Hustle Me (7 page)

I kept trying to peek out the window without being spotted when I noticed someone down the road getting out of a car. All I could think of was that there were more people coming to help them break in. If the cops didn’t arrive soon, I was in real trouble.
 

As the guy got close, I recognized his face. He was the same guy that had made the goons leave earlier in the day. At first, I thought he was in on their scam. I tried to hear what they were saying, but the siren in the distance was making it impossible. Joe made pool sticks in a back room of the apartment, so I ran back and grabbed half of a stick to use in case they got upstairs and I had to try and defend us. Joe also kept a gun in the safe, and even though I knew the combination, I wasn’t comfortable using it.
 

When I got back to the window, I saw the two men walking back to their car, while the guy stood there watching them. After they drove away, he started to walk away from the bar.
 

I wanted to stop him and ask why he was helping me but, soon after he disappeared into the darkness, the police car showed up and I had to go down and let them in.
 

An hour later, the officers were leaving with nothing to go on other than me claiming someone was trying to break in. Finding two men wearing black hoodies wasn’t exactly easy to do. It was how everyone dressed on a cool night.
 

I didn’t sleep much that night and got a first morning call saying that Bo couldn’t come in all week because he had the flu. Without help, there was no way I could manage everything myself. I made a help wanted sign and put it in the window, desperate for someone to help. While I started my daily routine, Ryan helped me clean the beer mugs and make sure all the lights were turned on.
 

“What’s wrong Charlie?” I still loved the way he said my name.
 

"Nothing's wrong Ry. I'm just trying to get everything ready." I scratched his little head and kissed it. I loved the way he smelled and how he always made me feel like I was never going to be alone again. We were a team now and no matter what happened with the stupid bar, I knew we would always be family.
 

While trying to get ready for the lunch rush, without a cook, I heard the bell jingle on the front door and wiped my hands off before seeing who it was. I swear, every single time I heard it open I feared those guys were back to threaten me. If I had the
damn money they were asking for, I'd gladly give it to them so they could leave me alone.
 

A lanky guy that was in early stages of a blonde receding hairline leaned against the counter. "Hey, what can I get ya?"
 

"I um, saw that sign in the window and wanted to know what kind of help you're looking for." He has a voice like a fifty year old chain smoker. As he leaned against the bar, I noticed that his arms were covered in tattoos. They used to scare me when I was little, but now that I was an adult, and had some of my own, I thought they were sexy. His however, were not the sexy kind. They were the kind that someone had done by a friend with an ink pen, or maybe while he was in jail.
 

"I need a short order cook, like yesterday. Do you have any experience?"
 

He smiled and I noticed one of his front teeth were chipped. "I worked at a burger joint. I think I can handle some bar food."
 

I gave a half smile. "Can you start today?"
 

"Hells yeah!" He rubbed his hands together. "Just show me what to do and I'll be on this shit."
 

He was enthusiastic, that was for sure. I held my hand up to keep him from walking behind the bar. "Wait! I need you to fill out some forms first. Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" I had to ask. I didn't want to die.
 

He put his head down and clenched his jaw. "It was a long time ago. Me and my buddies stole cars. I spent two years in the joint. Look lady, I got kids and a girlfriend at home. This job would really help me out. I will bust my ass for you if you just give me the chance."
 

I held out my hand. "My name's Charlie. Just fill out the application and I will show you where to get started."
 

Yeah, it was probably a mistake, but I was such a sucker for someone with a child now. I hated foster care and if I could prevent a child from being separated from his family, I was going to do it.
 

"Shaun. Thank you so much for this."
 

After showing Shaun around the kitchen, I got busy in the front of the bar. Ryan finally came out of hiding and gave him a quick hello before playing at my feet, where patrons couldn't see
him. Our lunch rush wasn't too bad, but those who did eat seemed to be happy with their food.
 

I was feeling good for a change, like maybe if Shaun would work out, it would give me more time to do other things.
 

I missed Zach and Elle so much. I never thought I’d say that about Elle, but it was the truth. She had offered to come by and start helping me out. I think she had this plan to get more people to come in on the weekends. I didn't know how she was going to do it, but if anyone had the resources, it was her.
 

Shaun had to leave at six to get his kids from daycare, so I asked if he could stick around while I took an order for a vendor out back. Of course, I brought Ry with me, just in case he was some kind of rapist criminal. I know, I should have done some kind of background check, but desperate times call for desperate measures and if the darn lawyers didn't locate that guy John Thomas and find a buyer for this place, me and Ry would have to figure out another game plan. I couldn't run this bar forever by myself. I didn't have a clue how I was doing it.
 

Some days I wish I would have walked away from the tavern, but each time I looked at my brother, I knew I made the
right choice. I looked down at the little guy. "So, what do you think of Shaun?"
 

He shrugged his shoulders. "His teeth are ugly."
 

"Is that it?"
 

"He whistles a lot." His legs were moving back and forth as he sat on the boxes.
 

I laughed. "Do you think he will do good cooking in the kitchen?"
 

He shrugged again. "My dad always said to be nice to people, even when they aren't nice to me."
 

I hated hearing him praise the man that haunted my dreams, but I understood that he loved him. "So, we should give him a chance?"
 

"Yes, but only for three years."
 

I laughed again. "Do you even know how long three years is?"
 

He put up his hands. "No, is it a long time?"
 

"You're four years old and three is one less than you."
 

"I meant five minutes then."
 

I laughed again and got him down from the box. "Got it boss man."
 

