“Is there room for me?” His buddy took a seat before she could even answer. “I hate to drink by myself.”
Mika narrowed her eyes on the guy who had lifted the soda machine like it was a cup of coffee. Soda guy was just as gorgeous as any of the high school quarterbacks she remembered.
Beginning to think she was on an episode of What Would You Do?, she felt a coil of disappointment that her plans weren’t going in the direction she intended, now that both “men” had joined her.
As she attempted to figure out what she was going to do, another gorgeous man walked into the bar. When he sat down on a stool facing the door, her gaze skittered away.
Hell no. Why couldn’t I walk into a bar where normal men hung out?
Mika was carefully rethinking her choice of city to spread her wings, feeling the chill of danger skating along the edge of her mind, warning her to get out while she still could. The only thing that kept her seated was that she had never been ruled by emotions, always letting cold, hard reasoning dictate her life.
Her inner demon snapped back, reminding her it was her reasoning that put her in the predicament she was now stuck in.
“Go ahead.” Booby prize waved his hand airily at the last chair at the table.
Mika had to grit her teeth not to contradict the invitation. She quickly tried to re-evaluate her plan and come up with a way to get Quarterback and Soda guy out of the picture.
“We met earlier at the motel,” Soda guy broke into her thoughts.
“I remember.”
“We didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves. I’m Jonas, and this is my friend Hammer.”
Of course they are, Mika thought snidely. Soda guy had to have a sexy name like Jonas, and Quarterback looked like he could nail anyone who got in his way on the football field.
“I’m Harvey.”
It was everything she could do not to roll her eyes at Booby prize’s real name.
Feeling Jonas’s and Hammer’s steady gaze on her, Mika repeated the same fictitious name that she gave Harvey. “I’m Mary.”
“You don’t look a Mary.”
Mika nervously took a drink of her beer to buy herself some time, unsettled at the skepticism in the one sitting closest to her.
Deciding to go on the offensive before Hammer could get too curious about her, she said, “It’s an old family name.”
“You don’t look old to me.”
Mika wished that Harvey would stay silent.
“Me neither.”
Her mouth went dry at the way Hammer was looking at her, confused at the unexpected interest he was showing.
Unable to hold his stare, Mika was turning back to Harvey when Jonas’s eyes entangled with hers.
What the hell was going on? Were they planning to lure her out to the parking lot to rob her? There was no way these two men were interested in her.
Her rational mind cautioned her to be careful. She was glad she had left her purse in the trunk of her car and had a small amount of cash on her in the pocket of her jeans.
“Can I buy you another beer?” Jonas asked.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
“How about you, Harvey? Or have you had enough?”
“Can’t ever have enough beer.”
“Looks like you’ve had more than enough,” Hammer stated, shaking his head when the bartender approached.
“Not yet, I haven’t. I might need something stronger than what I’ve been working on.”
Her eyes flew wide when she felt a hand on her crotch, accidentally giving a shriek that had the others at the bar wincing. Booby prizes’s pushy hand was trying to worm its way inside her jeans, with Hammer and Jonas watching. She was willing to give the goods up, but she hadn’t intended for it to be in the bar.
Snatching his hand out from under the table, she slammed it down on the table. Embarrassed, her temper got the better of her due to the fact that the other two men had seen what Harvey did—and hadn’t done a thing to stop it.
“Groping is for teenagers. I was looking for a man, not a boy. Can you be the man I need you to be tonight, Harvey? If not, I can go to Redbox and rent a movie.”
The stunned silence had Mika wanting to bite her tongue. Dammit, she wanted to curl into a ball and roll her ass right out of the bar.
Jonas eased the awkward situation when he started chuckling. “The shape he’s in, he’ll be lucky to make it to his car.”
“I think you’re right.” Dismally, she saw her plan disintegrating in front of her.
“Jonas and I can give you a better time than Redbox, and we’ve only had one beer.”
Her eyes flew to Hammer’s. Did Kentucky have serial killers? She should have done her research better. Technically, they were staying at a motel, so they may not be from Kentucky either.
“Where are you and Jonas from?”
“We live in Tennessee.”
She wasn’t any more familiar with Tennessee than Kentucky. Redbox was the safer choice, but she hadn’t given up on Harvey yet.
