Free Surface Below: Dark Secrets (The Surface Below Book 1) by Leeah Taylor Page B

here.”
    Linda and Becca snickered and cleaned up their glasses. Becca went to the back and knocked on the office door.
    “Hey, Uncle Danny said quit screwing and get out here.” She laughed at the hurried muffled voices behind the door.
    The night started like any other bar night. Customers came in, new and old. Becca taxied back and forth to the bar, filling shots, opening beers and even making a call to Mario’s Pizza to order for a table of college guys. It was the usual.
    None of it, of course, was enough to distract her from the thoughts in her mind. Where was William? She had hoped he would come tonight, even for just a little while. But the later it got, the more disappointed she was. William hadn’t come.
    By the time they called last round, the bar was nearly empty. With the exception of some loyal locals.
    “Come on, Frank.” Becca lifted an older, large man from the stool and steered him towards the door. “Time to go home.”
    “I…I…I’m not ready yet.” Frank slurred his words and stumbled. As far back as Becca could remember, the man had been coming to the bar. Every night at the same time for at least 20 years.
    Nikki ran over and caught his other arm. She gave Becca a knowing look as the two women fought to keep hold of the 225-pound man.
    “Sure you are, Frank. Come on, the sheriff is outside waiting to take you home.” Becca laughed, pushing open the door, and a gust of fresh air hit them. It was refreshing, especially after spending a whole night in a smoke-filled room.
    “Here you go, Dave.” Becca handed the inebriated old man over. “I’m sure his wife will be happy to have him home.”
    “Come on, Frank, let’s go.” The sheriff put him in the back and waved to the girls before driving away.
    “Let’s go get this place cleaned up.” Nikki tugged on Becca. “I want to go home.”
    Becca tried to put off cleaning the bathrooms until the last minute. She detested doing it but the rotation chart hanging in the back let her know it was her turn.
    She did the women’s bathroom first. It wasn’t bad tonight, but bad just the same. The smell of vomit, sweat and beer mingled in the usually sweet aromatic bathroom. Becca cringed and made quick work of mopping, disinfecting and renewing the fresh scent of lavender in the small room.
    It was the men’s bathroom that Becca despised so much. She wasn’t sure who had taught any of the men who had frequented the bar how to aim, but she was sure they were no good at it themselves.
    Backing out of the bathroom, pulling the mop bucket with her, she was taken by surprise when a firm hand grabbed her, twisted her around and slammed her into the wall. It made her wince some as a pain jolted up her back.
    Mucky water from the bucket sloshed out and onto the floor, barely missing her leg and shoes. Her eyes met with her attacker and they narrowed. Davin’s grip tightened around her upper arms, pinching her skin. His rage filled through his eyes.
    “Let go of me, Davin,” she demanded, pushing as hard as she could to try and loosen his grip. But he tightened his hands and slammed her hard again against the hallway wall. A whimper escaped her this time.
    “Who is he? Huh?” he growled.
    Raymont was a small town. The kind where everyone knew everyone and most knew something about you before you did. Becca thought of the festival. Almost the entire town population had been there. It was inevitable that Davin would hear about her intimate date with William.
    She almost felt good about hurting Davin for once. The jealousy spilled off of him in bursts and she could feel that tension between them. Becca was all too happy to drive the knife even deeper.
    His days of reigning over her and her life were over.
    “Someone better than you.”
    His eyes grew and a rage Becca knew too well stared back at her. He jerked her close to him, their noses just barely grazing each other.
    “Better than me?” Davin’s hand closed around her jaw and he held it