Test Drive (7 page)

Rena stared, wide-eyed. “Are you going to?”

“What choice do I have?”

“Well, make sure you do it in public.” Rena gave her a devilish grin. “And I know just the place.”

Chapter 4

Tuesday night, with his old man back in town, Johnny suddenly had plans for the following weekend. So much for another break from the grind. Admittedly he’d been spoiled by a few days with nothing to do but fantasize about Lara. Talk about some fevered dreams.

“So, who is she?” Jack Devlin asked.

“Who?”

“The woman who put that look on your face.” Jack chuckled. “Got your dick twisted in a knot, eh?”

“Whatever.” Johnny hoped he didn’t look as pathetic as he felt and refused to outwardly look in Lara’s direction. He’d come to Ray’s tonight specifically to watch her, and what kind of loser hung around a bar just hoping to see someone who’d rejected him twelve times? Not a Devlin, that’s for sure.

His father had been bagging women since he’d turned fourteen, to hear him tell it. Johnny knew his dad meant well, but the old man didn’t understand women as well as he thought he did.

Fucking them and loving them had never gone hand in hand for Jack Devlin. Not since his wife had died. But Johnny had to wonder if his parents would have stayed together if his mom had lived.

So sad to be so jaded, but he’d understood the truth about his dad at a young age. Pretty women came and went out of Jack Devlin’s life, and out of Johnny’s. One had even lasted half a year before she’d split. His dad didn’t normally do more than a few months at most, fidelity not in his makeup.

Despite his father’s philandering, Jack Devlin was a genuinely good guy. Hell on relationships, yet a stand-up friend and father in many other ways.

“You see, boy, women are like flowers.”

Johnny groaned. “Please. Not the flowers speech.”

“Some are colorful, some are full, straight, or curvy. Others are fragrant or thorny. But they’re all pretty in their own way.”

“Please, Dad. Not now.”

Lara nodded at some dickhead down at the bar, and the jerkoff smiled at her. What made it worse was that the guy didn’t seem to be a regular, because he had on clothes that looked clean and pressed. A pricey watch too, unless it was a fake, but it seemed to match the designer jeans and expensive button-down. He couldn’t be more than a few years older than Lara and didn’t seem to be that bad looking either. Not good.

“Sometimes you have to take your time holding that flower, not too tight or too loose. Too tight and you’ll get pricked. Too loose and she’ll slip through your fingers. But when you get a good sniff of—”

“I’ll get us more beers.”

His father chuckled as he darted away. Before he could approach Lara, she stepped into the back, and Rena took her place.

When Rena saw him, she gave him a wide smile. “Hey there, sweetcheeks. What’ll you have?”

He loved Del’s cousin. She was always a bright spot with a ready smile, dimples, and a gorgeous face and body to match. If she wasn’t related to Del, he might have taken a turn with her. But he knew better than to screw with the boss’s family. Literally or otherwise.

He grinned at her. “Aren’t you too pretty for words?”

“I am. I really am.” Rena preened. “Need a refill?” She glanced at his empty bottle.

He nodded. “Two.”

She grabbed them and angled her head in the direction of the preppy jerk who’d been smiling at Lara. “See that guy?”

“What guy?”

She frowned and turned directly to look for the loser. “He was just there.”

“I saw him earlier.”

She turned back to him, her smile one he could only describe as smug. “I’ll bet you did.”

“So the guy…?”

“Lara’s almost ex-brother-in-law. A cheating, sniveling, rich worm who won’t give her sister a dime unless Lara deals with him. The scum sucker has had the hots for Lara for years.”

“Is that right?”

“Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep an eye on him, just in case he tries to give her a hard time.” Rena leaned closer over the counter. “You could even mess him up a little. Just for fun. He’s clearly out of his element in this place.”

“But I’m not?”

She laughed. “Johnny, you live and breathe trouble. You’re practically a Ray’s staple.”

“That’s so sweet.” He winked at her. “No wonder I like you best.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say.”

“But it’s true.” Well, pretty much. Most of the guys around the place had a real hard-on for Rena, but for Lara too, especially because it was well known she didn’t date at all. A good thing, in his opinion. The woman could do so much better than the idiots around Ray’s. Except for him, of course. “So, Rena, if I handle your boy, will this be considered a favor for her or you?”

