More Than Rum (The Maple Leaf Series Book 3) (20 page)

Even though he was talking to
Sage, Hope and Lily answered, “Yes.”

Orion winked at them then
turned back to Sage. “She asked if she could call you Mommy. What do you think
about that?”

Hope and Lily both said, “Aww.”
Tears made their eyes glossy.

For the first time Hope could
ever recall, her sister sat speechless, her normally sharp green eyes going
soft, her bottom lip quivering slightly. Hope slid her arm around Sage and gave
a squeeze.

“That would be awesome if she
called me Mommy,” Sage said right before a sob spilled out of her.

“Is this good crying?” Orion
asked, concern washing over his face as he moved his chair closer to his
bride-to-be.

“Very good,” Hope said as Sage
turned into her neck and cried. “You’ll be such a good mommy, Sage.” She rubbed
her sister’s back and carefully passed her to Orion who took over with the
consoling.

“I’m going to try.” She lifted
weepy eyes to Orion. “I’ll try so hard for Myah. And for you.”

They shared a kiss and Hope
drew in a deep breath, knowing what a beautiful family her sister would have.
Myah was a great kid and no doubt there would be more little ones for Sage and
Orion, which meant she’d get to be an auntie more too. Not a bad deal.

She stole a glance at Adam who
was super busy behind the bar without Jake around and wondered what the future
had in store for them. She could definitely picture what they’d started turning
into something more. She hoped it would. She was already in too deep after only
one really great night and day with Adam. A relationship had to be based on more
than one really great twenty-four-hour stretch.

Didn’t it?

Shrugging, she looked toward
the dark stage where a few sounds here and there indicated the band was
skulking around getting ready. She was looking forward to hearing Rick play
even if it was with Shadow Hills. Happily, she was over their former drummer,
Sam.

She had Adam.

Well, she hoped she had Adam.
He appeared to be excited about spending another night together, so that was a
good sign. If he was still riding the high from earlier today, as she was, there
would be enough energy to engage in some serious gymnastics later on. Her
entire body vibrated with need thinking about later on.

She threw another look over her
shoulder and when Adam saw her and smiled, she felt his need. Loud and clear.

Yes.

Tonight was going to be
fantastic. Assuming she didn’t get abducted or anything.

She took another sip of her rum,
angry at herself for letting Daniel spoil her warm, fuzzy thoughts.

Before the house lights dimmed,
Jake and Joy came into the bar through the front doors—like customers. Both of
them were laughing about something, and Hope had to smile. It was time her
mother thought about herself instead of everybody else. She deserved to be on
the receiving end of some attention, and Jake was just the nice guy to give it
to her.

Joy waved to Hope and the gang,
but Jake didn’t let her stop. Rather possessively, but in a way that Joy didn’t
seem to mind, he dragged her to the bar. Adam made a face that clearly said,
Finally,
man. You’re here.
A few seconds later, Adam nodded and set the rag in his
hand on the bar top. Jake took it, but Joy grabbed it out of his hand and
started chatting it up with the customers as she tidied. The woman loved to
clean. And chat.

Hope’s eyes focused on Adam
rounding the bar and heading in her direction. It took all her control to
remain seated and not meet him halfway, not run toward him.

He reached the table as the
lights went out and a spotlight flicked on, illuminating a small circle of the
bar’s stage. Taking the chair next to her, Adam moved it so it was a little
behind her. He sat and scooted closer, leaning toward her ear.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“On a break?” she asked,
inhaling the scent of him. Equal parts workshop and tavern—a touch of pine and
polyurethane mixed with peach schnapps and Captain Morgan. It all smelled
wonderful to her.

“For a few songs.” He nibbled
on the rim of her ear, surprising her with his public display of affection,
though the bar was pretty dark at the moment. Dark and safe. Still, he’d kissed
her in the midst of a crowd. Hope considered that a major win.

She pulled his hand into her
lap, and he adjusted his chair again to make himself comfortable. Comfortable
near her. His simple presence next to her stirred up so much. She felt so safe
and… aroused. Later couldn’t come soon enough.

