Fire and Ice: Book One: Burned (The Fire and Ice Series 1) (6 page)

Kellan

I could
throttle Jim for hiring this wench, Georgia, as our newest employee. Why she
has a bug up her ass against me, I have no idea. She treats Jim and Jordan
respectfully, and acts like I'm some piece of shit. Yeah, we got off on the
wrong foot, but she acts like she owns the place, and that shit just doesn't
fly with me. I can't stand people who think they're better than me, much less
some fly by night chick that will probably collect a couple of weeks worth of
tips and breeze right back out of town, just like the rest of them. She's good
though; I'll give her that. The guys are going crazy over her, and she's even
getting double takes from some of the women. Hailey definitely has her work cut
out for her. This isn't Georgia's first rodeo.

Speaking of
Piss Pants, I hear her voice coming from the back in a muffled tone, and a
sudden excitement overtakes my senses. I haven't seen, nor heard from her for a
few days, and something inside me feels...curious; about what she's been doing
with her time while away from the bar. I'd had fleeting thoughts of her now and
again, but pushed them aside. I had never given two shits about a woman before,
unless it was while we were both getting it on, and even at that, I was usually
more concerned about my own needs; and I wasn't about to start catching
feelings
now. Fuck that shit. That's the last thing
I needed. Do they make a pill for that or something?

At any rate, I
await anxiously for her to make her way around the corner so I can catch a
glimpse of tonight's outfit. I'm not too proud to admit, I'll most likely be
raking my eyes over her luscious body at every opportunity I get. I am a man,
after all, and I won't deny myself my carnal pleasures.

As I watch
Hailey round the corner, my mouth goes dry, and my dick begins to harden as she
locks eyes with mine, neither of us seemingly knowing what to say to each
other. We haven't spoken for days. Her outfit is hugging her body in all the
right places, but right now, it's all I can do to keep my mind from picturing
sliding it off of her, and ramming myself deep inside of her to the hilt.

She finally
breaks the awkward silence, managing to squeak out, "Hi, Kellan, how've
you been," as she fiddles nervously with her apron.

I forced myself
to look away from her tantalizing form, answering, curtly, "Busy." If
I didn't get away from her, I feared I might say or do something I would later
regret. "I gotta get back to work," I stated, turning my back on her
and walking away, the absence of having her near to me leaving an unfamiliar
wanting in my gut.

Something had
shifted in the last week, since Hailey had walked into the bar that night. My
life was becoming more complex, the people around me were changing, and my
limits were being tested at every turn. I walked over to the jukebox and set it
to play "Vicarious" by Tool. The tune was fitting, because at the
moment, I felt like life was whirling past me, as those near me carried on
daily, while I watched in a hazy fog, wondering how the fuck they did 'normal'
while I meandered through life in a vicious cycle of hate and anger. I was
cynical at best. As far as I was concerned, there was no such thing as a silver
lining, or happy endings; just fleeting moments where strong dislike faded, and
was replaced by a miniscule amount of lust or an adrenaline rush, orgasms, and the
sweet pain of the tattoo gun piercing my skin. These were the only moments that
brought me anywhere close to joy. Yet, the people around me experienced it
regularly. I normally wouldn't give a rat's ass, but today, I find I'm
beginning to envy it.

******

Hailey

As I'd thought,
working a smaller section had turned out to be just as lucrative as chasing my
tail all over the place the entire night. Georgia was proving to be a valuable
asset, and just in time. We were especially busy tonight and I was already
running out of steam; I wasn't even half way through my shift.

I had kept my
eye on Jordan and Georgia, and my earlier assessment had gotten the better of
me, as I'd been watching them during my shift, only to find they'd been nothing
but professional, keeping busy, and to themselves. I felt like a total ass.
Seemingly, Jordan wasn't intent on paying any attention to Georgia; however, he
hadn't so much as looked in my direction all night. Then again, as I said, we
were slammed. The only attention I seemed to be gaining was from a few creepy
customers, and a couple of intense gazes Kellan threw my way, but quickly
ended. One minute I felt like we were the only two people in the room; the
next, he left me feeling deserted and guilty for even holding out hope of
feeling his skin against mine one more time.