“For me. You know Lara. She shies clear of the pretty ones.” Rena gave him a pointed once-over.

“Fine. For you then. But you owe me.”

“Okay. But only because it’s you.”

He chucked her chin, and she flirted with him some more. He paid for the beer, slipped her a generous tip, then returned to his dad.

“Now that is one good-looking girl. Think she’d like to dance for me?”

“No. Just no. Rena’s a sweetheart. So hands off.”

“Fine.” His father raised his hands in surrender before chugging down his beer. “So you’re good to help out this weekend? Bobby’s off, and I need someone to fill in. And if you could rearrange some of the schedules for me, that’d be great too.”

“I thought you wanted help behind the bar.” Bobby was a bouncer at his dad’s club.

“I do, but I need security more. You’re good with your fists, even if you do try to talk everyone to death first.”

Johnny sighed. “You really need to replace your general manager, Dad, because I can’t keep popping in to help you when you’re down a man. Get someone to replace George already. And trying to charm my way out of trouble has kept my record clean for years. I’d think you’d be happy about that.”

“True enough.” Jack shrugged. “Look, if you’d rather bartend, can you nab me some security help? What about your friends from work?”

Knowing Foley and Sam, Johnny had no problem pledging their services. The guys treated the dancers well and would easily walk away if told no.

Johnny half-listened to the club gossip, a rampant epidemic his father spread like the plague. He couldn’t help noticing that the guy at the bar hadn’t yet returned. And neither had Lara.

“Be right back. Gotta hit the bathroom.”

“I’ll be here.” His dad ordered a plate of fries from a passing waitress.

Johnny casually strolled past the guy’s still-empty seat at the bar and moved down the long stretch of hallway toward the restrooms. Not seeing Lara near, he darted into a side door marked “Employees Only.” Inside, he nodded at two of the cooks and Sue.

“Seen Lara?” he asked.

Sue nodded. “Went outside for a break a few minutes ago. Not in the back, but the side lot. It’s quieter there.” She frowned. “Tell her she’s due back inside. I need to make a phone call.”

“Sure.” He didn’t like that she’d been away from her job so long. Lara took her work seriously. She was a heck of a waitress, and had a genuine smile for the customers. She also didn’t take anyone’s shit—a fact that had nearly gotten her in trouble more than once. With Big J still doing his bouncer duties by the front, Lara had no protection from any assholes wanting to bother her outside.

Johnny hurried his step and exited the side door, only to see Lara in the grip of the preppy jerk.

Anger clouded his vision, and he headed right for an altercation that was sure to end with one guy in a bloody heap—and Johnny had no intention of being that guy.

* * *

“I
said
take your hands off me.” Lara’s words dripped with icy reserve, but they finally broke through to Ron.

“Sorry.” He let go of her shoulders but didn’t move back. “But I don’t think you understand what I’m saying.”

“I understand just fine,” she fumed. “I will
not
sleep with you to get my sister a bigger settlement. In fact, you and she are going to use your lawyers again.”
What the hell was I thinking? That Ron might have developed a conscience since Kristin left? Right.

“That’s not a smart move. Not if you want to help Kristin and the kids.”

Lara could understand what her sister had first seen in the guy. Ron’s light hair and blue eyes framed a handsome face. He had the build of a tennis pro, as well as the wallet to hire one. He also gave to charities and encouraged his rich golf buddies to contribute. Looks, wealth, a giving heart—all outward appearances of being an all-around good guy.

And then, in private, the seemingly devoted husband took off his mask and opened his mouth.

Narcissistic with a capital
N
, Ron talked about himself and what
he
wanted constantly. As long as Kristin had been on board the Ron train, all had been well in the world. But when she’d stopped trying to please him, he’d acted like an immature, spoiled brat.

People rarely said no to him. As evidenced by his myriad flings throughout his marriage to Kristin, as they’d all come to find out. That Lara had not only rejected him but continued to do so must have made her special in his book, because he wouldn’t leave her alone.

He’d called and texted her until she’d blocked his number. That had been a few months into his marriage with her sister. Since he hadn’t tried to contact her since then, she’d thought they might be able to deal with each other in a civil way. She was wrong.

“Let me put it plainly,” she enunciated. “I told Kristin I’d talk to you about her legal situation because she, like you, wants to cut out your lawyers.”