Hope focused on the stage where
the circle of light had grown to reveal Rick on a stool with his guitar. Her
normally shy cousin glanced in their direction, no doubt seeking Lily. He
grinned when he found his wife then cranked out the opening to “Crazy On You”
by Heart.

The crowd went absolutely wild.
Lily whistled louder than anyone and soon the spotlight widened to capture the
rest of the band. Hope sucked in a breath when the light flooded the main
microphone where the lead singer should have been.

Daniel stood there instead with
his left arm wrapped around the lead singer’s neck, a gun to the poor guy’s
temple.

“I’ve been thinking about you,
Hope Stannard.” His voice boomed through the tavern. “Had a few quiet days in jail
to dream about you. Had you all to myself for a short while too.” He smiled,
but it was grotesque, especially because of the bruising on his face. Bruising
Hope had caused. “I’m finished dreaming now. I’m done letting you slip out of
my grip. Time for action.”

“Police! Let him go,” Kevin
shouted as the main tavern lights blazed on. His gun was already trained on
Daniel, Diana right by his side with her weapon drawn as well.

Daniel moved his gun to aim at
the lead singer’s foot and as Hope screamed, a shot fired out. The lead singer howled
in pain, but Daniel didn’t let him go.

“Put those weapons away or the
next thing I shoot is really going to affect this man’s singing ability.” He
pressed the nose of his gun to the lead singer’s throat while blood already pooled
on the stage.

Kevin and Diana lowered their
weapons, and Hope could barely breathe. The lead singer was losing a lot of
blood. The rest of the bar patrons appeared to be paralyzed. Hope couldn’t bear
to see an innocent man suffer because of her.

Fight back,
a voice said
in Hope’s head.
Don’t take this shit.

She looked behind her where
Adam had been sitting just moments ago. He was gone now. Gone where?

“You want me,” she said,
standing up and shrugging free of the grip Sage and Orion had on each of her
arms. “Leave that man alone and come get me.”

Her voice wavered and she
glanced quickly behind her again, but Adam still wasn’t there. She looked to
the bar, but only saw Jake standing in front of Joy who had her hands to her
face, not able to watch what might happen next.

“Ah, there you are, beautiful.”
Daniel stepped off the stage, but he dragged the singer with him, a trail of
blood marking their path to Hope’s table.

Orion stood to block his path
as did a few nearby patrons.

When Daniel’s gun locked onto
Orion, Sage leaped to her feet. “No!”

“Sit down, bitch.” Daniel
advanced with his gun, taking control of Sage’s movements.

She backed into a chair, but
didn’t ease up on the death glare she gave Daniel. “Danton doesn’t have room
for people like you.”

“Oh yeah? Well, that’s okay,
because once I get her, I’ll be on my way back to Boston. Dicky’s waiting for
me.”

Daniel had his back to the
stage now, and Hope watched as Kevin and Diana crept closer.

Keep him talking.

“Boston?” she said with a
firmer voice. “I don’t really like Boston.”

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up.
“Don’t like Boston? Everyone likes Boston. It’s where our great country began.”

“Oh,
this
great
country?” she asked. “This one, where a girl can’t even go for a drink with her
friends and have a nice, safe evening? This country?”

A raspy laugh escaped Daniel as
he aimed his gun back on the singer.

Hope’s heart pounded in her
chest like a stampede of crazed buffalo. “Leave that man alone, Daniel. I’ll go
with you if you do.”

Orion let out a noise that said,
Over my dead body.

With any luck, there would be
no
dead bodies tonight. Hope wished for that with all her heart. And where was
Adam? She didn’t like not knowing where he was or what he was up to.

Daniel jerked the singer
forward, past Orion and Sage, and stood in front of Hope. He slammed the
singer’s head onto the table, and Hope cringed at the sound of skull cracking
against wood.

In one quick movement, Daniel released
the singer and grabbed Hope.

“No!” Sage and Orion said at the
same time. Diana and Kevin went for their weapons again, but Daniel put his gun
to Hope’s cheek now.

Hope let out a squeak, but for
some reason, she was more pissed than afraid.

Number one: Her favorite hangout
was being invaded by this jackass.

Number two: This guy was
putting her entire family at risk.

Number three: Encountering this
dick for the
third
time was just too much.

