. One side of his lips curled up, forming a wicked smirk, and a hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat. I should have known better than to stare at him, and yet I couldn't look away…

Gods, those eyes of his seemed to penetrate my mind and soul, thoroughly uncovering every lewd thought, every fantasy, every deep-hidden desire. A wave of heat washed over my skin, forcing my eyes lower, taking in his broad shoulders and muscled body sinfully wrapped in a tight, black T-shirt and jeans.

I licked my lips, instantly blaming the wild hormones within me for my unhinged reactions. This wasn't like me. I was nothing like Misty, who couldn't survive three days without sex. And even the full moon had never made me this horny. Then again, this man wasn't simply good-looking. Not to mention that no one should have looked so breathtakingly hot wearing something as casual as a freaking T-shirt and jeans!

I clenched my thighs, suddenly forgetting about where I was and what I was supposed to do. The silver-haired man's gaze remained on me, and I was seconds away from throwing myself on him and tearing his clothes off with my teeth.

“Um… Maliah?” Misty's voice shattered my bewilderment.

Blinking rapidly, I turned to her. “Y-yes?”

“Would you mind closing alone tonight?” A sheepish smile curved her lips. “Please?”

“This is about those twins, right? You really shouldn't go anywhere with them,” I tried for the final time.

She looked at me pleadingly. “Pretty please? I'm a big girl. I can handle two big boys.”

Everything inside me screamed that this would end up badly, but this was Misty. After three months of working with her, I knew that it was nearly impossible to change her mind. “Fine,” I muttered. “I'll close the bar. Go.”

She planted a kiss on my cheek, then giggled. “You're the best.” She ran to the back room to grab her clothes, and a minute later, she was gone.

Sighing, I scanned the hall, looking for Mr. Sex-On-The-Legs, but he was nowhere to be found. A wry smile twisted my lips, but perhaps it was better this way. I should focus on saving enough money to leave this place and move somewhere too far for Mason to find me.

Of course, I could have stayed in Ferrum Hill for another month or two, but I was tired of constantly looking over my shoulder. Noxville was only a three-hour drive away from Ferrum Hill, and Mason was a leader of a biker gang. He was dangerous, violent, possessive, and he believed that I was his property. I would have gladly gotten myself a restraining order… if his father hadn't happened to be a local sheriff, eagerly covering every crime Mason committed.

My final hours of work passed uneventfully. Still, I was completely drained as I closed the bar and slowly walked to my apartment. I passed two blocks when goosebumps rose all over my body. My muscles tensed, and my anxiety began to grow.

I looked around, but the streets were empty. I quickened my steps, hoping to get into my apartment as fast as possible. A few lights near my apartment building were out, adding to the eeriness around me. My breaths became shallow, my heart hammering. I fixed my eyes on the building entrance and sped up. I was only a few steps away, my hand ready to reach the door handle—

“Hello, my black sparrow.” A deep, hoarse voice froze the breath in my lungs. I would have recognized it anywhere. I'd heard it in every nightmare I had.

Suddenly, I forgot how to move. Five men emerged from the side alley: Mason and four of his minions. Mason stepped forward and raked his hand through his brown hair. “Your little escape caused me a lot of trouble, but now that you've had your fun, it's time to go home.” His hand extended, trying to grab me.

I stumbled back, bumping into something hard and warm. I tried to turn around, but before I moved, a man's arm wrapped around my waist. That man lined up with me, and I was instantly pulled to his side. His touch must have fried the circuits in my brain because, strangely, I felt no need to run. My gaze traveled up to his face, and I gasped. It was the silver-haired man I'd seen in the bar…

His pale blue eyes were locked on Mason. “She's not going anywhere with you.” His voice was a symphony of sounds, drifting between sinful and lethal.

Mason inched toward him. “Really?” he scoffed. “And why is that?”

A dark smirk formed as he answered, “Because she belongs to me.”