“That’s smart of her.” He nodded, the patronizing SOB. Then he caressed her arm before she pulled it back.

“Look, Ron, you and I are
not
a couple and never will be. I wouldn’t sleep with you when you were married to Kristin, and I sure as hell won’t once you’re divorced. Period.” No misunderstanding that. At all.

He smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s only because you don’t know what you’re missing.” Then he dragged her into his arms and
kissed
her.

Wet, disgusting, and dear Lord, something she didn’t want to think about had grown in his pants as he ground against her. Even worse, he held her head still, making it difficult to sever the unwelcome connection.

She wrenched her mouth away and tried to push him back. “Get. Off.” Before she could knee him in his unimpressive balls, he was ripped away from her.

Charming, laid-back Johnny Devlin stepped up to Ron, and he wasn’t smiling. “You
motherfucking asshole
.” He punched Ron in the face and busted his nose. Blood spurted.

She blinked, not sure what she was seeing. No stranger to violence—she did work at Ray’s after all—she’d nevertheless never been in the center of it.

Ron swore and hit Johnny back. She knew he considered himself a decent boxer, since he’d often bragged about his private coaches at his overpriced gym. But he only managed to make contact with Johnny once out of the three or four swings he took.

Johnny’s head snapped back when the punch landed on his cheek, but he didn’t duck away. He punched back and made contact. Then he bobbed and weaved, looking like a pro, and she couldn’t help but stare in shock and awe. Such aggression pouring out of a man she’d never seen do more than seduce a smile out of the women at the bar.

Johnny proceeded to punch Ron in the stomach then the chest. He finished with a kick right between Ron’s legs. “Suck on that, you dick.”

Ron fell to the ground, moaning, and curled into a ball, cupping his crotch while blood dripped down his face. He whimpered. “Going to…pay…for…this.”

When Johnny moved to go after him again, she jumped between them. “Wait. Please.”

He put his arms around her and turned them, holding her so tenderly while keeping himself between her and Ron. “Shit. You okay, Lara?”

She wanted to laugh and proclaim him her hero, but her eyes filled instead. She started shaking. While she hadn’t really been afraid of Ron, not exactly, it had all happened so fast. Getting manhandled by him, then mauled with that sloppy kiss, to watching Johnny fight like a tornado of rage. So much brutality.

“Shh. It’s okay. I have you.” Johnny rocked her in his arms.

She should have been afraid of someone who could do that much damage to another person, but within his arms she felt safe. Cared for. And she snuggled closer and hugged him in thanks.

She heard Ron getting to his feet, and Johnny put her aside. “Why don’t you go grab a bouncer for me? We’ll let him take care of this piece of shit.”

“Okay. Just don’t hurt him anymore.”

Johnny looked surprised. “Why not? You didn’t want him kissing you, did you?”

“God no. But I don’t want him trying to get you in trouble or anything.” She glared at Ron. “If you try anything, I’ll have ten witnesses from the bar letting a judge know you attacked me, so don’t even think about it.”

Johnny’s lips curled. “What she said, dipshit.” He stroked Lara’s cheek. “Don’t worry. We’ll make nice while you go get Big J to throw his ass out of here.”

She raced away and returned with the bouncer and her boss, Rena trailing behind. “They’re here,” she said, out of breath.

Johnny stood next to Ron, who now leaned up against the dirty brick wall. Ron had a few more bruises, and Johnny’s knuckles looked battered, his cheek still rosy from where Ron had made contact. But Ron didn’t make a peep as he stood in Johnny’s shadow.

Johnny said something in a low voice.

Ron jerked away and spat, “Fuck you, asshole.” To Lara, he said, “This isn’t over, bitch.”

She
so
didn’t like the b-word.

Johnny would have launched himself at Ron again, except Ray intercepted him. Then Rena latched on to his arm.

“Hold off, son. We’ve got this.” Ray nodded at the six-foot-five bouncer. “Toss his ass out. And, mister, you’re not welcome here again.”

“As if I’d come back to this shit hole voluntarily.” Ron sneered at Ray and the others, but the malicious glare he turned on her made her want to run away and hide—very unlike her normal kick-ass self. “Tell Kristin she won’t see a fucking dime, thanks to you.”