"My dad used to call me that." I saw his face get sad.
 

I held his hand as we walked back out to the front of the bar. "I know you miss him."
 

"Yeah, but I like having a sister."
 

I knelt down in front of him and touched his chest where his heart sat. "Dad is always in here, you know. He's always in your heart. I'm sure he's watching you right now and can't get over how brave you are."
 

"He's watching you too, Charlie. That's what dads do."
 

It was easier to just agree with him. "Yeah, he's watching us both."
 

I noticed new faces at the bar and also tripped over my own two feet as I went running toward Zach. I hadn't seen him in weeks and missed him terribly. He had a job and attended school full time, so driving thirty minutes to hang out, just wasn't realistic. His arms wrapped around me. "Wow, I think you missed me," he teased.
 

I pressed my lips against his. "I did."
 

He put me down and turned to kneel in front of Ryan. "Hey, kiddo. What's new with you?"
 

"Charlie says I'm the boss now. Are you eating dinner with us?" Ryan loved seeing Zach. I think he loved it because he'd always been around guys. Zach represented someone I couldn't be.
 

"Well, boss man, is it okay with you if I stay?"
 

He turned and whispered to me. "Can he?"
 

"I guess he can," I teased. "Why don't you and Zach head upstairs? I need to see my new employee out and get some things cleaned up.
 

Zach leaned over toward my ear. "How about I feed this guy and get him in bed, then I will come help you close up the bar around eleven and we can have some catch up time?"
 

He reached his hand up and caressed my breast while Ryan wasn't looking. I nodded right before I watched them disappear up the stairs.
 

I was so excited about Zach being upstairs that nothing else seemed to matter to me. I let Shaun go so he could get his kids, then I waited for the happy hour folks. Luckily, it was a
Monday and it was dead. By nine p.m., I was locking the doors and turning off the lights. Maybe it was bad business to close early, but I was busting my ass. I dropped out of school, left my friends and had no social life at all. That didn't even touch the surface to my failing sex life. With Zach upstairs waiting to satisfy my every need, I wasn't wasting any more time. The only business I was willing to do was the kind that happened in the sheets.
 

So, things didn’t exactly go as planned when I got upstairs. Zach’s brown hair was disheveled and he was sprawled out on the couch, snoring. Ryan was sitting on the floor in pajamas playing with a truck. I ran my hands through my long hair and squatted down to face my brother. “What happened up here?”
 

He looked over at Zach. “Zach did the plane thing with me and then he pretended to be a lion and carried me all over, but he’s asleep now. Do you want to be a lion?”
 

“No, silly, it’s way too late to be a lion.”
 

After getting Ry tucked into his bed, I headed out into the living room and covered up Zach. As much as I missed seeing him, I knew he had to be tired to give up a night with sex. It wouldn’t have mattered if he was awake because, like almost
every night, I felt someone climbing into bed and little arms wrapping around me. “You okay?”
 

“I got scared again, Charlie. I don’t want the monster to get me.”
 

I pushed the covers down so we wouldn’t sweat to death. “There are no monsters in here.”
 

“I love you, Charlie.”
 

I sat up watching my little brother sleep. He had brown hair and brown eyes and when he pouted, his little bottom lip would stick out. I hadn’t said those three words in such a long time, but I did love him. We were connected and, even though I wasn’t his parent, we were still blood and nobody could take that from us. In moments like this, it made me want to make this situation work. I wanted him to always have a home. As much as I hated the fact that I worked in a bar, I was learning that family comes first and making sacrifices was what had to be done.
 

Chapter 8
 

Jammer
 

Tippy had picked me up two blocks away from the tavern, after passing the police cars. I was so pissed off about my father being involved and having something to do with Joker’s business that I almost didn’t want to get laid.
 

Almost.
 

Once we got to his crib, the little brunette wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She unzipped my jacket and tugged it off of me, so she could run her hands up my t-shirt. “You have a nice body.”
 

I could hear Tippy and his girlfriend in the bedroom. She had a high pitched laugh and when we stopped hearing it, we knew they were in there fucking. I ran my hands through the girl’s hair. “So do you.”
 

She bit down on her lip as she pulled off her top. These girls were so easy. They were all the same. For some reason they all thought that after one night we'd somehow want to change and settle down. One good fuck could turn into a serious stalker if you
didn't play your cards right. Sleeping with some of these girls was like biting into the valentines chocolates and not knowing whether you had caramel or some strawberry gel that tasted like medicine. It was a chance that I took every single time I wanted to get my dick wet.
 

I'm not saying that I didn't like their company sometimes, especially if I'd been on the road for a while. A woman's touch kept me from stressing the hell out about what I was running from. It wasn't just my life, it was the life.
 

Now, it seemed that I'd put myself right up into the mess again. It would be easy to just leave and walk away from it. After all, I came to see Joker and he had died. Nothing was keeping me, well, except for my guilty conscience. That poor chick had no idea what was going on. If someone didn’t help her fast, she was going to wake up to be homeless, especially if my father had his hands in the business.
 

My attention was brought back to what was going on in the present when the girl climbed up onto my lap and straddled me. I brought my hands around and grabbed both sides of her ass. “You
sure you want this?” I always asked. Sure, I didn’t respect them and I wouldn’t ever call them or see them again, but I always asked if they were sure.
 

“I’ve been ready for this since you walked through that door, baby.” She leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips, letting her tongue drag slowly as it pulled away from my top lip. She kept her eyes open, as if it were some means to seduce me more.