Red. (Den of Mercenaries #1)(47)

“He might have walked in here last night when I was closing up.”

“And you didn’t tell me!”

The problem with Shan was how her voice got louder when she was excited. Already, a couple of patrons were looking in their direction, but Reagan ignored their attention, setting down the pint of beer in front of the man that had ordered it, picking up the ten he’d left waiting for her.

“Shan, please don’t—”

“I’m like the first person you should tell,” she said, her voice lowering a touch.

“I sent you a text this morning. Didn’t you get it?”

“You know my phone is sketchy at best. I—oh hey, I remember you,” Shan said as Niklaus took a seat at the end of the bar, oblivious—or just not caring—of the death glare Reagan was sending in her direction. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You must not have recognized me when you came by the diner and asked whether Reagan still worked there.”

What?

Reagan looked at them both in turn. Niklaus’ expression hardly changed, though his brow did twitch, but she hadn’t a clue what that meant. Shannon on the other hand, had one hand on her hip and was staring at him with all the bravado in the world.

“But I’m not surprised you don’t remember me,” Shan went on when Niklaus didn’t respond. “You had seemed to be wrapped up in Reagan at least until you left.”

“Shannon!” Joey called from the kitchen.

In that moment, Reagan could have kissed the man, or at least offered him a raise. Reluctantly, and with a pointed look in Reagan’s direction, Shan stalked off.

Focusing on Niklaus, she asked, “Why are you here again? I thought I made it clear last night that I didn’t want you here.”

He folded his hands on the bar top, openly studying her. “Is that what you meant?”

“Niklaus—”

“We need to talk.”

She was already shaking her head. “No, we don’t. There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

“No? I think we do.”

“Niklaus we could have talked years ago, back when I actually wanted to talk to you. Now, there’s nothing.”

Before she could move away from him, he grabbed hold of her hand, his thumb at her wrist. “Give me ten minutes to explain.”

“Even if I needed one—and I don’t—it’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

When he didn’t respond, but kept a firm hold of her, she finally looked at him, straight into those pale blue eyes of his, ones that she had always thought were spell-binding.

“Ten minutes. If you still don’t want to see me after, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Fine. Not today though.”

“Give me a time, and I’m yours.”

She shouldn’t have been as pleased as she was by his words. He probably didn’t even mean it the way she took it, but she couldn’t help it.

“Are you ordering something, or are you leaving?”

He gifted her with the slightest of smiles. Yeah, he was staying.

Rolling her eyes—though she was trying her hardest not to be charmed—she filled a glass and set it in front of him, then walked away before he could engage her in conversation again.

Reagan could almost pretend that he wasn’t there. Almost.

But his presence was the least of her concern as the atmosphere changed when the door opened and a gust of wind blew in, men following close behind.

She didn’t have to look up to know that it was Liam—she could feel the change in the air. How the animated conversations had come to a standstill, or how chairs screeched as people got to their feet, tossing bills on the table, and headed for the door. He thought he was doing her a favor by keeping Rourke away? His presence alone was ruining her.

Casually maneuvering through the crowd of people, he didn’t stop until he was standing in front of the bar directly in front of her and right beside Niklaus. Though everyone on the barstools closest to Liam scurried out of the way, Niklaus remained where he was, utterly unaffected by him as he continued drinking his beer.

Liam peered over in his direction—probably wondering why he hadn’t moved like the others—and was about to dismiss him entirely, but then his eyes narrowed.

“Do I know you from somewhere?”

Niklaus placed his glass on the bar. “Doubtful.” That was it. That was all he said as though Liam wasn’t worth more of an effort.

Reagan didn’t know whether she was impressed or afraid that he seemed so unbothered by Liam’s quite obvious display of power.

Liam might have looked annoyed with the slight, but he chose to ignore it, turning back to Reagan. “We need to talk. Privately.”

Though the last thing she wanted to do was talk to him, she nodded anyway. Liam was a jealous man, and anytime he thought someone might have an interest in her, he made it a point to make sure they understood she was off limits. Sometimes it was just with words…other times, not.

She didn’t want to think about what he might do to Niklaus considering they’d had a relationship in the past—even if it was strictly sexual.

“Okay.”

“You sure about that?”

Reagan and Liam both looked to Niklaus after he asked the question, but he was focused solely on Reagan. He was trying to convey something to her, just with the look in his eyes, but she couldn’t decipher it.