“We’re going to take you home and make sure you’re safe,” Mike told her.
She swallowed hard and shook her head, stepping from them.
“No, no you’re not. I’m staying here. Charlie or Lure can take me home later when it slows down. I don’t know you, but thank you for the offer. I need to use the ladies’ room and get back to work.” She felt her voice shaking. It was bad enough she would have her name on the file in a police computer system. She sure didn’t need four older men thinking they could claim her for their woman for the night because they’d come to her aid after she was attacked.
She was surprised no one said a word as she exited the room. But she did hear the deep voices and then the door to the office closed. Captain, one of the main bartenders, was there and escorted her to the ladies’ room.
“I never liked that bitch Gloria. You sure didn’t deserve to get assaulted,” he told her as they stopped in front of the ladies’ room. A few people were walking by, and she avoided their stares.
“I don’t know why she took it out on me. I was just doing my job.”
He placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s exactly why. She was caught not doing hers and selling drugs. You know Charlie and Lure don’t allow that shit. And listen, having men like Nate Hawkins and his brothers wanting to protect you isn’t such a bad thing. Nate and Charlie and Lure go way back. Secret military government shit, and Turbo’s a deputy. It’s always good to have a cop in your corner.” He winked.
She felt that unease feeling in her gut turn to fear. Turbo was a cop. Nate was involved in the military and government stuff. What horrifically bad luck she had. These men were too similar to Kevin to ignore. She had to keep her distance.
“Well, I can take care of myself. I’m not in the market for any protection.”
“I’ll wait out here,” he said, and she nodded, but as she went into the bathroom, she couldn’t help but to think about what Captain had just told her.
This could be a lot worse than she thought. Kevin was a cop, a detective who knew other dirty cops looking to make quick cash. She had never seen Nate or his brothers in Prestige before. They could be working for Kevin or, worse, for Louie Carlotto.
* * * *
“So you’re going to let her go back to work?” Mike asked Charlie as he and Lure stood there staring at them.
Lure couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
He leaned back against his desk, his arms crossed. “I understand you two being Good Samaritans, but Nate and Rye, I just don’t get it. I can’t even believe you two showed up to this bachelor party.”
“Very funny, Lure. But seriously, who is she?” Rye asked.
Lure looked at Charlie. “She’s only been here a few months. She’s real quiet, keeps to herself, and is a hard worker.”
“Always shows up on time, never missed a shift, and is real easy on the eyes. She aims to please,” Charlie added, and Lure watched his four friends’ expressions change.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Mike asked, on the defensive.
“She’s a good-looking woman. Young and inexperienced, but sweet and needs looking after.”
“You two doing that? Looking after her?” Turbo asked.
“You know we take care of our own,” Lure told them.
“That’s not what Turbo means, and you know it. We just want to make sure she’s okay. That was a hell of a hit, and she’s going to have a nasty bruise,” Nate told Lure.
“We’ll be sure to make certain she ices it.”
They were all silent, and Nate gave a nod to Rye.
“Let’s get back to the party. Seems Lure and Charlie have this covered after all.”
Nate exited the room, and the others followed, Mike closing the door behind him.
Lure looked at Charlie and raised one eyebrow.
“Frankie is a special young woman. You know you thought about hitting on her just like the rest of us,” Charlie said as he walked over toward the wet bar and poured himself and Lure a drink.
“But you knew the moment we interviewed her, along with Miles, that she was hiding something. She wasn’t too keen on pressing charges either.”
“Lure, she wasn’t too keen on getting paid on the books. She talks about things being temporary. Never says anything about buying things for her apartment like other women do. You know as well as I do that something is up with her.”
Lure took a sip of scotch.
“So what do you think? Let Nate and his brothers see how far they get with her and maybe it all works out?”
“Either that or it turns out she’s some criminal in hiding and our four friends get their hearts broken.”
Lure smiled. “I’m still not sure Nate and Rye have hearts.”
