“Daley,” I growl.
“Ah... there he is. You can leave now, doll.” He turns to J and smirks. I want to knock his head off his shoulders for talking to her like that.
“I don’t know-” I start to say, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.
“Corey, don’t...” She shakes her head at me, a warning clear in her eyes. What the hell happened before I got here?
“So, how’s the bar working out for you?” I squint my eyes at him, at the way he says it.
I chuckle and walk behind the bar, needing something to separate me and this douche-turd.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing much.” He lifts up on to one of the stools and links his hands together. “Just wanted to check in.”
I pull a bottle of beer out of the fridge and twist the top, taking a slow pull as I watch him out the corner of my eye. “No, you didn’t. Tell me why you’re really here.”
He tilts his head to the two men at the door and signals them to leave. He never does that, they’re always within hearing distance. I have a feeling that whatever he’s about to say, I’m not gonna like.
“Is that-
“None of your business,” I growl, cutting him off as he points to the door J walked through.
His eyes meet mine, squinting as they try to work out what I’m not saying. I don’t give anything away. If there is one thing I will do, it’s protect people from him. He already knows way too much about me and knowing about J, isn’t on his lists of knows.
His eyes flick over to the door again, frowning and shaking his head as he turns back to me. “What was I saying?”
I huff and lean back against the bar, folding my arms across my chest and widening my stance.
When I don’t answer him, he clears his throat. “Right... there’s been some backlash.” He stands straighter, all business now.
“Backlash?”
“Yeah,” he mumbles and starts pacing the floor. “I need you to go back.”
I chuckle at him and at how frazzled he looks. I’ve never seen him like this and if I really thought about it, I’d find it unsettling but as it is, I find it hilarious.
His eyes meet mine again and I step forward, placing my hands on the bar. “There’s no way in hell I’m going back over there, not yet.”
“You don’t understand.” He shakes his head, his jaw clenching as he steps towards me. “I need you. You’re the only one I know who can sort out this shit storm.”
I look away from him, already knowing that I’ll go back. It’s become an addiction of sorts.
The last couple of years, I’ve blamed him for not being able to leave, but in reality, I don’t think I would have left anyway. I had this idea that I’d come back and settle down but my heart is never in it when I come back stateside.
I’m always itching to get back over there.
“Fine,” I grit out. “On one condition.”
“Name it.” He nods his head, a smile lighting up his face.
“You give me three more weeks.”
“No, I-”
“Three weeks or no deal.” I shrug.
He looks off into the distance, his eyes flicking back to the door that J went through and then back to me. “Fine.” Huffing, he pulls on the sleeves of his jacket and straightens up. “I’ll be in touch,” he says and saunters out.