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Well, Nicola was avoiding, that was for damn sure. She really didn’t want to have the conversation that Abagail had promised they would have. She was scared of what the outcome was going to be. Because she was pretty sure that she’d be flat on her ass tonight and it wasn’t going to be from being fired at the bar this time.

Warren waved Nicola over. She sucked in a breath, plastered on another smile, and determined that she was at least going to serve him to the best of her abilities tonight. Maybe she’d still have one source of income when the clock struck midnight.

She spent three hours waiting on Warren hand and foot and ignoring some of her other customers so that she didn’t piss him off. She couldn’t stand for him to throw a fit and have her lose her job here again. Especially after she’d just gotten it back. She slid his new drink order onto the table in front of her and turned to leave when Warren grabbed her by the hips and pulled her down onto his lap.

Nicola squeaked and cringed. It was a damn good thing she didn’t have a tray or a drink in her hand because it would have ended up all over her.

“Warren, this really isn’t appropriate,” Nicola muttered, trying to push herself off his lap, but he held her there firmly.

“Oh, come on, Nic. Don’t you want just one more good time? You always were a good fuck.”

Nicola shuddered, shame and disgust warring a battle within her, and she wasn’t sure which one she wanted to win out in the moment. She knew which would win later. And she wasn’t looking forward to that spiral downward.

“I have other customers, Warren.” Nicola pried herself off his lap and made her way back to the bar without glancing back. She was lucky that he had let her go without much of a fight. Perhaps it was because his friends were still around, and she had that buffer to protect herself.

“He’s handsy tonight,” Tommie mumbled. “Then again, he’s always handsy.”

Nicola swallowed down that insult. Tommie didn’t know what she was saying when it came to the history that the two of them had. Or perhaps she did, and she just assumed that Nicola had known the entire time she’d been in a relationship with Warren. She had known, about halfway through it, but then what was she supposed to do about it?

“He’s a dick,” Nicola muttered, making another drink. “I’m hoping he’s drunk enough to leave soon.”

“Don’t cut him off. That’ll send him over the edge into disaster.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

It was another hour before Warren was alone at the table, all his friends gone, and Nicola actually hesitated to walk over there with another drink in hand for him. She suspected he’d be volatile. He usually was when he was in this state.

“Nicky!” Warren said loudly as she approached him.

Yep, this was going to go exactly as she thought it would.

Sliding the drink down, Nicola nodded at him. “I’m not sure how much more I should serve you.”

“Oh come on! I’m not that bad.” He snagged her waist again and pulled her down. Nicola sighed heavily, not really fighting it this time and just waiting for an opportunity when he’d loosen his grip and she’d be able to get up and leave. “You smell so good.”

Warren pressed his nose into her neck and breathed in deeply. Nicola cringed. God, this man was disgusting. What had she ever seen in him? Really? Because she had more self-worth than that. Didn’t she? At least, she liked to think she did.

“You’re engaged.”

Warren growled. “Did you get your claws into Aunt Abagail?”

“What?” Nicola turned around to look at him directly in the eye, frowning with confusion. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“I bet you did.” He snorted at her, genuinely.

Nicola tried to wiggle off of him, fear rising in her chest and clogging up her throat. She’d never thought he was capable of much, but this wasn’t the Warren she was used to seeing, even when he was in one of his moods.

“She cut me off, you know.” Warren pressed his nose into her neck again, breathing her in like she was some elixir that he couldn’t get enough of.

“What are you talking about?” Nicola finally managed to wrench herself loose and she stood up to face him down, putting her hands on her hips as she stared at him.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“No. I don’t.” Nicola frowned. “What do you mean she cut you off?”

“She cut me off entirely, Nic. And I know you had something to do with it. Why else would she do it now? After we broke up?” Warren sneered.

“You mean after you broke up with me,” Nicola mumbled under her breath. She crossed her arms and frowned. “I didn’t tell her to do anything, and if you knew your aunt well, then you’d know that no one can make her do anything she doesn’t want to do.”