CHAPTER 12
Rome
I dusted my hands off on the back of my Carhartts and looked around the liquor room. The new shelving I had built looked awesome, the place was spotless and organized, and not a bottle or keg was out of place. It was the last task I had on the list Brite had given me all those months ago. The rest of the bar was done. Polished, primed, and looking entirely new and ready to be part of this generation. The regulars were still posted up at their favorite spots all day long, but there was a whole new crowd and influx of younger blood wandering in. I didn’t ask Brite about the change in revenue because he had been quiet and a lot harder to pin down lately. Ever since the robbery, he had been skipping out before it got busy at night, leaving me and Asa to run the show. I didn’t mind, but I thought it was weird that he didn’t seem more excited about all the improvements.
I was putting the tools away in the toolbox when the door opened. It wasn’t a huge storage space, so between my massiveness and Brite’s, there wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver. I frowned a little at him when he took a seat on the top of an empty Fat Tire keg and motioned for me to do the same thing.
“You all done?”
I pulled the bill of my ball cap lower over my forehead and nodded solemnly. I was proud of the work I had done. I felt like I brought the place back to life for him, but I was going to be bummed to move on and not just because I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.
“I think so.”
He nodded and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. I tried not to grunt under the pressure.
“The place looks great, son. You did an amazing job. I would have been honored to follow someone like you into battle, Rome. I hope you know that.”
I just stared at him. That was a pretty serious compliment from one soldier to another.
“Thank you. I’m not real sure what would have happened to me if I hadn’t stumbled in here on the Fourth.”
He snorted and pulled back to stroke his beard. “You would’ve been fine, kiddo. A man like you … the universe looks out for the good ones, Rome.”
I didn’t know if I agreed with that, but I was grateful that he saw it in me. I was going to ask him what this little heart-to-heart was about, but he surprised me by asking me:
“Hey, you got a hundred bucks on you?”
I blinked at him and dug my wallet out of my back pocket.
“Yeah, why?”
He waited until I handed over the bill and then climbed to his feet. I followed suit since I was confused as to what was going on. There was a strange undercurrent flowing between us that I couldn’t put my finger on. My anxiety ratcheted up a notch when Brite stuck his hand out like he was saying good-bye.
“Rome, there are not enough good men in this world. Men that fight for what they believe in. Men that are more than willing to sacrifice for the greater good. I watched you this summer, saw how you handled the vets’ and your own demons that chased you back stateside. You faltered here and there, but you’re a rock-solid young man and there is no one else in the world that I would trust with my bar and my customers. You put your heart and your soul into this place this summer. You earned it.”
I just stared at him because I still wasn’t sure what he was saying. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched him steadily. He held up the hundred-dollar bill and made a big production of folding it up and putting it in his own wallet. His steely gaze held me in place and his face was marked with unwavering determination.
“You just bought the Bar. Congratulations. I’ll have the paperwork to you by the end of the week.”
I swore and reached out to grab him as he went to walk out the door like that was the end of the conversation.
“What. The. Fuck.”
He sighed and turned back around to face me.
“I’m too old. My family is fractured, I’ve served my purpose here. When I was a couple years younger than you, I wandered into this bar after a serious string of bad days. The guy behind the bar kicked my ass, cleaned me up, had me work my ass off to get the place cleaned up and back in the current century. He was a retired air-force colonel and he didn’t take any shit from me. When I had put everything I had left in me into the bar, he asked me for twenty bucks. The next thing I knew, I owned a bar. I didn’t have to figure out what I was going to do, where I was going to go. This place was my home. I trust you to take care of it and honor it, son.”
I just stared at him because he had to be joking. I didn’t know what to say to any of it.
“Keep Asa around. That boy has something good going on behind the bar. Keep Darce in the kitchen, she knows what she’s doing. Don’t worry about the robbery. I talked to Torch, the prez of the SoS and he’s aware that he has a problem on his hands. Biker justice makes the long arm of the law look like preschool.”
I shook my head and shoved my hands in the back of my pockets.
“The guy that smashed my head in with a bottle? He’s the one you think robbed the place?”
“Yeah, and I don’t think he’s done. Losing your shot to get in an MC is a pretty big deal. You can handle whatever comes your way, Rome. The bar, the baby, that little spitfire you’re all wrapped up in, these are the rewards for living a life of sacrifice. You gave all you had for other people, this is the universe’s way of paying you back. You earned it all, son, so stop feeling guilty about it and goddamn enjoy it.”
I was speechless. I lowered my head and let out a breath that felt like it held my entire life in it.
“Brite …”
“No, son. There doesn’t need to be a thank-you. I don’t want your gratitude just like I don’t want your money. This is the right thing, the only thing that can happen for you and for this bar. You needed each other, son.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Good, because half the time when you open your mouth, I wanna punch you. I’ll be around, kiddo, not that I think you’re going to need me.”
I followed him out of the storage room still reeling. I was going to try to express my gratitude, my overwhelming appreciation, but Asa suddenly stuck his head around the corner and said my name.
“Rome, you need to go outside.”
I jerked my attention to him and scowled. “What?”
He lifted a blond brow at me and frowned.
“You need to go to the parking lot and take a look at your truck.”
Brite and I exchanged a look and headed out the back door. It was easy to see as soon as my boots hit asphalt what Asa had been talking about.
The big 4×4 was listing to its side, the windshield was shattered, all the headlights and taillights were busted out, and it looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to the entire body. It looked like an expensive but mangled red tuna can.
Brite swore while I just stood there in stunned silence.
“You want me to call the cops?”
Asa’s drawl was more pronounced than normal. I hadn’t even heard him come up behind me.
“Naw. Pretty sure it was the same guy that held you up the other day. He’s pissed at me and trying to send a message.”
“Pretty hard message to misinterpret, Rome.”
I nodded in agreement. “You aren’t kidding.” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “By the way, you just got promoted to bar manager.”
Asa reeled back a little and Brite burst out laughing.
“What?”
“Apparently I own the Bar now but I also have a kid on the way, so that means I can’t be here all the time. I need someone to have my back, and I pick you.”
Those amber eyes narrowed and I could tell he was trying to judge the validity of my statement.
“You trust me to do that?”