dollars. “This is an easy one for them, and that leather strap keeps them safe enough.”
“Safe enough,” Danielle repeated as she imagined Denison making it to the very top and plummeting to his death.
Out of nowhere, a man ran into her. “Excuse me,” he apologized, steadying her with his hands on her upper arms.
Her plate of food wobbled, but she righted it. “It’s fine. Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Tall enough to look down at her, the man was lanky, but not whiplash thin, with dark hair gone gray at the temples. His words had been polite enough, but his hazel eyes were lifeless and cold. A chill ran up her back as she jerked out of his grasp.
The man lifted his chin and looked down his nose at her, then slid his eyes to Brooke and Skyler before an empty smile stretched his thin lips. His eyes narrowed as he said, “Sorry for disturbing you, ladies. You all have a nice day now.” His deep voice sounded so familiar.
Danielle watched him go with a strange feeling in her gut. Like déjà vu, or as if she’d lived this exact moment before.
“He was weird,” Brooke said low. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Danielle muttered, shaking off the tingly feeling that had raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. “I’m fine.”
Brooke turned toward the bartender and ordered a cold one for Tagan. Danielle rubbed the back of her neck and watched the stranger leave. He looked back at her once before he stepped behind a tent and out of sight.
“Hey,” a passing man said, pointing to Danielle. “I know you.”
She dragged her attention away from where the man had disappeared, and her stomach dipped to her toes. It was that asshole, Matt, from Sammy’s bar.
“Uh, no you don’t,” she said, her mood plummeting.
Maybe if she just ignored him…
Turning, she pointed to a cooler of non-alcoholic beverages and asked the bartender, “Can I get one of those lime-flavored electrolyte drinks?”
Skyler was glaring at Matt, while Brooke gave her a knowing smile and asked, “What, no beer for Denison before the event?”
“Hell no. He needs to keep his head.” What a terrible beer wench she made. She paid for the drink as fast as her shaking hands could manage and tried to hightail it out of there before Matt the Horny Brat reached her.
Too late.
“I knew it. You’re the hot chick from the bar. Damn, girl. You look even better in broad daylight.”
“I’m surprised you even remember me.” Ratfincked whiskey-breathing butt-groper. “We’re running late, so have a nice life.” She grabbed Skyler’s arm and hurried behind Brooke toward the crowd waiting below the poles.
“Wait,” Matt said, pulling her shoulder and stopping her escape. “We’re going to the same place.” He jerked his chin to an event sign that read 90’ Climb . “I’ll walk you.”
“She doesn’t need you to walk her, Gray Back,” Skyler said. Her eyes had gone deadly as she stared up at the man. “Can you not read her shirt?”
He was six-feet-three and had nearly a foot on Skyler, but she didn’t look intimidated at all. Skyler gave him a humorless smile and said, “Now, kindly fuck off.”
Danielle snorted a laugh and tried to cover it with a cough. Dear goodness, it was awesome to watch tiny Skyler face off with the handsy Sasquatch.
Danielle sidled by Skyler, gave him a little wave, and caught up with Brooke. The green drink sloshed in its plastic container and was cold against her hand, but before she knew what happened, it was slapped out of her palm and lay in the shadows of a make-shift alleyway between two tents.
“I apologize,” Matt said from right beside her. “Let me get that. My silly hand just does what it wants sometimes.”
Gads, he was fast. He’d been ten paces behind her, then right there in no time at all. Anger flared up the back of Danielle’s neck as she rushed to retrieve the drink.
Matt bent down, too, and snatched it from under her grasp. “Too slow,” he
“Safe enough,” Danielle repeated as she imagined Denison making it to the very top and plummeting to his death.
Out of nowhere, a man ran into her. “Excuse me,” he apologized, steadying her with his hands on her upper arms.
Her plate of food wobbled, but she righted it. “It’s fine. Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Tall enough to look down at her, the man was lanky, but not whiplash thin, with dark hair gone gray at the temples. His words had been polite enough, but his hazel eyes were lifeless and cold. A chill ran up her back as she jerked out of his grasp.
The man lifted his chin and looked down his nose at her, then slid his eyes to Brooke and Skyler before an empty smile stretched his thin lips. His eyes narrowed as he said, “Sorry for disturbing you, ladies. You all have a nice day now.” His deep voice sounded so familiar.
Danielle watched him go with a strange feeling in her gut. Like déjà vu, or as if she’d lived this exact moment before.
“He was weird,” Brooke said low. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Danielle muttered, shaking off the tingly feeling that had raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. “I’m fine.”
Brooke turned toward the bartender and ordered a cold one for Tagan. Danielle rubbed the back of her neck and watched the stranger leave. He looked back at her once before he stepped behind a tent and out of sight.
“Hey,” a passing man said, pointing to Danielle. “I know you.”
She dragged her attention away from where the man had disappeared, and her stomach dipped to her toes. It was that asshole, Matt, from Sammy’s bar.
“Uh, no you don’t,” she said, her mood plummeting.
Maybe if she just ignored him…
Turning, she pointed to a cooler of non-alcoholic beverages and asked the bartender, “Can I get one of those lime-flavored electrolyte drinks?”
Skyler was glaring at Matt, while Brooke gave her a knowing smile and asked, “What, no beer for Denison before the event?”
“Hell no. He needs to keep his head.” What a terrible beer wench she made. She paid for the drink as fast as her shaking hands could manage and tried to hightail it out of there before Matt the Horny Brat reached her.
Too late.
“I knew it. You’re the hot chick from the bar. Damn, girl. You look even better in broad daylight.”
“I’m surprised you even remember me.” Ratfincked whiskey-breathing butt-groper. “We’re running late, so have a nice life.” She grabbed Skyler’s arm and hurried behind Brooke toward the crowd waiting below the poles.
“Wait,” Matt said, pulling her shoulder and stopping her escape. “We’re going to the same place.” He jerked his chin to an event sign that read 90’ Climb . “I’ll walk you.”
“She doesn’t need you to walk her, Gray Back,” Skyler said. Her eyes had gone deadly as she stared up at the man. “Can you not read her shirt?”
He was six-feet-three and had nearly a foot on Skyler, but she didn’t look intimidated at all. Skyler gave him a humorless smile and said, “Now, kindly fuck off.”
Danielle snorted a laugh and tried to cover it with a cough. Dear goodness, it was awesome to watch tiny Skyler face off with the handsy Sasquatch.
Danielle sidled by Skyler, gave him a little wave, and caught up with Brooke. The green drink sloshed in its plastic container and was cold against her hand, but before she knew what happened, it was slapped out of her palm and lay in the shadows of a make-shift alleyway between two tents.
“I apologize,” Matt said from right beside her. “Let me get that. My silly hand just does what it wants sometimes.”
Gads, he was fast. He’d been ten paces behind her, then right there in no time at all. Anger flared up the back of Danielle’s neck as she rushed to retrieve the drink.
Matt bent down, too, and snatched it from under her grasp. “Too slow,” he
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