Number four: Where was Adam?

What if Daniel wasn’t working
alone? What if someone had taken Adam? She immediately envisioned that he’d
been dragged to the back room. What if Adam was bleeding to death back there
right now?

Hell no.

Not after he’d just let her in.
Not after they’d made love. Not after she’d pictured a lifetime with him.

“Take me out of here,” she said
to Daniel. “Take me out of here, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Now those are words every guy
wants to hear.”

“Too bad they’re just words.”

Hope looked to the stage where
Adam now stood. She had a nanosecond to see the raised gun in his hand then a
shot echoed in the tavern. Daniel jerked as if he’d been hit and cried out.

In that moment when Daniel
loosened his grip on her, Hope managed to turn around and bring her hands up to
the back of his head. With everything she had, she yanked his head down as her
knee came up. Just like Adam had shown her. The lowlife’s head felt like a
melon between her hands and knee, but she delivered not one, not two, but three
blows. Blood dripped from his nose onto her boots and onto the wood floor. The
blood from his nose mixed with the blood from his calf where Adam’s bullet had
lodged itself.

Daniel stumbled back, but
remained on his feet.

Until three bodies descended
upon him.

Adam plowed into Daniel,
sending the bastard to the floor. Kevin wrenched Daniel’s arms behind his back,
and Diana slapped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

Adam yanked Daniel to his feet.
“Smile pretty to all your witnesses.” He arced an arm out to all the bar
patrons who had seen everything. “I don’t think your boss can sweep this one
away for you, asshole. Too many official statements to make disappear.”

Daniel spat out a mouthful of
blood that landed on the floor by Hope’s boots with a splat. He let out a grunt
of pain, but he swung his head back, connecting with Adam’s cheek.

“Fuck.” Adam let go for a
minute to rub his cheek, and Hope wanted to leap past Daniel to go to him.

“That’s three times you’ve
denied me, bitch,” Daniel said. “I’m going to fuck you then break you. You
understand?”

He made a move to charge at
her, but never reached his target. Adam pulled him back out of range, and Kevin
and Diana immediately took possession of Daniel.

“Oh, and one more thing.” Adam
came around to stand in front of Daniel. He ratcheted his right arm back and launched
it into the asshole’s jaw.

With his hands cuffed, Daniel
had no way to fend off Adam’s strike. Instead, he hung from Kevin and Diana’s
grips like laundry dangling from the line.

As Daniel was hauled away, Adam
came to stand in front of Hope, a split in his cheek streaming a thin river of
blood down his face.

“You’ve got to stop bleeding
because of me. You're too pretty for that.” She raised a trembling hand to cup
Adam’s stubbly cheek.

He put his big, rough, strong
hand over hers. “I'm not pretty.” He leaned down to rest his forehead against
hers. “I’m sexy.”

“Pretty sexy then.”

“Okay.”

Adam pressed his lips to hers.
A gentle touch, but it was enough to make Hope wrap her arms around him. When
his arms came around her, she knew no words had to be said. The way she felt in
his arms told her all she needed to know.

She leaned back and looked up
at him. “You’ve got some good aim there. To hit Daniel from the stage.”

“Marine training. I specialized
in search and rescue and sharpshooting.” He shrugged. “I’m just glad I was able
to do for you what I couldn’t do for my squad.” He hugged her tightly then
released her, his hands going to her shoulders as he made direct eye contact.
His eyes were so focused on her. “Listen, I can’t promise I won’t tell you I’m
no good for you,” he whispered. “I still believe that, but don’t listen to me,
okay? I need you.”

“Good, because I need you.”

Adam looked over his shoulder
at Kevin and Diana dragging Daniel out the tavern’s door. “I don’t know. Seems
to me like you kicked his ass.”

“
We
kicked his ass.” She
poked him in the chest. “Because we’re partners.”

“Naked partners?” Adam brushed
his lips against hers as she made a move to swat at him.

She didn’t get to reply because
suddenly she was surrounded by her family. Hugs—the kind that squeeze the
stuffing out of a person—went around the group. Joy took Adam to the back room
to tend to his cheek even though he said he was fine. Hope cracked up watching
a big, strong Marine get bossed around by her little mother.