Charlie chuckled.
“Mike and Turbo have to. They work too closely with the public to become desensitized like that. Besides, I think Frankie will blow them off just like she blows off every other guy who hits on her.”
“We’ll see. In the meantime, one of us needs to take her home and make sure she ices that eye. I don’t like that shithole she lives in. We pay her well enough for her to live in a better place. I don’t know why she’s hiding in the projects of Bayline.”
“You just said why, Lure. She’s hiding, and no one that sexy and attractive would be caught dead in the apartment she rents.”
Lure squinted his eyes and thought about that a moment.
“Maybe we need to ask Frankie a few more questions.”
* * * *
They were making her nervous. Frankie tried to focus on working instead of the pain by her eye and upper cheek. But every time she paused to take a breath, she felt the eyes upon her. The Hawkins brothers, as Shark had told her. It seemed Shark was filled with lots of information on the four brothers and their interest in her.
It put her on edge, especially when she found out that Turbo, the tall, muscular blond was a deputy. Mike, who had lots of tattoos, scruff on his face, and a long-lost look in his eyes was a firefighter and just as intimidating. When she’d seen him the other night at the Beach House, she’d instantly thought he could be another mistake for her to make. He was that attractive. Frankie understood the type of relationships that took place around Treasure Town and Bayline, hell, all over the place, but she’d never really associated with people into ménage relationships. Cassidy explained about them and the difference between the real ones and those just out to have a good time with no commitment. A bit of a wild twist on the one-night stand idea.
Frankie swallowed hard. She would never do a one-night stand, despite how attractive Mike and his brothers were. Could they seriously be sticking around and watching her thinking she was interested in them? God, that instantly made her feel panicked. She watched as various women tried to hit on the four attractive men, but the men blew them off. Some of the women were gorgeous, too. A little slutty looking, but still very attractive.
“You got yourself some bodyguards tonight, Frankie. I’m jealous,” Cassidy whispered as she gave Frankie a nudge in her shoulder.
Cassidy placed the drinks Shark made onto the tray she had to carry.
“Bodyguards? I don’t think so.”
“Well, they can guard my body any time. They’re delicious. You can’t tell me that you’re not interested. Hell, it’s like fate or something. That guy Mike showing up here and recognizing you from the Beach House. He has eyes for you, and I think his brothers come as a package deal. That’s sexy.”
“Not interested,” Frankie said, and Cassidy raised her eyebrows up and rolled her eyes at Shark.
“The woman needs psychological help. I’m on the rebound. I’d take them on in a second if one of those men over there wanted me.”
“Sure you would,” Shark told Cassidy, rolling his eyes.
None of them like Keith, Frankie included, but she felt a bit upset at Cassidy saying she would go after one of the men. It was so strange, and she didn’t want to analyze it. The idea of talking to more than one man was nerve wracking enough. Having sex with more than one? Anxiety attack big time.
Cassidy turned away to deliver the drinks as Shark began to place the drinks Frankie had to deliver to a table near the Hawkins brothers. They hadn’t even joined the rest of the bachelor party in the private back room. She wondered why as a few of their friends came from the back room and joined the regulars.
“After you deliver those drinks, you’re to take a break and ice that cheek and eye. It looks like it’s swelling more,” Shark told her, looking pissed off. She reached up and winced at the pain.
“Goddamn it. I wish Charlie or Lure had let me at that bitch. I would have given her a kick in the ass or, at the minimum, sicced Cassidy on her ass. She’d mess her up good.”
Frankie chuckled. “I still don’t understand why she took out her frustrations on me. I was just working and doing my job.” Frankie placed two olives into the martini on the platter.
“Because you’ve been a threat to her since day one.”
“Me?” she asked, pointing at herself.
“You really don’t know how beautiful you are, do ya, gorgeous?” he asked as he licked his lower lip and held her gaze.
“Oh brother,” she said, thinking he was hitting on her, too.