“I think so. Why?”
His brother Ace whispered into the phone.
“Listen, try texting him and telling him to meet us at Sullivan’s. I’m here now, and I think you guys need to meet me here.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“I don’t want to say, I just want to see something. Just get here.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Bull hung up the phone and texted Ice as he headed out the door. He should be sleeping right now, getting ready for the change in work shift, but now his brother had his curiosity growing. He hoped this wasn’t some lame excuse to get the three of them together in front of their parents. The last thing they needed was for Mom and Dad to know they were fighting and growing apart. His mom might try talking to them about counseling again.
No freaking way was he doing that.
* * * *
Serefina was cleaning up a table just vacated by some young women when another customer entered the café. She looked up and was shocked to see another really big guy, with dark crew cut hair, and brown eyes, who looked so much like Ace it was shocking. He, too, had a set of tattoos on one arm but was dressed in camo pants and a black T-shirt that said Engine 19. She felt her stomach clench. That was her father and her brothers’ station house.
He stared right at her and stopped walking as he looked her over. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” she said, balancing the dirty dishes in her hands. He said nothing. He just stared at her and she quickly headed toward the kitchen. As she passed by Ace’s table, she saw him staring at her so seriously it nearly made her drop the dishes.
* * * *
“Who is she?” Bull asked as he sat down next to his brother.
Ace didn’t smile, he just stared at Bull. “Did you feel it?”
Bull stared at him. “Feel what?”
“Don’t tell me fucking ‘feel what.’ I saw you. You were shell shocked by her.”
“She’s gorgeous and petite, has a really sweet smile, but what are you getting at?” Bull asked, and then his eyes widened.
The door to the café opened and Ice entered looking pissed off and annoyed, just as the waitress walked out from the back. Ice stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her. She hadn’t looked up yet as she pulled the pen and pad from her apron while approaching the table.
“Breanna?”
She snapped her head up and looked shocked. Ice walked over quickly, and now his pissed-off expression turned into a smile.
“Ivan?” she whispered.
“Brianna? I thought your name was Serefina?” Ace interrupted. Ice looked at him and then back at her and the pretty little waitress’s cheeks were a nice shade of red.
* * * *
Serefina thought she might pass out. These three men knew one another. They looked so similar, yet different by perhaps years, besides bodies. Why she stared at them and felt aroused and attracted, she wouldn’t accept right now. She needed to pull off casual and unaffected. These guys, obviously firefighters from her father’s engine company, were staring at her as if she were their next meal.
Ice reached out and touched her wrist.
“How is your ankle?” he asked, glancing down at it.
“Oh, that’s fine. Thank you. Thanks again for your help the other morning.” She slowly pulled her hand back.
He squinted at her as the other guy spoke. “This is the woman you met?”
She looked at him as Ice did, too, and nodded his head.
“What’s with lying about your name?” Ace asked, arms crossed in front of his chest, and staring at her with such authority and attitude she actually was intimidated.
Then Ice reached up and gently rubbed his thumb along her cheek and jaw.
“That’s okay. Why did you lie about your name?” he asked.
“I’m sorry Ivan. I didn’t know you at all, and after you carried me up the beach, I was feeling a bit nervous. My real name is Serefina.”
“You carried her up the beach?” Bull asked.
Ice smiled and then explained the story while she stood there feeling silly.
“Well, like I said, I appreciated the help, and my ankle is fine. Just as small scratch now. So are you joining your friends? Can I get you a menu?” She asked.
Ice smiled. “My brothers,” he corrected and then took a seat.
She squinted her eyes, her brain not catching up with what he meant until Ace and Bull smiled as they looked her body over.
Oh God, they’re brothers.
“Okay, how about drinks while I grab those menus?”
“I’m Bull, by the way, sweetheart, and I’ll take a water for now.” He winked at her.
“Okay, and you, Ivan?”
“Same for me, Serefina, and don’t worry about the menus.”
