Crash and Burn Read Online Free Page B
Author: Allison Brennan, Laura Griffin
and pizza with her onto her deck and sat back on the hammock. She caught the final dip of the sun and the tension of the day disappeared with it. She didn’t care what her tiny apartment looked like; she could easily live here out here forever. She’d even arranged her television so she could pivot it to watch baseball from her deck.
Her fifteen minutes of bliss, flipping through the stations and finishing her pizza, ended when the music downstairs abruptly cut off and she heard shouts. Dammit, a bar fight. Why did this always happen when Isaac was on duty? Sure, Scarlet kinda liked him and understood the problem of getting a job as an ex-con, but his temper was going to get Diego in trouble.
She ran downstairs and quickly assessed the situation. Heather was standing next to the jukebox—she’d pulled the plug, which was the signal for Scarlet to haul ass. Isaac was standing behind the bar, not moving a muscle, while one of the college boys from earlier was yelling at him. She glanced around—the others were gone.
Isaac hated bullies. He was protective of the women in the bar and on occasion he overreacted—or stuck his nose in other people’s domestic problems. While Scarlet did her best to avoid domestic situations that had been the bane of her existence on the job, Isaac seemed to thrive on helping damsels in distress.
It was going to get him tossed back in prison, or killed. Why Scarlet cared, she didn’t know.
Scarlet strode over to the bar while the jerk was shouting, “What, you going to try to kill me, too? One punch, I’ll call the cops and you’ll be back in prison so fast. You had no right —”
Scarlet didn’t have time to wonder how the jerk knew Isaac was an ex-con. She maneuvered between the on-lookers who were more excited than scared, and said, “Back off.”
The College Casanova was well over six feet tall and towered over her five foot seven stature. But height didn’t matter as much as attitude. He took one small step back, but it was enough for Scarlet to step between him and the bar. “You’re out of here,” she told Casanova.
“I’ll sue. Shut this place down. You’ll all be out of work. Maybe I’ll buy it myself, have a real fun spot.” He made a crude motion with his hands and Isaac jumped over the the bar.
If Scarlet hadn’t sidestepped so she stood between the two men, Isaac would have decked Casanova. “Go,” she ordered the kid, staring him in the eye.
Isaac was right at her back, but he stopped. She could feel his breath on her neck, hot and full of rage, the tension radiating off him so thick she suspected she wouldn’t be able to stop him if he really wanted to take down this guy.
“This isn’t over,” Casanova said.
Isaac said, “Never come back.”
“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”
Scarlet feared he’d push it, but Casanova left. She hadn’t noticed that two of his college buddies were also there. They’d stayed in the background, but now followed him out. The girls and other two guys weren’t around at all.
Isaac turned and walked down the hall to Diego’s office. Heather plugged back in the jukebox. And now Scarlet was stuck as bartender. How the hell did that happen?
She motioned Heather over. Heather said, “Remember those drink coasters you gave Diego a couple months ago? That test for date rape drugs?”
Heather didn’t have to finish. Scarlet could picture the scene. She said, “Isaac used them.”
Heather shook her head. “I did. I thought I saw that guy, the one yelling at Isaac, slip something into the brunette’s beer, and so I brought over a fresh round and tested the rest of her drink. Then I made the mistake of telling Isaac. He went over and told the girls they were being drugged. I should have told you instead. I just thought we should call the police, or cut them off or something.”
“Isaac told the girls?”
“Yeah. They stormed out with two of the guys. There were some words between them, but I
Her fifteen minutes of bliss, flipping through the stations and finishing her pizza, ended when the music downstairs abruptly cut off and she heard shouts. Dammit, a bar fight. Why did this always happen when Isaac was on duty? Sure, Scarlet kinda liked him and understood the problem of getting a job as an ex-con, but his temper was going to get Diego in trouble.
She ran downstairs and quickly assessed the situation. Heather was standing next to the jukebox—she’d pulled the plug, which was the signal for Scarlet to haul ass. Isaac was standing behind the bar, not moving a muscle, while one of the college boys from earlier was yelling at him. She glanced around—the others were gone.
Isaac hated bullies. He was protective of the women in the bar and on occasion he overreacted—or stuck his nose in other people’s domestic problems. While Scarlet did her best to avoid domestic situations that had been the bane of her existence on the job, Isaac seemed to thrive on helping damsels in distress.
It was going to get him tossed back in prison, or killed. Why Scarlet cared, she didn’t know.
Scarlet strode over to the bar while the jerk was shouting, “What, you going to try to kill me, too? One punch, I’ll call the cops and you’ll be back in prison so fast. You had no right —”
Scarlet didn’t have time to wonder how the jerk knew Isaac was an ex-con. She maneuvered between the on-lookers who were more excited than scared, and said, “Back off.”
The College Casanova was well over six feet tall and towered over her five foot seven stature. But height didn’t matter as much as attitude. He took one small step back, but it was enough for Scarlet to step between him and the bar. “You’re out of here,” she told Casanova.
“I’ll sue. Shut this place down. You’ll all be out of work. Maybe I’ll buy it myself, have a real fun spot.” He made a crude motion with his hands and Isaac jumped over the the bar.
If Scarlet hadn’t sidestepped so she stood between the two men, Isaac would have decked Casanova. “Go,” she ordered the kid, staring him in the eye.
Isaac was right at her back, but he stopped. She could feel his breath on her neck, hot and full of rage, the tension radiating off him so thick she suspected she wouldn’t be able to stop him if he really wanted to take down this guy.
“This isn’t over,” Casanova said.
Isaac said, “Never come back.”
“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”
Scarlet feared he’d push it, but Casanova left. She hadn’t noticed that two of his college buddies were also there. They’d stayed in the background, but now followed him out. The girls and other two guys weren’t around at all.
Isaac turned and walked down the hall to Diego’s office. Heather plugged back in the jukebox. And now Scarlet was stuck as bartender. How the hell did that happen?
She motioned Heather over. Heather said, “Remember those drink coasters you gave Diego a couple months ago? That test for date rape drugs?”
Heather didn’t have to finish. Scarlet could picture the scene. She said, “Isaac used them.”
Heather shook her head. “I did. I thought I saw that guy, the one yelling at Isaac, slip something into the brunette’s beer, and so I brought over a fresh round and tested the rest of her drink. Then I made the mistake of telling Isaac. He went over and told the girls they were being drugged. I should have told you instead. I just thought we should call the police, or cut them off or something.”
“Isaac told the girls?”
“Yeah. They stormed out with two of the guys. There were some words between them, but I