I had grossly
misjudged how many shots I'd need for tonight...they were selling like
hotcakes, and I was almost out of them. I only had enough for a few more, and
then I'd have to go in the back and make another batch. I sighed to myself as
the patrons shouted over the music to get my attention for more rounds. I
briskly walked over to the nearest table, where a rowdy crowd of men shouted
their orders. Hardly able to hear them over the familiar song Kellan seemed to
choose to play often, "House Of The Rising Sun" by Five Finger Death
Punch, I leaned in closer to get a better idea of what the men were saying. The
men each called out, ordering several shots each, which left me needing to go refill
my supply. A few of them groaned in protest, but I assured them I would be back
in just a few moments, while I silently prayed they were all too drunk to
notice how much time would pass while I was gone. More patrons cried out for
refills, but I ignored their calls, turned on my heels, and quickly strode for
the kitchen.

Bursting
through the doors, I quickly set to making my shots, not even aware momentarily
that I'd taken on a helper. Kellan. He stilled my hand, and I looked up to his
face, his gaze cold and unrelenting. He was the most duplicitous man I had ever
met. His gesture, the feel of his hand against mine spoke of kindness and
warmth; yet his eyes were unforgiving, merciless. Damnit! What was his angle?

He slowly
dragged his fingers across my skin, letting his hand fall away from mine, his
eyes never wavering, as he said, "Forget upselling for tonight." I
cocked my head to the side and he walked to the refrigerator, opening it, and
taking out handfuls of Jell-o shots in assorted flavors. He motioned his head
toward the crowd and said, "They're half in the bag as it is, and will
take whatever you have at this point."

I lowered my
head and smiled, replying, "Thanks, Kellan...you didn't have to..."

He placed a
finger under my chin and tipped my face to meet his own. "I wanted
to," he breathed out. There was a pregnant pause as we became absorbed in
one another. He almost looked pained to be in my presence. I furrowed my brow,
marred by the confusing essence filling the air. He brushed my hair behind my
shoulder, continuing in a shaky breath, "Do you have any idea what happens
when I want something?" My eyes widened as I bit my bottom lip, causing
him to inhale a sharp breath as he tipped his head back and let his eyes
flutter shut. The sight of him standing in front of me, though his question
remained cryptic, was intoxicating.

I hadn't even
heard the sound of the door, and nearly jumped out of my skin when Georgia's
voice cut into the private world Kellan and I were lost to. "Sorry,"
she said politely. "Am I...interrupting?"

I swung my head
towards her as my cheeks heated, surely giving away my aroused state, before
blurting out, "Um, no...Kellan was just helping me grab some more
shots." Georgia raised a skeptical eyebrow as I continued nervously,
"I, uh...ran out." I held out one of the small plastic cups, hoping
to cover my tracks, but doubted she bought my story, as a sly grin creased her
face. Looking to Kellan for back up, he simply gave me a sharp, pointed look
before turning and brushing past me without so much as a word, leaving me with
my mouth hanging open.

Georgia stepped
a bit closer to me, placed her hand on her hip, and looked around the kitchen,
as if she were making sure we were alone. She jutted her head in the direction
of the bar, and asked, "You two seeing each other?"

My heart rate
spiked as I stuttered out, "
What?
I would
never...no way! He's a total...well you've seen how he acts," my voice
trailed off as I waved my hands in the air animatedly.

She rolled her
eyes and shook her head back and forth, her perfectly coiffed, and platinum
blond hair swinging with her movement. She gave me a disapproving look, pointed
her finger at me, and said, "One thing I can't tolerate is a liar." I
was instantly taken aback at not only her bluntness, but also that she'd pegged
me despite my protests. She went on, chastising me as if I were a child.
"I'm not blind, Hailey, but apparently you are. I've known you all of a
couple hours and I can see Casanova has you twisted." Shit. She was right
on the money. "I've also seen his kind dozens of times, and he's only
after one thing, honey. Now, you look like a smart girl, and I get it...he
makes you feel like you're the only woman that matters in the world. But,
girl...that's his game. He uses that to get all of them, trust me."

Georgia
sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving me with my head in a fog. She had nailed
every emotion I was carrying around inside of myself, and if she were right
about Kellan, I would only be another notch on his bedpost. How did he have the
ability to make me doubt myself, my own instincts? Was he really that good at
being so malicious? When we were alone, it seemed as if the world fell away,
and I
thought
he felt it too. Kellan was like
a potion I had been poisoned with, and I didn't want the spell to be broken.  I
wasn't sure I had the willpower to break myself of my addiction to him.

