Left Together (32 page)

“I’m
going to put Kacie’s party in your section tonight. That group takes up a lot
of space, but they’re damn good tippers. Could you please just do me a favor
and give Rodriguez a heads-up before he gets here?” I ask. I don’t need him
flipping out in the middle of the club.

“Of
course. Thank you, guys. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“No
need to thank anyone. This is how our family works,” Keith says, bumping into
her shoulder. My staff disperses, but not before each one of them promises
everything will be fine.

“Joe.
Molly.” They exchange a look, but stay put. “Anything you want to talk about?”
I ask once the area is clear.

“No!”
Molly says.

“I’m
good,” Joe mumbles.

“Seriously?
Don’t give me that shit. What’s going on?”

“You
really want to do this, boss? She’s a vicious, mind-fucking bitch, who refuses
to believe what’s right in front of her. One minute, everything is perfect; the
next, I’m no better than a fucking sewer rat.”

“Don’t
you think you’re exaggerating a bit?” she says through gritted teeth.

“That’s
just it, Molly. I’m not exaggerating a damn thing! I offered you my heart and
what did you do?! You tore it out of my fucking chest and crushed it with your
bare hands! I try to make shit easier for you here by keeping my distance, but
you constantly have to get in my fucking face! I love my job and there’s no way
I’m leaving because you don’t want me. I’ll make do until I’m over you.”
Leaving his food on the table, he goes to walk away. How did I miss all this
shit going down?

“I
don’t want you to leave. I never wanted that,” Molly says softly. He turns to
her, appearing more hurt than angry. “And I don’t ever want you to be over me.”

“See!”
He lets out a disgusted laugh. “Mind-fucking at its finest, right there.” He
takes another step backward.

“Joseph
Aquilino, don’t you
dare
walk away from me!” Her voice is much more
solid now.

“Give
me one good reason not to.” I’m pretty sure he means it rhetorically, but
that’s not how Molly takes it.

“I’m
in love with you.” I distinctly remember this girl saying relationships weren’t
for her. What the fuck is she doing? “I don’t know how it happened, but it did,
and feeling this way scares the living shit out of me.” Trying to go unnoticed,
I start to put some distance between myself and them. I didn’t buy tickets to
this shit. “Evan Pierce, if you move one more inch, I’m going to snap your
neck!”

“Why
do you need him? I’m right here,” Joe whispers cautiously, slowly sliding
closer to her so she doesn’t get spooked.

“Because
if he’s here, you won’t break my heart.” Molly has never been the fragile type,
but she sounds like she’s about to crack.

“Get
lost, Pierce.”

“Stay.”

“Molly,
look at me.” I’m not looking at either of them because none of this is my
business. I should’ve just let them go back to work like everybody else. My big
fucking mouth strikes again. “I’m not your ex. I’m your future and I’ll never
break your heart. You’re safe with me.”

That’s
enough for me. I make it all the way to the hallway where my office is as the
whistling, cheering, and requests for them to get a room erupt. Before Kacie
came into my life, I would’ve been flipping the fuck out that I had to witness
that. Now I can only smile because I know exactly how they feel.

***

The
night has been free from any further drama, good or bad, and our friends are
keeping Kacie entertained. Before coming out tonight, she got a call from
Kristen that Walt had proposed for a second time. It was only because of the
forgiveness Kacie gave her that she was finally able to say yes. For entirely
too long, Kristen wouldn’t allow much happiness into her life. She isn’t a
criminal who should’ve been punished for her actions. She’s a human being who
deserves a chance to be happy just like the rest of us. Knowing she’s
responsible for something so exciting happening to her mother puts Kacie in one
damn good mood.

Mike
took the news about Ashley’s ex being back in town much better than expected. Either
that, or he calmed down prior to walking in the front door. He had suggested
Ashley and her son stay at his place so he could keep an eye on them. She was
floored he’d actually do that for her. They haven’t been seeing each other all
that long. I almost felt bad when I heard she turned him down, but her
reasoning was honest and mature. Her main priority has to be Owen’s well-being,
and he’s doing fine at her parents’ house. Moving him around wouldn’t be fair.
However, Ashley did ask Mike if he’d like to meet the little guy and her
parents. He’s been grinning like an idiot since. He hasn’t really been drinking
because he’s watching Ashley and anyone who goes near her like a fucking hawk.

