Here Without You (Red Hook 4)

Faith nodded and headed for her room.

Holly and Hope went downstairs to the kitchen to get lunch started. Holly couldn’t stop thinking about Matt and all the others out there searching. She hoped they all stayed safe. The sooner Gerald and his buddies were off the street, the sooner Red Hook residents could relax.

Chapter 14

Matt looked at his brother’s angry face. He had been on the phone, and Matt wondered what was going on. “That was Alicia. A stranger is having lunch there. Fancy suit and beady eyes, her words, not mine,” Tony explained.

“So it begins,” Matt muttered. He was glad Holly was at Faith’s house and promised not to leave.

“Alicia says he is scary and made some rude comments to one of the waitresses. Now she is scared to wait on him, so Alana is.” Tony looked angry.

Matt let out a few curse words. “Noah is going to freak out if this asshole says one thing to his wife. It could be a bloodbath.”

“We’d better head over there. I am sure Ray has informed Noah of what is happening,” Tony said calmly, but his eyes were like ice.

Matt and Tony arrived at the same time Noah and Drake did. They parked in front, letting their arrival be known.

“Great minds think alike.” Noah patted them with amusement on the back. Matt had already spotted the stranger sitting by the window. When he spotted them, his eyes widened with surprise. Good, you need to know the folks of this town have protection.

When they entered, Alicia was at the hostess station. Her cheeks were pink with anger. When she spotted the four of them, she looked relieved. “I am so relieved to see all of you. Ray is about to come out here and tell that guy off. He slapped Alana on the ass.”

“He did what?” Noah lost all amusement, and turned and headed for the stranger. Alana tried to stop him by getting in his way, but he just gently moved her to the side. “Move over, darling.”

“Oh shit,” Drake mattered, seeing Ray coming out with a baseball bat. His brown eyes were narrowed with anger. “No one messes with my sisters.”

“There goes our

calm lunch,” Tony observed, while Matt rolled his eyes. Drake calmed Ray down and got him back in the kitchen.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two more strangers come in. Matt nudged his brother and gave him the ‘here comes trouble’ sign. Tony nodded and took a few steps toward Alicia. He whispered something in her ear and she looked worried, but she nodded. She went behind the bar counter and got out of the way.

Alana walked up to them, looking harassed. “Thank God my parents are off today. This would not be good for my dad’s heart.”

Drake nodded. “Go stand with Alicia. I think she is very worried about all of this.”

Alana sighed, looking back where her husband was standing over the stranger’s booth. “Don’t let my husband kill him, please.”

“We’ll try,” Drake assured her. As soon as Alana was behind the bar and hugging her sister, Drake went up to Noah. Matt and Tony waited for the two strangers to sit down with the man Noah was yelling at.

Tony pulled up a chair right next to the booth, and so did Matt. He had his eyes on the newcomers.

“Look, I’m sorry, mister. I saw a beautiful woman and I reacted. I like the señoritas, if you know what I mean.” The man tried to laugh it off, which was not wise. Noah’s cheeks were turning red with fury.

“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know where you come from, but around here, we treat women with respect. That señorita happens to belong to me, and it pisses me off when some stranger puts his hands on her.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Aww, man. I’m sorry.” He put his hands up in the air, giving Noah a smartass look. “Don’t arrest me, sheriff.”

Noah and Drake sat at the table with Matt and Tony. At least now the newcomers knew they could not come into Red Hook town and do what they wanted. Matt was sure one of these men was Gerald’s new supplier. The newcomers didn’t bother to order. It was obvious they were angry with the guy causing trouble. They threw some money on the table, and Matt could see one of them push the guy that mouthed off to Noah. They got in the car and left. This was not a good sign.

Alana and Alicia walked over to them. Noah stood up and hugged his wife. “You okay, babe?”

She nodded and leaned against him. “I wasn’t scared. I was upset. That jerk had Cassie in tears. I sent her on break.”

Alicia put her hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Tony. I was sort of afraid to get an attitude with him. I didn’t like the look in his eyes. ‘Cold killer’ is what I read.”

Tony looked at Alicia. Matt could have sworn he saw fondness in his brother’s eyes. “I’m glad you didn’t. I didn’t like the look of any of them.”

“Call one of us right away if you see them again, even if they try to act nice. I think they’re bad news,” Noah announced, rubbing his wife’s shoulders.