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.”

He didn’t wait for an answer before disappearing back into the bar. The men on the video began to move for the front door, and Eva’s nerves started to crackle under her skin, her breath racing.

The bar door groaning and squeaked as it opened, the men paying no attention to the fact that the open sign remained dark. The tiny hope that Eva had that maybe they were just customers dissipated as she listened to footsteps shuffle in. At first she heard what sounded like casual, friendly conversation between the men entering, like they were trying to play it off as if everything was normal. There was something unsettling about that for her.

Will’s voice came from the bar room next, somehow both forceful and quiet. “State your business here.”

The buzz of conversation stopped and the bar door slapped closed on its doorjamb. The song on the jukebox faded out before changing over to Three Dog Night.

“Ah, this must be the pendejo I’ve heard so much about,” said a Spanish-accented voice. “What happened to the civilized gentlemen, eh? What happened to those days?”

“State your business or get the fuck out. We’re closed.” Will’s voice was louder now, still firm.

The tension in her little room was suffocating, and Eva couldn’t stand it. She took her shoes off again and, in her slowest, most deliberate steps, crept out of the office and against the wall that separated the bar from the employee spaces. She sank to her knees quietly and, holding her hair back with one hand, peered around the wall as far as she dared to get eyes on what was happening.

Charlie shifted nervously behind the bar, hands on the surface itself, as she was sure Will instructed him. Hidden hands didn’t inspire trust. But the shotgun was stretched out on the nearest shelf below, waiting patiently for him. In the middle of the bar room, Will stood like hero cut out of stone, or stepped out of a painting, his shoulders square and back straight. Fists fell at either side of his wide, dominating stance. The four men stood in a half-circle, watching him lazily, confidently. Except for the one in the bun, who had a sling on his arm—he glared at Will with a fiery hatred.

“Are you the owner, finally?” asked the Latino man standing next to the man with the broken arm. “All of these dramatics—this is all we asked for in the first place.”

“I’m not going to tell you again,” said Will.

“We are here to make a simple business offer,” said the man, spreading his hands out in front of him.

Will looked from him to each of the other men. “Not interested. Get the fuck out.”

“You haven’t even heard our offer.”

“This is not cartel territory. Get the fuck out.” The danger in Will’s voice made Eva shiver.

Their eyes widened at mention of the cartel, and the men exchanged looks with one another, surprised. “Ah, this little birdie knows more than he lets on,” said the leader, walking a few steps forward. “Who are you?”