Lib Novel Page 11
I stare at the name of what is clearly a made-up book, and my lips curve in an angry smile as I lift my gaze toward the door. “Next time, I hope he orders coffee. I’m going to spill it in his stupid face.”
The nerve.
Eve winces. “Want me to throw that out?”
I’m about to hand the paper napkin back to her, but something inside me refuses to let it go.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, stuffing it in my pocket before mumbling to myself, “Scalding hot coffee.”
Stupid jerk. I hope he stubs his toe today.
Chapter 3
Sophia Hope
The next night, I find out that Mathew has banned Roger Clark from taking part in the cage fights.
“He demanded to know your name and address,” Mathew tells me over the phone. “I had already gotten your message about the altercation. We can’t have someone in the cage with you who holds a personal grudge. It may not end well.”
“So, what about the rest of my ‘appointments’?” I ask, my voice low.
He sighs. “You don’t need to come in this week. Some of the fights have been rescheduled, so go ahead and take a break.”
I open my mouth to ask if he knows anything about Alex, but I hear something in the background, and then he says, “I’ll talk to you later, Sophia. Something’s come up.”
He ends the call. I tuck my cell phone in my pocket and prepare to get on with my day, just in time for the door to open.
Loud, pompous laughter can be heard coming from the entrance to the bar.
I look over and quietly groan. I recognize the group of young male shifters that has just walked in. There are five of them, and all five are established troublemakers. But since they always pay their bill and haven’t actually done anything wrong yet, throwing them out of the restaurant isn’t really an option.
Their server, Eve, looks tense as she approaches the table they have chosen in her section.
The boys leer at her. “Hey, sweet cheeks!”
Eve is a relatively new waitress, and she’s a little shy. But she’s also a shifter, so she should be able to manage this lot. However, I feel a little uncomfortable about her being forced into such a situation. I know exactly how these types of customers behave with female staff. The boys are barely of legal age. I recognize one of them as the younger son of Migael Henrick, one of the top lieutenants of the pack security team that is in charge of this town.
Freddy Henrick is a nuisance. His father is a fair man from what I’ve seen, and loyal to the pack, but Freddy seems to think that his father’s position will help him get away with everything. It is true to quite an extent. I know of several cases where Freddy has destroyed public property, but I feel it’s his mother, Susan, who hides her little boy behind her skirts, who protects him by using her mate’s name.
Elsa sees what is going on and whispers to me, “Eve can handle herself. But come get me if things get out of hand.” Then, she retreats into her office.
“Sophia!” A friendly face pops into my line of sight. “Draft beer, please.”
“Drew!” I smile at my customer. Drew is my next-door neighbor. He’s a construction worker, and he has a five-year-old son, Tim, who I sometimes babysit. “I thought you had a date tonight.”
“I do.” Drew gives me a smile that is filled with nerves. “I’m supposed to wait for her at the bar here.”
I pour him his beer. “Isn’t this your first date?”
“It is.” He looks at the mug as I set it down in front of him.
“Why bring her here?” I study him. “You should take her somewhere nice, maybe that new French place that opened up last week.”
Drew grimaces. “I don’t really want to spend half my paycheck on a first date. Besides, she’s the one who suggested we meet up someplace casual.”
Loud, boisterous laughter from the table near the window prompts me to glance over there, and I murmur, “Perhaps not so casual today.”
Drew follows my gaze, and his brow furrows. “What’re Freddy and his gang of miscreants doing here? I thought they weren’t of drinking age.”