Flawed (Blaze of Glory #2) by Cherry Shephard Read Free Book Online

family to them, but am I really? If I just disappeared, would they try to find me and bring me home safely? I briefly dated Shannon’s best friend, Ruth. I thought she cared about me, and I guess, in her own way, she did. But, like me, her life was complicated, and when things got rough she high-tailed it out of town as fast as she could. I guess I don’t blame her, I’m all kinds of fucked up. I probably would have destroyed her life... just like I destroyed Liz’s. Dropping the rag on the table, I walk behind the bar and pull out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Not bothering to measure it, I slosh the alcohol into the glass and throw it straight down my throat, grunting at the burn. My eyes immediately begin to water, but I already start to feel better. Is this what it was like for Stone? Maybe I should have become an alcoholic, too. Grabbing a shot glass, I measure it out properly this time, and add three ice cubes. They clink together as I walk over to the office and step inside. I’ve been staying here while my house is renovated, and while it’s not much, I’ve tried to make it as homey as possible. There’s a couch on the far side of the room, across from a double bed, with a television set up at the foot of the bed so I can watch movies... or porn. Taking a seat at the table, I grin as I pick up a pen with a large white feather on the top. Shannon’s father made it for her years ago, and it’s been a running joke ever since she and I met because she refuses to part with it. I can’t count how many times I’ve come into this office and seen her bent over the desk, writing in the ledger with this ridiculous pen. Pulling the note from my pocket, I stuff it in the top drawer beneath some old paperwork, certain that no one will find it before it’s time. A knock on the door surprises me, and I quickly shove the drawer closed as the door opens and our newest bartender, Lance, walks in. “Hey Keets,” he smiles with perfect white teeth as he drops a stack of papers on the desk. “These are the new employee contracts, they came in a little while ago.”
    “Thanks Lance,” I smile, picking them up and thumbing briefly through them. My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline as I see my new salary. I’ve been promoted to Manager? Pity I won’t be around long enough to make good use of that new title. “Everything seems to be in order,” I tell Lance, putting the contracts into the tray on Shannon’s desk. “What are you still doing here, anyway? I thought you clocked out an hour ago.”
    “I was just clearing some stuff in the back,” Lance says, pulling his oversized white sunglasses down over his eyes. They stand out in stark contrast against his dark skin. His smile touches the rim of his glasses. “What do you think?” he asks. “I got them on eBay last week.”
    “Nice, man, but don’t you have a pair already?” I laugh. Lance is always wearing ridiculous white sunglasses, how can he tell them apart?
    “You can never have too many pairs of white sunglasses,” he says in mock indignation. Laughing, I adjust my glasses as I push the chair back and stand up. “Are you heading home now?”
    He shakes his head, smile still in place. “I’m heading into town. My friend and I are going to try out this new club, maybe pick ourselves up a couple of girls. You want to join us?”
    I’m so tempted, but I shake my head. “Sorry man, not this time. Shan’s sister will be here any minute, and someone needs to show her around.”
    “Cool,” he says, looking distracted. Probably thinking about the pussy he’s going to get tonight. “I wonder if she’s as hot as her sister.”
    “She’s probably very nice to look at,” I laugh. “But she’s also your boss’s sister, so remember, she’s off limits.”
    “Hey man, that’s cool, I get it,” Lance says, throwing his hands up in surrender. “But there’s no harm in looking, right?”
    I snort, “Of course there’s no harm in looking,”