“So, does your son treat his girlfriend like that? And does Madison’s husband treat her like that?”
She shook her head. “No, Madison would never stand for that. Hell, she would cut J’s balls off if he so much as looked at another woman. And although Scott has a wild temper, he’d never treat Harlow the same way his father treats women.”
“Thank fuck for that. I thought Madison seemed to have J under control.”
She laughed and drank more of her water. “Yeah, you could say that, although I think it goes both ways for them. He’s got just as much control over her.”
“A good match by the sound of it,” I mused.
She looked at me thoughtfully. “I’m relieved Marcus’s sons didn’t turn out anything like him insofar as the way he treats women. You’ve got a good man there in Blade. I’ve never had a lot to do with him, but I can tell he’s special.”
“He really is,” I agreed.
A customer interrupted us, and Sharon turned away to serve him. I left her so I could go wipe down tables and clean up empty glasses. When I came back to the bar, she was deep in conversation with a man who didn’t look happy with her.
Fuck, he looks like Donovan.
I took in Sharon’s tense body language and decided to step in to make sure she was okay. As I approached, the man turned angry eyes on me and I noticed the faded bruises on his face. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I take it you’re Marcus,” I said, standing my ground. I wouldn’t let this fucker intimidate me.
“And what’s it to you?”
“This is my bar, and Sharon’s working, so you need to leave.”
He’d been leaning across the bar and now straightened. “I’m here for a drink, that’s all.”
I raised my brows. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He turned back to Sharon. “I’ll have a beer, babe.”
I watched her flinch at his term of endearment, but she quickly grabbed him a beer. Placing it on the bar, she said, “You can sit at a table away from the bar, Marcus. I’ve got work to do.”
Surprisingly, he did as she said and left us to go and sit at a table.
“Are you okay?” I asked her once we were alone. “Do you want me to call Jess in so you can go home?”
“No, I won’t let him win. This is just the beginning, Layla, and he needs to know I’m serious about this being over.”
I admired her determination. “Good. I’m with you on this so whatever you need, you just let me know, okay?”
“Thank you,” she said softly, and I knew in that moment, Sharon didn’t have a lot of friends offering to be there for her.
“Sharon, did you leave the house or did you ask him to leave?”
“I told him he had to go. I’m not leaving it.”
“Did he go?” I had a feeling Marcus would be hard to get rid of.
“I don’t know, because I had to come to work. I told him to be gone by the time I got home this afternoon.”
“Have you told Scott and Madison yet?”
Sadness crossed her face. “I’m not close to Scott at the moment, and Madison and I are still on shaky ground, so I haven’t told either of them. I will, though.”
“Today?”
She grimaced. “I don’t want to drag them into it, Layla. I need to do this on my own, and then begin to rebuild my relationships with them. But...I’ve got to find myself first, you know?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I get that, but I’m concerned you might need at least Scott’s help on this. If Marcus won’t take no for an answer, it could pay to have Scott behind you.”
“I’ll think about it. Please don’t tell anyone yet.”
I could read between the lines. She didn’t want me to tell Donovan.
Nodding, I said, “Okay, it’s your call, but I really want you to think about it.”
“I will,” she promised.
I turned to look at Marcus and found him staring at us while he drank his beer. Fuck, this afternoon was about to go to complete shit. I was sure of it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Blade
I closed my eyes and sent a prayer of thanks to the universe. I’d given up believing in God a long time ago, but my belief in the forces of good was slowly being restored.
When I opened my eyes, I found my mother smiling up at me. “It’s good news, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s good news. When do you start?”
“Next week. Thank you for helping me get this job. I think it’s just what I need.”
I had no doubt. I’d watched Sharon Cole working at Layla’s bar, and saw the change in her, so I’d put the feelers out with my contacts regarding a job for my mother. I kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner, but perhaps she wouldn’t have been ready for it until now.
“Has Marcus been around?” I held my breath, waiting for her answer.
“No, I haven’t seen him since the day of your fight.”
Thank fuck.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw Layla’s name on the screen. Holding it up at Mum, I indicated I needed to take this. She smiled and left me to it. “What’s up, baby?” I asked, answering the call.