Free Marked Clan #2 - Red by Maurice Lawless Page B

promises," I said. "Go play doctor. We’ll talk later."
    I didn’t hear anything from him by the next Friday, so I went out alone. I was not the type of girl to sit pining for a phone call. For the first time in a long while, I visited Thermal without the intention of killing someone. Girl’s got to get out once in a while, right? Henry was behind the bar as usual. I sat down and flipped a scarlet curl out of my eyes.
    “No one for you yet, PJ,” Henry said. He placed a napkin in front of me. “Having your usual?”
    “Nah,” I said. “I’m feeling old fashioned tonight.”
    He smiled and pulled out whiskey and bitters. “What has you thinking, my friend?”
    “Henry, do you follow your family history?”
    Two cherries and a slice of orange took a swim in the whiskey before settling on the bottom. “Of course,” he said. “It is important to know where you come from.”
    “See, I think that too. My mom didn’t see it that way. She kept me away from Poppa any chance she could. I think she was ashamed of us for some reason. Maybe that’s why she never took back her name.”
    Henry set my drink in front of me. “Perhaps there was more to it than you know.”
    “Like what?”
    He shook his head, and I saw behind the usual smiling man I knew for a brief second. Had I hit on something personal? Another woman further down the bar waved at him. Before he left, he touched my hand and leaned in, speaking quietly.
    “A name has power. It can give you strength, or take it away. An enemy who knows your name is a dangerous one.”
    What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I sipped my drink and looked around the dance floor. A guest DJ was in tonight. Every so often his name and website popped up on the projector. From what I’d heard so far he wasn’t bad.
    “Hey there, Red. Buy you a drink?”
    I turned to the source of that ever-so-overused pickup line and found him waiting. He didn’t look old enough to buy cigarettes, much less a drink. Any other night, I might have taken him up on it, maybe even given him a dance just to tease him a bit. I wasn’t in the mood. I held up my glass and gave it a shake. “Thanks anyway, stud. I’m good.”
    He didn’t get the hint. I felt his sleazy hand press against my back. He’d had plenty already by the smell of him. “Aw, come on—just one. You’re the hottest chick in here.”
    “Back off, Romeo,” I said in my best not-fucking-joking tone of voice. “I’m not interested.”
    He pulled in closer to me instead, and one hand brushed the underside of my breast. My elbow shot up of its own accord and said hello to his nose. He staggered back and tried to stem the flow of blood. “Muhverthucker.”
    I snorted a laugh and leaned against the bar to watch the show. The crowd around the bar parted, and I saw that the bouncer was already on his way over. We shared a nonverbal conversation, and Romeo was tossed out. I finished my drink in peace.
    Henry hadn’t stiffed me tonight—my brain floated in a pleasant haze by the end of the glass. I stood carefully and decided to have a dance after all. The music was loud and rhythmic and felt good flowing through me. I flowed with it, into the sea of lithe bodies and roaming hands.
    “Mind if I join you?” a voice said. I had my eyes closed, focusing just on the music. I moved away from him, hoping he’d get the hint. He didn’t.
    “A man could get jealous seeing you out here like this,” he said.
    “Look, dude. I’ve already decked one guy tonight. Don’t make me bloody you up too—”
    I turned and saw Justin, looking all clubby and scrumptious. “Oh fuck.”
    He laughed. “I meant it when I said I wanted to see you again. Or was I just a notch in your belt?”
    I grabbed his hand and dragged us both through the crowd to a quieter corner of the club. It’s not an easy thing to find at Thermal. “You could have called. Anyway, it’s not like I came here to get laid. I just like to come here to clear my head