Chapter 4 POSSESSIVE THOUGHTS AND BLURRED LINES

For a moment, it felt like everybody else around us ceased to exist and it felt like I could not breathe. The last person I expected to see in a bar like this was my new boss and the man who had taken up a good majority of my thoughts the entire day.

Hayden Lancaster stood tall in all his glory, an air of power and dominance radiating off him. I could not explain what it was about him that threw me off balance, but every time I was around him, I didn't know how to act. I was glad I had the night shift at Lancaster which meant that it would be easy to avoid seeing him and having any more of these awkward encounters with him.

"Cas, your attention is needed at table three." My co-worker Lizzie said, pulling me away from my trance. I broke eye contact with Hayden and turned to Lizzie who was giving me a knowing smile. It was clear that she had noticed where my eyes had been, but thankfully, she didn't say anything.

"Thank you, I'll go check on them." I said and scurried off to the table. Working would keep me distracted, but the whole time I moved, I could feel dark eyes on me. When I finally looked in his direction, he was talking to his friend. Maybe everything was only happening in my head. But then I was about to look away when his eyes met mine again, but I didn't hold his gaze. I continued working.

After serving the men at table three, I took a tray of empty glasses back to the counter. I was arranging glasses when a man-Wade was his name-approached me. He was a regular and he creeped me out. He looked like he was in his late fifties and he looked at me like he wanted to eat me. Being around him made skin crawl and he was one of the reasons why I wanted to quit my job.

"Hey, sugar." He said with a nasty grin on his face.

"Hello, welcome to the Silver Fox. What can I get for you?" I asked, trying to maintain professionalism.

"A bottle of Heineken and a piece of your sexy ass." He told me with a wink.

I turned around to get his order and used the opportunity to hide my grimace. I reminded myself for the thousandth time that night that it would soon be over and I had just a couple more hours to deal with it.

I placed the bottle in front of him and moved to leave when he grabbed my wrist. My heart began to beat fast as a memory flashed through my mind and I struggled to get out of his hold.

"Let me go, you creep."

"Come on, sweetheart. Just give me a chance, I can show you a good time. I promise."

"No, let me go now." I said, my voice had gotten louder and I had not even noticed, all I wanted was for him to get his disgusting hands off me.

"Come on, I'm a paying customer. I'll pay-"

"Let her go." A familiar voice cut him off. His tone was low, but it was filled with a threat. Deadly.

We both turned to find Hayden standing beside us, I had not even noticed when he got up from his booth and approached us. He had a dark look in his eyes-fury, his jaw clenched and his face was unreadable. Wade chuckled, not the least bit threatened by Hayden's presence. I don't know why, but I knew that was a huge mistake on his path.

"Look, this ain't got nothing to do with you. Go on back to your seat and allow the lady and I to continue our conversation." Wade said.

Hayden moved closer to the man, his face was like a dark storm and I felt scared on Wade's behalf.

"I don't think you heard me the first time, so I'll say it for the last time-let her go."

"And I told you this ain't your-" Before he could complete his statement, Hayden's fist had already connected with his face, throwing him out of his chair and loosening his hold on me.

I stood there, utterly stunned at what had just happened. The entire bar was now looking at us. Hayden was not satisfied. He grabbed a hold of Wade's neck and picked him up before pinning him against the wall. Hayden was strangling him, I could tell because his face turned white.

"If I ever catch you putting your hands on her again, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do I make myself clear?" He threatened.

Wade nodded and then Hayden let him go, but his next move stunned me even more. He headed straight for me and grabbed my hand.

"You're leaving the dump and coming with me."

"Mr. Lancaster..." I started to argue, but he gave me a look that gave me no room for that.

"I said you're coming with me."

Without waiting for my response, he pulled me through the crowd and into the cold night. I couldn't even be bothered by the shocked stares of the mumbles of the crowd, I just knew that my heart was beating loudly and my mind was struggling to process everything that had just happened.

His car was parked right outside the bar and it was exactly the type of care you would expect a man like Hayden to have. Black, sleek, and expensive. He opened the passenger door and looked at me.

"Get in." He ordered.

I hesitated, not knowing if going into the care was the worst mistake I would ever make.

"Now. I do not like to repeat myself." He told me strongly.

I got in without allowing myself to think too much about it further.

He shot the door firmly behind me and walked around the car to the driver's side. The silence in the car was loud. He didn't start the engine, he just gripped the steering and looked straight ahead. I could feel the anger radiating off his body and I didn't know what to say.