James bursts into the office, his expression grim. Without a word, he drops into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and regards me with a look of total seriousness.
“We’re not knocking anymore?” I ask, kind of joking but kind of not.
“Two barbacks and a bouncer quit,” he says.
“The hell?” I straighten in my chair, my jaw tightening. “When?”
“Before their shift tonight,” he replies. “They called in one after the other and said they weren’t coming back.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting the surging wave of frustration. “Why?”
James hesitates, which only pisses me off more. I’m not shy about hearing bad news. When it comes to matters like these, I want to know the facts, and I want to know them ASAP.
“Come on,” I snap. “Out with it.”
He sighs. “I think they were threatened,” he finally says. “None of them said it outright, but you could hear it in their voices. They’re scared.”
I slam my fist down on the desk, the sound sharp in the quiet room. “Goddamn it. I knew Misha wouldn’t back off, but this…”
James doesn’t say anything, just watches me with a steady, assessing look. He knows better than to tell me to calm down.
“This week’s been a fucking nightmare,” I mutter, pushing back from the desk and standing. I pace the room. “Wednesday, the front of the club gets tagged, and I have to scramble to get someone here to clean it up before opening. Friday, we’re walking half the staff to the subway because they’re scared out of their minds after what happened to Erin and Tiffany. And now this? Three quitting without notice?”
“It’s Misha,” James says simply. “You know it is.”
“Of course it’s him,” I snap. “A man like Misha doesn’t let go when he wants something. And apparently he really fucking wants Erin.”
James shifts. “So what’s the plan, boss? Because this isn’t going away on its own.”
“I know that,” I bite out, but the frustration in my tone is more at the situation than at him. “He’s pushing, trying to rattle us. And I’ll be damned if I let him win.”
James nods. “We’ve got staff quitting, people scared to come to work. He’s hitting us where it hurts.”
“I’ll find replacements,” I reply defiantly. “And I’ll make damn sure everyone feels safe. Whatever it takes.”
James nods. “You know I’ve got your back, but damn, part of me hoped this whole thing would just blow over.”
“No chance of that happening. Hell, I’m pretty sure he’s had it in for me since I turned down working for him all those years ago. Men like Misha are petty. They hold grudges.”
“Then the only move to make is to take his ass down.”
I stop pacing, my fists clenched at my sides. “I’m not letting that bastard ruin what we’ve built here. And I sure as hell am not letting him get to Erin.” I look at him as I ask, “How is she out there? Guessing she’s heard the news about the staff quitting.”
“She’s holding her own,” James replies. “But this has to be eating at her. You’ve talked to her about it?”
I pause, releasing a sigh as I think about Erin. She’s tough as they come, but even the strongest people have limits, and Misha’s relentless games are pushing her closer to hers.
“I’ve talked to her,” I tell him. “But she doesn’t need words right now. She needs to know I’ve got this—that we’ve got this.”
“And we do,” James says. “But don’t forget—she’s got your back, too.”
I nod, my jaw tight. He’s right. But I’ll be damned if I’m about to let her fight this battle alone.
James sits back. “What do you want to do about the staffing issues?”
“See if we can get the shifts covered.” I sit back down. “We’ve got a few former employees who might be willing to come in and pick up some work.”
“Got it. And I know there’s a few guys on staff who wouldn’t mind the extra hours.”
“Also, keep your ear to the ground. If anyone so much as breathes Misha’s name near this place, I want to know.”
“You got it,” James says, straightening, then standing. As he heads for the door, he pauses and looks back. “We’ll get through this, boss. One way or another.”
“You’re goddamn right.”
One way or another, Misha’s going to learn what happens when he comes for what’s mine.
I spend a little more time in the office taking care of business matters. I keep thinking about Erin, about Tiffany and Misha. I’d been a goddamn fool to think he’d leave her alone. Now he’s coming for everything.
When I’m done in the office, I throw back a shot of whiskey and head to the front.
The club feels different tonight, and it sets me on edge. It’s a Saturday, and by this time, the place should be packed—music thumping, glasses clinking—the kind of energy that keeps the bar staff on their toes.
Instead, it’s quiet and the floor’s thinly populated. I’m guessing we’ve barely hit two hundred patrons, which is half of what we usually draw by this time of the night.
I stand at the bar, surveying the room. Erin and Mark are serving drinks and working the bar, along with the barback that actually came into work.
God, she looks fucking good. She’s wearing a tight white T-shirt that doesn’t totally cover her stomach, the fabric thin enough to make out the dark red bra she’s got on underneath. The sight of her is almost enough to make me want to schedule another one of our supply room meetings.