******

Kellan

I hung back and
heard every fucking word that bitch was poisoning Hailey's mind with. As she
stepped through the kitchen doors, I grasped her upper arm and swung her around
to face me, my nose just a fraction of an inch from her own. I gritted my teeth
as I ground out, "You fucking cunt...you don't know a goddamn thing about
me. What goes on between me and her...that's our fucking business, you got
it?"

I shoved her
away from me and she stumbled back a step, fury gathering on her face before
she stalked towards me and boldly spewed, "You little
shit!
She's nothing more than a piece of ass to you,
you self-righteous prick. You can have your pick of the litter, and you can't
help yourself, can you? She's nothing more than a conquest for you."

I was seething
inside at the mention of Hailey being nothing to me, as if she were a piece of
meat...nothing more than these assholes she was slinging drinks for were
looking at her like. But the heartless bastard inside of me wasn't about to
take it on the chin and let it go; especially from this sanctimonious twat.
"You know what, Georgia...fuck you!" There was an awkward silence for
a moment before I stepped back in, nowhere near ready to relinquish this fight;
I was revved up and she was about to see the shit end of my stick. I huffed out
a small laugh, as I looked to the side, then back to her...her face marred with
confusion. Stepping closer to her, I reached up and smoothed my fingers through
a few strands of her hair as a sneer creased my lips. "What's up Georgia?
Jealous of Hailey? You wanna take a walk on the wild side?"

Georgia tried
to back away from me, but I was only getting started. I grabbed her by the
waist, pulling her in close, as she protested by shoving against my chest. She
was only a few inches shy of me, but I overpowered her with ease. Grabbing her
neck with my free hand, I brought her lips to mine and whispered harshly
against them, "C'mon, Georgia...I'll be the best fuck you ever had."
My hand slid to her ass as I slapped it hard, eliciting a gasp from her, while
simultaneously, Hailey walked out of the kitchen with fire in her eyes and
rushed past the both of us.

I loosened my
grip on Georgia, the playfulness having been sucked from my gut, and she shoved
off of me, as I dropped my hands and backed away, looking behind myself towards
Hailey. She'd disappeared into the crowd. I gave Georgia a look of
acquiescence, as she growled, "You stupid fuck! I don't even play for your
team, you dumb bastard."

She brushed
past me, bumping my shoulder hard as the hallway seemed to narrow around me, my
lungs feeling as if they couldn't catch enough air. Christ, I'd really fucked
up this time.

Hailey

Here I'd been
worrying that Georgia and Jordan had been fooling around, when all along, she
had been trying to sink her teeth into Kellan behind my back. As I briskly
walked through the throngs of patrons, barely registering their calls for
orders, I half laughed at the irony of her warning me off from Kellan. Now I
knew why; she only wanted him for herself, and it for damn sure didn't look
like he was putting up a fight. Why would he? What do I have to offer that she doesn't?
Georgia is sexy and confident, earning stares from every guy in the room. She
probably had Kellan wrapped around her little finger from the moment he laid
eyes on her...laid being the operative word. I can only imagine how many times
they've...

I was suddenly
broken out of my self-induced spell, as I felt a strong hand on my shoulder.
Quickly turning, I was met with concerned filled eyes. Jordan. "Hey, are
you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." I tried to hold back the
tears stinging my eyes, threatening to spill over, as I shrugged my shoulders.
Jordan furrowed his brow and dipped his head to peer into my eyes, only making
matters worse. I turned my head as a tear escaped, and swiped it away, hoping
Jordan wouldn't catch on. No such luck. He grabbed me by the shoulders, turning
me to face him, as he said, "Jesus, Hailey...what's going on? And don't
tell me 'nothing'."

I threw up my
hands as I peered into his worried eyes, just as a customer next to us barked
out lasciviously, "Hey, honey...you gonna stand there all night, or shake
that pretty little ass and serve us some shots?"

I gasped, and
Jordan slowly turned to face the man, his jaw and fists clenched, as he stared
the man down. The guy, along with his friends at his table, merely chuckled,
fueling Jordan's rage, as he began to step towards the table. I placed my hand
on Jordan's arm, in an effort to halt him...I knew where this was leading, and
I'd had enough drama for one night. Jordan stopped short and looked down at my
hand, then up to my pleading eyes, before taking a step back, loosening his
hands, and softening his expression. Jordan was nothing, if not reasonable...a
trait I admired in him.

