The men raised their guns and pointed them at the patrons.
Caspian locked his eyes on me and slowly approached the bar, those brown eyes full of victory.
Even if I bashed in his skull, one of his men would gun me down. I’d lie on the floor in a puddle of my own blood.
His men ran everyone out of the bar, keeping their guns aimed at their heads until they finally left the room. The glass doors were shut and locked.
Now I was on my own.
Five armed men against one bat.
I couldn’t even reach for my phone and call Maverick. He wasn’t my husband anymore, so I shouldn’t want to contact him in the first place…but I had no one else.
Caspian lowered himself onto the barstool and pulled out a silver pistol. He laid the gun on the counter between us, like he dared me to reach for it.
I held the bat at my side.
He must have been able to see my grasp in the mirror behind me, because he smiled like he was amused. “I may be old, but I’m a quick draw. I’ll put a bullet in that pretty little head long before you smash that bat into my skull. And it’ll take a few hits before you cause any real damage.”
“You underestimate me.”
“No…I learned my lesson.” He smiled in a sickly manner. “Now make me a drink.”
My instinct was to defy him because I didn’t appreciate being bossed around. But I didn’t have any options, not when his four men were staring at me with their guns now back on their hips. I was cornered like a rat, and there was nowhere for me to run. Hopefully, the customers who had just been kicked out would call the police…even though it probably wouldn’t make a difference.
When I didn’t talk back, he smiled. “We’re off to a good start. Scotch—neat.”
I grabbed the bottle and filled the glass.
“Pour one for yourself as well. You’re going to need it.”
I filled another glass and set the bottle aside. The bat leaned against the counter, and I didn’t bother holding on to it. I pushed his glass toward him, coming in close contact with the gun. If I were quick enough, I could grab it and shoot him before his men shot me.
But I didn’t take the risk.
He brought it to his lips and took a long drink, his eyes staying on me. “Enjoy your new profession?”
“Enjoy putting guns to people’s heads?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” He took another drink and licked his lips just the way his son did.
“You came here to kill an unarmed woman?” I shook my head in disappointment. “That seems cowardly if you ask me.”
“Taking away a family’s justice is cowardly as well.”
“No. That was heroic.” I only had minutes to live, so now was the time to speak my mind. “I told you I was sorry about your wife, but I stand by my actions. Innocent people didn’t deserve to die.”
“My wife was innocent.” His big eyes stared into mine. His eyes were different from Maverick’s, much larger in appearance. They were the same color, hot espresso or scotch.
“And she didn’t deserve to die.”
He picked up the glass and swirled the contents without watching his movements.
“What now? You’re just going to kill me?”
“You don’t seem scared.”
I was scared. I just hid it pretty well. “I feel bad for Maverick. His own father hunted down his wife and killed her in cold blood.”
“Ex-wife, right?” He cocked his head slightly to the side.
I guess Maverick and Caspian were on speaking terms.
“You’re living in a run-down apartment and working two jobs to make ends meet. Interesting.”
I didn’t want to draw this out with useless chitchat. It was my fault for not taking Maverick’s warning seriously. If I wanted to live, I should have stayed with him. But after seeing him with someone else, my will to survive disappeared quickly. Now I had to face the consequences of those actions. Maverick would have to carry the guilt of my death forever. “Lots of other people do it. I’m not special.”
“But no one would walk away from a rich husband the way you have.”
“He was more than just a rich husband…” When I thought of Maverick’s qualities, his money never crossed my mind. His success was such a small part of who he was. His good heart was the best thing about him.
“Why did you leave him?”
This man had a gun sitting on the counter, but he wanted to talk like we were friends. “What makes you think I left him?”
“Because my son would never leave you. He played Russian roulette against a madman to save your life. He’s been far more loyal to you than he ever was to me. So why did you leave a man who gave you everything?”