Tragic Beauty (Beauty & The Darkness #1)(70)

Just like I can’t seem to let go of Ava.

I yank the door open and walk into the bar.

Inside, it’s dark and quiet, except for the mellow twang of country music. Seems empty for a Sunday afternoon. Only a few bodies hunched over their drinks and Buck standing at the bar polishing glasses.

He looks up, eyes narrowing to make me out, then smiles. “Hoped I’d see you again.”

I make my way to the same spot at the far end of the bar while he grabs the Jack and makes my drink, then brings it over.

“How ya been?” he asks.

“Better,” I say, and take a swig.

“Yeah, I hear ya.”

When I catch sight of the boxes behind the bar, I realize he’s not polishing glasses, but packing them.

I turn to him. “What’s all that about?”

He shrugs. “Closing down. I lease the place, and the rent got doubled. Again.”

“Ah, fuck. He owns it, doesn’t he?”

Buck nods and wipes down a spot on the bar that was already clean. “Wouldn’t change a thing, though. I still go to sleep every night with a smile on my face ‘cause of what you did.”

I sigh and shake my head. “Sorry, man.”

“Don’t be. Got some other things lined up. Change is good sometimes.” He’s trying to make light of it, but I can see the hurt in his face. I know right then and there I’m going to help him out. Just need to figure out how. Man like him won’t take a handout.

“Holler when you want another,” Buck says, and leaves to tend to a thirsty face.

I take another sip and see a man get up from a table and walk towards me. Well, kind of a man. He’s lean and barely looks of drinking age. His red hair catches my eye, making him look familiar, but I can’t place him.

I set the glass on the bar and keep my eyes down when he sits a couple stools over. Wish I’d worn a hat or something.

From the corner of my eye, I see him motion to Buck, who comes over with a bottle of scotch. He fills the glass, eyeing us both warily, then goes back to packing.

“Wondered if you’d ever come back around,” the man says.

I keep drinking, doing my best to ignore him, but I feel his eyes on me. They just keep looking…and looking…and looking…until…

“Can I help you?!” I ask.

“I don’t know, can you?”

“What? What the fuck does that mean? Do I know you or something?”

He sets his glass down. “Not exactly. But I know you. I work for Shayne McAllister.”

The mere mention of the name has me grabbing my drink and getting up to leave.

“You don’t have a clue of what you’ve done, do you?” he asks, shaking his head and swirling the liquid around in his glass.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Ava.”

The somber ass way he says her name has a sickness crawling into my gut, and I sit back down. “What about her?”

He takes a long sip and sighs. “You changed him, you know. After what you did to him. And not just his face, but him. He’s always been cruel, and I sort of accepted that side of him because of how he grew up, but…now…” He shakes his head, staring into his drink. “Now, he’s done lost it.”

“And that’s my problem, how?”

He looks over, glaring. “Who do you think’s been paying for what you did to him?”

I stare back at him, a slow realization curdling my blood. I turn away and gulp down the Jack. “I tried to get her out. She wouldn’t have it.”

“Yeah, well, she probably figured Shayne would’ve come after you. And he would’ve, without a doubt. He’s obsessed with her. Flat out mad in the head about her. Has been, ever since we were kids. And it wouldn’t have been just you. He’d have gone after your family, your career. Anything you care about, he would’ve found a way to hurt. And he wouldn’t have stopped until you were ruined, or dead.” He pauses to rub at his forehead, then looks my way but I can’t face him. He turns back to his drink. “Surprised he didn’t do it anyway, after what you did to him, in front of the whole town. She must’ve given him something big to keep him off you.”

A strange ringing sounds in my ears, listening to him go on.

“He already sold her place off, so whatever it is, she—”

“Wait, her place is gone?”

He nods. “Sold it not long after they got married.” He downs his glass and motions to Buck for another. “I don’t know what went on between you two, but knowing Ava, she probably did what she did to keep you safe. She was always like that. Always looking out for others, no matter the cost to herself.”

I don’t want to hear the words. I can’t. So I spit out whatever I can come up with to justify my actions. “She married him for fuck’s sake. What do you—”

“You think she had a fucking choice? You think she wants to be married to him? Jesus, you movie stars aren’t too bright, are you?”

I hunker over my drink, wishing his words would just fade away, but they don’t. They just keep going.

“If she had refused, or if she ever left him, he’d destroy anything and everything she cares about.” He pauses. “He’s ruthless that way. Knows how to trap you, get you to do things you don’t want to do.”