Eva watched him for a minute as he put down a towel he was carrying and absently shuffled through some wires and computer scraps he had dumped on the small counter from some dusty box.
When he didn’t speak again, she said, “Charlie mentioned you had a job for me?”
Will looked over to her, expression blank. “Yeah. Sort of.”
“Sort of?” Man, where did you leave your charm this morning, Will?
He nodded for her to follow and led her back across to the alcove that served as Owen’s office. Really, it was just a pantry closet he had stuffed a desk and some metal shelving into, a place he clearly spent little time in, only using it in short spurts to do the necessary bureaucracy that kept his bar running. Will leaned against the doorway and pointed inside.
She made a face when she looked in at the cramped space. “What… you want me to clean it, or something?”
“No,” said Will. He pointed to the set of three tiny, mismatched TV monitors stacked in the far corner. They were the closed-circuit feeds for the security cameras positioned around the bar’s perimeter. “This is a compromise between you staying close and staying safe. You can hang out in here, watch what’s going on…” He pointed again. “Be our lookout.”
Eva turned back to look at the dingy, dim office and felt her heart sink. “How is this better than being confined to the house?”
“I didn’t say it was better,” said Will, folding his arms. “You’re the one who didn’t want to feel trapped over there. I’m offering this compromise.”
She pointed incredulously to the tiny office. “This is your offer to help me not feel trapped?”
He shrugged again, nonchalant.
What the hell is the matter here? Heat began to crawl up the bottom of Eva’s face as she realized he was purposely being cold with her. The Will from last night, the soft, intelligent man who had her begging for his touch was nowhere to be found. Laura was right. Eva’s own fears were right. She was just another fuck to him.
She folded her arms in front of her and cleared her throat as that realization washed over her. So much for a happy morning. “Fine. Being the lookout is better than not helping at all. I’d rather not be treated like I’m helpless.”
“You have to stay back here,” said Will. “That’s the deal. I don’t want anyone knowing you’re here.”
“What happens if they search around?”
“They’d find you just as fast at the house as here. The distance might keep you safe from gunfire, but otherwise it’s only the illusion of safety. And they’re not going to get far enough to search around, anyway.” Will looked her straight in the eyes with an intense gaze that made her shiver. “Just stay in here, read, whatever. And call for me if you see anyone suspicious coming around outside. Understand?”
Eva was already fed up with his coldness. “I think I can handle it.”
She thought she saw Will’s gaze drag down her body before he turned away from her without another word. He’s treating me like I’m a complete goddamn stranger, she thought. Figured I’d at least get another round in bed out of him before that happened.
After that awkwardness had passed, she was almost glad to be hanging out in the back office and away from Will and her brother. She could hear the jukebox playing quietly as she slipped off her shoes and propped her feet up on the desk. For at least an hour, she fought intrusive thoughts of the dark and brooding man in the other room, both happy and sad.
It took her a while to find some rhythm between reading parts of her book and checking the monitors, especially with the distraction of Charlie going in and out the back door just next to the office as he knocked chores off the daily list in his pocket. Whatever Will was doing, she couldn’t see or hear it, and that was just fine with her.
It was less than two hours later when, out of the corner of her eye, Eva spotted movement on the video feed for the parking lot. A big black SUV pulled slowly into the gravel lot and damn near right up to the door, looming large under the bent perspective of the security camera lens.
Her feet dropped to the floor as he waited, not wanting to unnecessarily panic the men until she was sure. It could just be a customer, after all. But when all four doors of the SUV popped open at the same time, Eva felt her heart drop into her stomach.
“Will,” she said. It came out a choked whisper, quieter than the jukebox music.
Men hopped out of the vehicle and Eva jumped to her feet, rushing into the bar space without putting her shoes on first. Will was poking mindlessly at the video poker machine at the end of the bar while Charlie stared at his repair manual, oblivious. She grasped onto the back room wall.
“Will,” she said again, louder this time. Her voice was already trembling.
When Will looked up at her wide eyes, the cold version of him from this morning was gone, replaced by the passionate one from the night before, his gaze burning with worry at the sound of her voice.
He straightened like an arrow in an instant, reading her face just like he had that first night. “They’re here,” he said, stealing the words right from her mouth. At the bar, Charlie came to attention with a dark look, his eyes moving from Will to the door in an instant.
“Charlie,” said Will with a nod. Her brother swept the manual off the bar and out of the way, then leaned down and dug up the shotgun that Owen usually kept in the office. He cracked the barrel to make sure it was loaded, and then did his best to hold it out of sight on a shelf below the bar, as Will must have instructed him to do. Eva felt her chest tighten up. Christ, am I about to see someone die?
Will stalked across the bar as the sound of doors shutting snapped outside. He came right in front of Eva and put his hands on her shoulders. “Get back in the office and stay quiet.”
“What are you going to do?” She didn’t know why it mattered at that moment, but it did. Stupid, naïve girl. What did you think was going to happen?
Will swallowed. “Get back in the office.” He gave her a push that was both urgent and gentle. Then he turned and looked at Charlie. “Like we talked about—don’t draw until we have to.”
Charlie nodded, his nerves clearly battling with his anger as he shifted on his feet, waiting.
Eva backed up into the office and immediately sat down to put on her shoes, readying to run if she had to. She turned off the overhead light and sat huddled, watching the men on the overhead monitors as they came into a group to talk for a small moment.
Suddenly Will appeared in the doorway of the office. “Do you see guns?”
She startled. “What?”
“Guns—are they armed?” He pushed in and leaned over her to get a closer look at the monitor, his face hovering right next to hers. His breathing was steadier than hers, but surprisingly she could hear a ragged, nervous undercarriage to it.
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the view of the four men huddled in grainy black and white on the TV screen.
“Are they?” she asked breathlessly.
She saw something hopeful cross Will’s face. “I don’t think so. Or if they are, it’s sidearms. No one looks like he’s packing anything automatic.”
“And that’s good, right?”
Will looked down at her. Their faces were close enough that his lips hovered dangerously close to hers. She could feel the heat from his skin and thought she saw the tiniest of smiles touch his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s good. Less guns is always good.” His voice was barely a whisper, words crawling on her skin.
Eva swallowed, somehow both frightened and racing with bold adrenaline. Is this what Will feels like all the time, if this is his kind of lifestyle? It was exhausting—and intoxicating.
He straightened and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Stay here. I mean it.”