“Wow, the three of you together for lunch? A mom’s wish come true!” Florence yelled out as she entered from the kitchen. Serefina moved out of the way as the realization hit her.
“Hi, Mom,” the three grown men stated as Florence gave them each a hug hello.
“So you met Serefina? Isn’t she sweet?”
“Sweetest thing I’ve ever seen,” Bull said as he held her gaze.
“Excuse me while I get those waters.” Serefina walked away feeling completely out of sorts. She was suddenly sweating, her hands clammy, and so damn nervous she felt like crying.
One look at Lester’s wink and smile and she snapped out of it.
“What’s that smirk for?” she asked him.
“You are just filled with surprises. I knew when you started working here that things were going to get interesting around here.”
Just then another group of men walked in, a crowd of ten. They all called out her name and waved, making a ruckus.
Lester chuckled. “See what I mean. They’re coming out of the woodwork to see you.”
“Oh stop. They are not. Besides, I’m not interested in dating or getting involved with anyone. I’m just trying to work and get my life back together.”
“Sweetheart, looks to me like Florence’s sons have gained an interest.”
“What?” When she turned, around the three of them were watching her, and they looked very serious.
She grabbed the two waters. “I’d better get back to work.”
“Watch yourself. The two firefighters closest to the door wearing the blue shirt and the green shirt are a bit flirty. They got a little raunchy with the other waitresses. You let me know if they try anything,” he told her, and she nodded her head.
“I will.” She took the waters over to the Ice and Bull, whose mom said she would take care of them. Serefina was relieved but from the expressions on her sons, it didn’t seem like they were.
She walked over toward the men, and they cheered her name, drawing loads of attention toward her. By the time she had taken all of their drink orders and food orders, more than just the two guys at the end of the table near the door were flirting and getting raunchy.
She tried to ignore them as she went about putting the orders into the computer and going back and forth around the table, catering to their every little request for more things. She figured they just wanted her to stay there so they could flirt. A few glances toward the table where Ice, Ace, and Bull sat, and she could see them getting annoyed. When Ice called over to the table of guys and asked them to cool it, it hadn’t gone over too well. That led into a few mumbled comments and then a few louder insults.
“Hey, can you please calm down. This is not the kind of place for causing fights.” She told the one guy in the blue shirt who grabbed her hand after telling Ice that he could flirt with the pretty little waitress all he wanted to. That drew over Lester, and of course caused Ice, Bull, and Ace to stand.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. If you would just come on over here and sit on my lap, then I’m sure it would calm myself and my buddies down.” He winked and tried pulling her onto his lap.
It happened pretty quickly. Chairs fell over, people were yelling in the background, including the guy’s friends for him to cool it, when the guy pulled Serefina onto his lap. He dipped her over, making her shirt rise up, revealing her belly and the piercing as he pointed out to the crowd of friends, and she reacted by smacking him.
It was a flat hand, solid, perfect smack to his cheek and eye that caused him to lose his hold as she hit the floor, shoulder first.
Then he was gone. Lifted straight up into the air as chaos erupted around her. She was trying to sit up when she heard Florence’s voice. “Oh my God. Are you okay, Serefina? I can’t believe those young men.”
When she moved, she cringed from the pain as she realized she hit the side woodwork on the molding along the floor next to the chair where the guy sat. Glancing around, the place cleared out, a stack of large bills sat on the table and workers from the back kitchen were coming over.
“Is she okay? What happened?” Al, Florence’s husband, asked. He was holding a bat and Lester was holding a shotgun.
“Oh God, this is terrible. Look at the mess,” Serefina whispered.
Lester handed the gun to one of the other guys as the workers began clearing the table.
He came over and lifted Serefina up into his arms.
“Bring her to the back office,” Florence said.
“I’m okay, really,” she stated.
“Nonsense. I should have seen that situation coming and gotten to you sooner. At least Ace and the guys did. I don’t think those men will ever step foot in here again,” he said.