For
the first time since Kacie got here, I’m finally able to sit and relax with
her. As usual, she looks absolutely beautiful. Despite the scar on her arm that
she tries to cover up as often as possible, she’s wearing a spaghetti strap
navy dress. Her curls are hanging down her back in my favorite way. As I climb
onto the empty stool next to her, I lean over to place a lingering kiss right
below her earlobe. With all of the time we’ve spent together, I know damn well
how much she loves that. I don’t even need to see her teeth sink into her
bottom lip to figure out what’s going through her head. Man, I can’t wait to
get her home.

“Did
you forget you have an audience, Pierce?” Danny asks as I accept a beer from
Ashley.

“If
someone is so desperate they need to watch what I do with my girl, by all
means. Later, you’ll be thanking me when the memories get you off.” I throw
back a swig of the cold liquid.

“How’d
you know thoughts of Kacie
always
get me off?”

Looking
at the face of my good friend, I shrug his comment off. “You’re not the only
one.” I lean back on the stool and slide my hand under the table to Kacie’s
thigh.

She
stretches her sexy body forward to whisper in my ear, “When we get home, your
ass is in so much trouble,” she teases. She’s buzzed, but hasn’t reached the
point of slurring…yet.

I
flash my signature smile that now only belongs to her. “Did you forget how I
have a private office right down the hall? I could get in trouble
here
just as easily.”

“Mmm.”
The way she’s watching me tightens my pants.

“I
swear, hanging out with these two is like watching porn in 3D,” Jade declares,
causing laughter to spread around the table.

“That
was pretty fucking funny, Jade,” Gabe says. “I’m impressed you came up with
something that good.”

She
leans her body into Kyle, who made it back from the restroom in time to hear
her. He’s shaking his head, but still laughing like the rest of us. “Just
calling it as I see it.” Jade hasn’t so much as smirked.

“Can
you imagine if I wasn’t holding back when you’re around?” I ask, shoving her
leg.

“Ho…ly…shit!”
Kacie’s friend, Danielle, interrupts, staring at something behind me.

As I
turn to see what’s up, some guy steps between my stool and the one Kacie’s
sitting on. She doesn’t notice him until he slides a chocolate candy bar in
front of her.

“Rumor
has it that in order to be allowed at the pretty girl’s table, a small payment
is required,” he says.

Kacie’s
face lights up with a surprised smile before facing him. While I have no
fucking clue who he is, he’s apparently no stranger to her. It’s hard to get a
good look at him because Kacie pulls him into her for a hug. He’s clearly no
threat to her or anyone else, but my entire body is on alert. This shouldn’t
bother me. Kacie’s constantly putting her arms around people when she greets them.
Hell, she still hugs Jake but, for some reason, this feels different. Sometimes
it’s hard to remember how many people she actually knows. She has way more
history in Tampa than I do, and that’s saying a lot.

“Luke!
What the hell are you doing here?” she asks, entirely too excited.

Luke?
Why does that name sound familiar?

“I’m
in town for a job interview. You told me to get in touch if I was ever in
Florida, so here I am.” If he’s not from Tampa, where the fuck is he from, and
why does he still have his arm around my girl?

“I
thought you had a job?”

“Well,
I do, but some chick told me I should grow up and stop playing with motorcycles
all day.”

Kacie
laughs hard enough that it takes her a second to continue. “That’s not what I
said and you know it!” I don’t like the way he’s smiling at her. “Who did you
interview with?”

“Morgan
Industries.”

Her
eyebrows shoot up. “Are you really going to work for Addie’s dad?”

He
shrugs. “The job’s mine if I want it. I just have to decide if Tampa is my kind
of town. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m sorry I didn’t leave Hilton Head
sooner.”