The obnoxious
man leaned back in his chair, calling out, "Hey look, fellas...she has her
little
boyfriend
pussy whipped." The
crowd of men began to laugh loudly, and I tightened my grip on Jordan's arm,
keeping his eyes focused on mine, as I shook my head back and forth, signaling
for him not to pay attention to them, and to walk away.

Jordan took a
deep breath before leaning down to whisper into my ear, "You sure you're
ok?" His hot breath sent a shiver through me, and in that moment, I felt
safe, even though he was walking away. I knew I could count on him. I couldn't
say the same for Kellan. I would never be able to trust Kellan, plain and
simple. There was no denying when Kellan and I were in a room together sparks
flew. And as much as my body ached for him, and if I were being honest, my
heart was starting to follow...he'd only leave me on the floor in pieces. I
could see Jordan genuinely cared for me, and that's what I needed in my life
right now.

******

Kellan

I shook myself
out of my stupor, and booked it down the hallway, wanting to get to Hailey
before Georgia had a chance to put her two cents in...which would probably be
more like ten cents, and make me out to be a lying, cheating, sonofabitch.
Hailey couldn't have walked in on Georgia and me at a worse time. I had to get
to her and explain...she needed to know the truth.
Maybe Georgia has a girlfriend, and we can call her
to...you know...verify Georgia doesn't even swing that way.
I was
getting desperate, my mind filling with scenarios of how terribly wrong this
situation had gone from the start, and how much worse it really could get. If
Hailey didn't take my word as bond, she would most likely never trust me again,
no matter how many people I got to vouch for me about the fact that I never
lie.

As I scanned
the bar, I easily picked out Georgia, as she was taller than most of the people
in the bar, and stood out like a sore thumb. I was ready to pounce on her, but
noticed Hailey wasn't with her; Georgia was swamped working her section, no
doubt since she'd been gone for a while, stuck in the middle of the triangle
between herself, Hailey, and me.

I looked around
the bar feverishly trying to locate Hailey, and found her standing next to
Jordan. For a fleeting moment, the look that passed between them seemed almost
intimate. My imagination began to run wild, and a pang of jealousy overtook me.
Jordan began to walk away from her, and suddenly, Hailey was no longer my
target. In a few short strides, I was in front of Jordan, and I was in
desperate need of answers.

Expressing
incredulity, and seeking out Hailey's pale blue eyes, I snapped out,
"What's with you two?"

Jordan looked
back over his shoulder, as we both joined eyes with Hailey, before he met mine
again. "What?" he shrugged.

"Don't
give me that shit, Jord. I wanna know what's going on...
now,
goddamnit!"

Jordan sighed
and ran his hand through his hair as he looked around the bar.
"Kellan...it's packed. Can we talk about this later?"

"So
apparently there is something going on." We were starting to garner
stares. I didn't give a fuck. I caught Georgia's concerned expression out of
the corner of my eye, and now felt like there was a conspiracy against me.
What in the fucking fuck is going on here?
So,
what?...Did Jordan and Piss Pants have a thing, and Beaver Feeder was trying to
keep it a secret from me? Christ on a cracker! This is
exactly
why I don't even want to deal with people. I
fucking trusted Jordan for nearly half of my life, and he fucking goes behind
my back and screws the girl I...

"Hey,
pretty boy! Your little drink wench is a cock tease, ya know that?" a burly
man slurred from the back section...Hailey's section, as I turned to find him
grabbing her by the arm and trying to haul her into his lap.
No fucking way, asshole.

Blood began to
surge in my veins and I began to quake from the adrenaline. My sole focus was
once again on Hailey, and this time, I didn't care if she didn't want me
around...Jethro, or whatever this dumbass hillbilly's name happened to be, was
about to get his teeth knocked out. Unfortunately for Jethro, this was one area
in life I excelled at. Fucking and fighting...I honestly didn't know which I
was better at...but let's just say I wasn't in the 'fucking' mood right now.

I stepped
towards the crowd that had started to gather around the raucous bunch, and
Jordan began to follow me. I looked at him with disbelief and said, "I got
it. Go take care of your tables," as I jutted my chin towards his section.
He gave me a wounded expression and I added, "Don't forget about our
little
chat
later." He stared me down for
a moment, and then disappeared into the crowd.