“Are you two trying to get in on my action?” Harvey managed to raise himself up in his chair, glowering across the table.
When Hammer and Jonas looked at him like they wanted to squash him under their shoes, Mika felt sorry for him.
“Last call!”
The bartender’s shout had her wanting to cry. What bar closed this early?
“What the fuck, Mick!” The first man who had talked to her at the bar was just as unhappy as she.
“Chill, Moon. It’ll only be for two hours. I’ll give a free beer to anyone that comes back when I reopen. Lily wants to give Shade his Valentine’s Day present without you yahoos around.”
That the bar was going to reopen in a couple of hours restored her faith that her goal was still within reach. She could go grab a bite to eat and come back. Maybe then there would be more options to choose from.
“Well, it was nice meeting you gentlemen. Jonas, Hammer, enjoy your trip home. Harvey”—she gave her booby prize a pitying look—“you should call a cab.”
“I thought you and me …?”
“I decided Redbox would give me a better thrill.”
Mika rose from the table, giving a polite nod, then waited for Hammer to stand so she could get out from behind the table.
Hammer didn’t move, trapping her. “What’s wrong with me and Jonas?”
She gaped at him and said the first thought that came to her head. “Does Tennessee have serial killers?”
CHAPTER 4
“What?” Perplexed, Quarterback stared up at her in confusion.
“Huh? Tennessee might have cereal, but so does Kentucky.” Harvey reached out, snatching her wrist. “Come on, I’ll buy you some on the way to the motel.” Harvey drunkenly tried to rise but was met with a firm hand on his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t be driving, and you certainly won’t be going anywhere with her.”
“I have an old lady to ride my ass. I don’t need you giving me your two cents worth.” Shrugging out of Jonas’s hold, Harvey used the table to get to his feet, then looked at her. “You coming?”
The old lady comment doused the flame that was left of her plan.
“No. And I advise you to take my suggestion and call a cab.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing.”
No, she didn’t. And that was her problem. But she didn’t tell Harvey that.
With Harvey swaying back and forth on his way to the entry door, she was free to slide around the table. Walking to the door, she was conscious of the two men from the motel following on her heels. It would be her luck being mugged out in the parking lot. She should have just found the darn Redbox and stayed in. Her plans always went to hell when it involved her personal life.
Using the palm of her hand to open the door, she went outside into the fresh air, seeing that, despite her suggestion, Harvey was getting into his car. It actually made her sick to her stomach that he was. There was just no way she could watc
h him endanger other drivers as well as himself.
Raising her hand up to get his attention, she yelled out to him, “Har—”
Before she could finish, she was quickly turned around and found herself face-to-face with an angry Hammer.
“You are not going with him.”
Mika eyed the man with a stare that made most of her acquaintances take a step back. Unfortunately, Hammer didn’t know her well enough to know he was treading on dangerous ground.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Jonas had stepped to the side and was talking to someone on his cell phone.
“Take your hand off me now. It’s none of your business what I do or don’t do. For your information, I wasn’t going to get in the car with him, but I would offer him a ride. He’s going to get someone hurt if he drives in that condition,” she snapped.
“He won’t get far. Small towns like this have their own way of controlling drunk drivers. They’re called speed traps.”
Mika bit her lip as she watched Harvey pull out onto the road. If he hurt someone, she would never forgive herself—or Hammer. “What was the bartender thinking to serve that much?”
“He was thinking the same thing I am. He’ll be spending the night in jail when Knox catches him.”
“Knox?”
“The sheriff.”
Fear knotted her stomach. “Why are you on a first name basis with the sheriff? Wait, I thought you said you were from Tennessee. And, how many times have you been in jail?”
Hammer laughed, admitting, “A few times.”
Jonas ended his call and walked back over. “What are you saying to her? She looks like she’s ready to call the cops on you.”
“I think she thinks we’re escaped serial killers.”
Mika didn’t deny it as she tried to edge away from them and toward her rental car. The other men had already left the bar and were pulling out of the parking lot. From over Hammer’s shoulder, she saw the bartender closing the door; she wanted to be safely in her car before he left.
“I better be going. Goodbye.” Turning on her heels, she started speed-walking to her car.