Hilton
Head? FUCK!! This must be who she met when she went to stay at Addie’s house
for a week. I’m secure enough to know girls would have no problem finding him
attractive. Tattoos. Piercings. Buzzed hair. Did he say something about
motorcycles? Couldn’t she have met some nerd with a pocket protector and some
serious acne issues? Of course this is who she runs into.

“Tampa
is definitely a lot different than where you’re from,” she teases. I drop my
bottle on the table a little louder than I mean to. Kacie looks at me. Everyone
else is now paying attention, as well. I can feel them staring. “Luke, this
is…”

“Her
boyfriend,” I finish for her. Even I can hear how arrogant that sounds. My
fingers are spinning the beer in front of me.

Luke
smirks, but is smart enough not to leave it on his face for too long. “Evan,
right?” He reaches out to shake my hand. I only do because I’m still trying to
feel him out.

“Yeah,”
I respond.

“Kacie
told me all about you,” he answers my unspoken question. It’s obvious he was
born and raised in the south. He’s so damn polite, which only pisses off the
New Yorker in me.

“She
did?” I groan, thinking how we weren’t on the best of terms at that point.

He
grins again. “She only had good things to say. I swear.”

Kacie
continues with the introductions to the rest of the people at the table. Jade,
Kyle, Jake, Kacie’s girlfriends from high school, Mike, Gabe, and Danny…who is
enjoying this way more than he should be. The motherfucker tells Luke to pull
up another stool, then slides over to give him room next to my girl. Luke gets
questions fired at him from every direction, except from Jake and me. He’s
watching the guy as closely as I am.

It’s
Kyle’s question that makes me realize he’s also wondering about Luke, “What’s
with the chocolate?” Honestly, I had forgotten he had it to begin with. Kacie
rolls her eyes, making Luke chuckle.

“The
first time Kacie and I met, she stopped in the middle of a run to eat a
chocolate bar. I’ve never seen anyone do that before. Kind of defeats the
purpose.”

“Kacie
doesn’t normally do that,” Jade speaks up.

“See!
Told you!” Kacie laughs.

“Clearly,”
he says, winking at my girl. “It was still funny.” Is he trying to get his ass
beat? I really want to shove the bottle of beer Kacie ordered for him down his
throat.

“Just
tell me one thing,” I start, leaning forward to look around Kacie. She’s
watching me cautiously, ready to intercept if she needs to. “Did she have a
milkshake with you?”

It’s
Kacie’s turn to smirk and it makes my heart skip a beat. “Don’t answer that,”
she instructs. Her eyes are glued on mine, so I completely missed his reaction
to my question. I want to ask her why she doesn’t want him to answer me, but I
don’t because the intensity in her stare is enough. She loves me, even if I’m
being a jackass at the moment.

“What
the fuck, Foster? If I had known you had such a sweet tooth, I would’ve opened
a candy store instead of the shop,” Danny say, smirking.

“Too
fucking bad! She’s mine. Stick with what you’re at least halfway good at, Rodriguez,”
I blurt out, setting off another round of laughter.

“Maybe
I could convert my office in the back of the shop. What do you think, Kacie?
Would you come visit me?”

“I
think you two better knock it off before I kick both your asses,” Kacie warns.
“My friends aren’t usually
this
obnoxious.” She doesn’t need to explain
shit to this guy. “Sooner or later, you’ll learn to like them. You should talk
to Danny, though. Maybe he could use your help around the shop in your free
time since you’re so handy with motorcycles.” Does she know how
handy
he
is?

The
guys start to chat as Kacie turns back to me. She reaches over, grabs me by the
front of my black dress shirt, and pulls me to her. “You’re so damn lucky I’m
in a good mood today. What’s going on with you?” she whispers.

Another
body joins our overcrowded table just in time to save me from the mess I set
myself up for. “Hey, Ev. Daddy wants you to call him. He’s concerned about
what’s going on with Ashley’s ex-boyfriend.”