She catches sight of me and leans against the bar. She doesn’t look happy.
“How’s the night going?” I ask.
“Not great. I’ve spent more time standing around than mixing drinks,” she replies.
Mark, cleaning glasses at the far end of the bar, chimes in. “Same here. It’s weird, right? Like… where is everyone?”
I already have a good idea. Erin does too, judging by the worried glance she shoots my way.
“It’s Misha,” she says, quietly enough so only I can hear.
It’s his MO. Intimidation, subtle at first, but just enough to rattle. And it’s working.
Before I can respond to either of them, my phone buzzes. It’s a text from James.
Come out to the front. You’ll want to see this.
I straighten, slipping the phone into my pocket. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Erin. She nods as I hurry off.
As I step outside, the cool night air hits me. James is standing near the entrance, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He juts his chin out, and I turn my head and see three large men, dressed in dark clothes, standing off to the side of the club’s entrance.
“What the hell is this?” I ask as I approach James.
He tilts his head toward the trio. “These assholes,” he says, “have been standing here all night, telling people the club’s full and sending them away.”
Fury spikes through me like a shot of adrenaline. I stride toward the men. They see me coming, their postures shifting slightly, but they don’t move.
“Hey, assholes!”
That gets their attention. All three are tall, and they stand like a brick wall. They look at me as I approach.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I demand.
The man in the center—clearly the leader—smirks. “We’re just standing here,” he says in a careless tone. “Last I checked, it’s not illegal to stand on a sidewalk.”
I chuckle, already planning how I might take all three of these pricks down. I’ve faced worse odds and won. Besides, I know James will jump in if it comes to that.
“You’re right, you can stand on any sidewalk you want.”
The smirk fades slightly, but he doesn’t back down. “Glad we understand each other.”
I step closer, my presence looming. “What you don’t get,” I say, my voice dropping, “is that I don’t give a shit about your sidewalk rights. What I care about is you harassing my customers. So I’m going to give you one chance—leave now, or this ends badly for you.”
They exchange glances, clearly sizing me up. I see the calculation in their leader’s eyes; he’s trying to figure out if he and his muscle-bound friends can take James and me.
“Clock’s ticking,” I say. “Get. The fuck. Off my sidewalk.”
The leader smirks again, not moving. Instead, his gaze shifts to three young women in line, their excitement fading as his eyes rake over them.
“Hey, ladies,” he calls, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Careful in there. Lot of creeps. Better keep your drinks covered, you don’t want a roofie surprise. This place is known for them.”
The women stiffen, their smiles disappearing altogether. My blood surges as fury boils under my skin.
“Leave,” I snap. “Now.”
The leader doesn’t flinch. “Relax, boss man,” he says. “Just doing my civic duty. Heard some nasty rumors about this place. Bad shit happens to girls here. Isn’t that right?”
I’m done talking. I step toward him, my presence towering, but he holds his ground.
“Last chance,” I growl. “Walk, now, or you won’t leave here on your own two feet.”
He smirks again but it falters as I close the distance. “You’re bluff—”
I slam my open palm into his chest, cutting him off mid-sentence. He stumbles back, gasping as the air leaves his lungs. I grab him by the collar, yanking him forward and lowering him to the ground. He struggles, his eyes wide, but he knows he’s not getting up until I let him.
James and another bouncer step in, blocking the other two idiots from interfering. “Stay where you are,” James orders, his body in fight mode.
I lean in close, pushing on the leader’s chest, my voice low and lethal. “You tell Misha to back the fuck off. Erin, her friends, my club—he stays the fuck away or he pays the price. Got it?”
The guy wheezes, nodding frantically, his earlier bravado gone. His eyes are filled with panic, and I hold him there a moment longer to make sure the message sinks in. Then I release him, stepping back as he collapses onto the pavement, coughing and clutching his chest.
The other two goons help him up and hurry out of there. First smart thing they’ve done all night. The three women are still standing nearby, their eyes wide with shock. Not one of them says a word.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. They were from another club trying to poach my business. None of what they said is true, I assure you,” I explain with what I hope is a disarming smile. “I run a clean establishment. Drinks are on me tonight.”
They nod excitedly, heading toward the entrance. The bouncer at the door glances at me and I jerk my chin toward the line.
“Keep it moving.”
James claps me on the shoulder as we head back inside. “You didn’t have to put him on the ground.”
“Yes, I did. Guys like him don’t listen to words. They need a reminder.”
James chuckles, his tone grim. “Well, he got the message.”
I nod. My fists stay clenched as we walk through the doors.
This isn’t over. Misha’s pushing, testing how far I’ll go.
He’ll find out soon enough.