******

Kellan

I was at the
table filled with four guys eating this shit up in seconds. As I jerked the
arrogant prick up by his collar, the other three men stood up, as if they were
ready to back up their friend. Good luck with that. The brawny shit head
stumbled back, but recovered quickly, slurring out, "What's your problem,
asshole? I was just having a little fun with the sexy lady, here." My
stomach turned at this guy's dirty thoughts of Hailey. I never should have encouraged
her to dress so provocatively. She was gorgeous enough to rake in tips no
matter what she was wearing. I'd have a talk with her later about it; but now,
I needed to get her away from this dickhead.

The typical
feeling I got when I was jacked up for a fight, maniacal and villainous, wasn't
overtaking me. I felt protective, and a burning rage began to overtake my
senses. I stood silent, staring the man down, waiting for him to either back
off, or make a move, as my fists tightened, ready for battle. He obviously took
the gesture as a sign of confrontation, stumbling towards me, before I cold
cocked him square in the nose. He bent over, grabbing his face, as blood poured
from it, dripping through his fingers, spilling onto the floor, while one of
his friends made a move to stand up for him. Drunk as a skunk, he was in even
less of a position to take me on, as I elbowed him in the gut, causing him to
hunch over, wallowing in his own miserable pain.

I knew the two
men were down for the count, and I postured; ready to take care of his other
two "boys", as a gawking crowd had formed. His other two wingmen
threw up their hands in a sign of surrender, and I backed off, knowing my job
here was done. A loud voice broke through the mayhem, as I heard Jim yell,
"What in the
hell
is going on here?"
before he broke through the tight wall of onlookers gathered around us. Seeing
the damage that had been done, and knowing my past record, his eyes swung to
me, as he as bellowed, "Did you cause this?"

My expression
hardened at the accusation as I answered, "You think I'm fucking stupid?
These assholes were harassing Hailey, and I took care of business."

The two injured
men were still groaning, and none of them argued my point. Jim gave me a
pointed stare before saying through gritted teeth, "You're done for the
night, Kellan." I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Jim jumped back in
before I could object. "It's
not
a
request." I gave him an incredulous glare before he added, "And take
her with you," nodding towards Hailey.

******

Hailey

My head was
spinning. What had I just witnessed? Why was I being sent home? I hadn't done
anything wrong. Jim wouldn't even look at me as Kellan quickly grabbed my hand
and towed me through the crowd. All eyes were on us, including Jordan's and
Georgia's, which both held sympathy. Jordan's expression, I could understand.
Georgia's...I could barely stand to look at her face right now. I quickly
looked away from her, and realized Kellan and I were still the main focus of
the entire bar. My cheeks must've been the color of crimson.

I was having a
hard time keeping up with Kellan's long strides in my high stiletto heels, and
tugged him backwards. He looked over his shoulder at me with a questioning
stare. "Slow down," I yelled over the pulsing music and raucous crowd
that had seemingly deemed the Kellan Show over. Kellan shook his head back and
forth and slowed his gait to nearly half his usual pace, until we'd reached the
back hallway, where he stopped and turned to me, asking, "You ok?"

I didn't
answer, still pissed at him for betraying me with Georgia, but rather
deflected, asking my own question, flatly, "What about my unused
shots...and my tips? I still need to count out my tips."

He pulled me
into the kitchen, placed the shots back into the refrigerator, and said,
"Jim told us leave. We're leaving. You can count out your tips
tomorrow." Not wanting to argue, I simply nodded as Kellan turned to walk
out towards the back door. We both exited the building, and he fished out his
cigarettes, lighting one up, and taking a deep, smooth drag off of it.
Damn, he makes me wet just looking at those luscious
lips. Oh what I'd give to be that cigarette right now.
Was I really
fantasizing about being an inanimate object? I'd officially hit a new low. Even
though I was fuming at him and Georgia, he still had a powerful hold over
me...a hold I couldn't seem to break free from. It was time to drag myself away
from this drugging man.

I began to walk
towards my car before Kellan grabbed me by the upper arm and spun me to face
him, asking, "What are you doing?"

I furrowed my
brow, not understanding his question, but answered anyway, "Going to my
car...I'm heading home."

He shook his
head back and forth before saying with emphasis, "The hell you are. Those
guys could be planning to follow you home."

The idea never
occurred to me, and with a dumbfounded expression, I asked, "Well, what am
I supposed to do?"

Kellan walked
towards his car, not bothering to look back at me, as he said, "Get in.
You're coming with me."