Page 1 of Minotaur Bar (Minotaur Bar #1)

I love sweeping.

I know that sounds fucking lame, but there’s something about looking out at my bar as I do it and reminding myself that, yeah, this is mine.

I created this haven for minotaurs.

They’re safe when they come through my doors.

They can be rowdy, loud, obnoxious, and wild.

They don’t have to settle down to appease the delicate senses of our human neighbors.

They can allow the beast within to unleash itself and no one in my building will fucking judge them for it.

I always end up having a large pile of broken glass at the end of any average shift and that’s after we sweep up the initial messes during hours.

Hell, I have a part of my budget allocated to glassware, specifically for the fact that every single night, drunken bastards are dropping pints and squaring up.

I store extra boxes in the back in order to keep up with the demands of my wild patrons.

I smile to myself as the shards tinkle across the concrete flooring and gather into a heap before my hooves.

I also love it when this bar is empty and quiet.

It becomes my space again.

My home away from home.

My sanctuary.

Not that it isn’t when it’s packed to the brim with bulls, but I don’t have to keep a watchful eye over everything.

My shoulders relax and I get to pick the music blasting over the speakers, which is usually something my patrons wouldn’t want to be listening to.

I have a thing for Hilary Duff.

“I closed out the register, bossman. Dishes are done. Bar is wiped down. Anything you need before I bounce?”

Cash asks as I shake my head.

“Thanks for everything tonight,”

I tell him earnestly. He smiles at me.

“Just a normal shift, Havoc,”

he replies with a shrug. I nod, looking back to my pile of glass.

“Yeah. Well, this place wouldn’t be normal without employees like you. I know we’re down a bartender and you’ve really picked up the slack,” I say.

“You found anyone to replace Jaime yet?”

he questions.

“Maybe. Our beer guy said his daughter just moved back to Brooksville and is looking for a place to work. Thought I’d at least interview her.”

Cash makes a face. I know what he’s about to say.

“A human woman? You want these fucking bulls fighting even more than they already do, bossman?”

His ivory ear flicks, signaling his irritation. He isn’t wrong in his hesitation. Putting a human female behind the bar would drive the minotaurs wild. We’ve had them before and none of them could handle the clientele. Nothing against them. The bulls just couldn’t behave themselves and the women grew uncomfortable. Fucking fast too. I didn’t blame them each time they quit. And it made my job harder seeing as I was always trying to keep the bulls in line. We decided it just wasn’t a good fit for our bar. That being exclusively minotaur, no matter the gender, was better for us in the long run.

“I don’t know, Havoc. I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Especially a human. They’ll make us out to be worse monsters than we actually are on the news and shit. It’s hard enough trying to exist without the heat of a shit news story hanging over the bar’s head.”

“You’re right for many reasons, Cash. I said it was just an interview, not a guarantee of anything,”

I assure him as he sucks his teeth.

“Whatever, bossman. I’m tired and if I don’t fuck my girl at least twice after I get home tonight, she might kick me out for neglecting her,”

Cash says with a wicked smile. I snort, a hot puff of air leaving my snout at his terrible predicament.

“Yeah, same here,”

I joke lamely, making Cash roll his eyes. We both know I’m painfully single and basically celibate with how long it’s been since I’ve sunk into a pussy.

“Night, Cash. Thank you again. I wouldn’t wanna do this without you.”

“Thanks for being a great boss. See you tomorrow night!”

he says happily, walking away before turning back.

“And don’t think with your dick when you interview this human, Havoc. She might turn out to be beautiful but remember. You’ll have every minotaur in here lusting after her. Your instinct will be to bash horns with everyone. And we all know those slutty little crop tops you wear won’t last two seconds in a fight.”

“Ha. Ha.”

I’m unenthused at his jab at my wardrobe choices.

“Fuck off, Cash.”

He smiles grandly before flipping me off and actually leaving.

Even though he loves to bust my balls, Cash is one of my closest friends.

He’s been working for me for over five years.

He feels like the son I never had.

I knew I wasn’t one to sire kids, so it’s nice to have someone I metaphorically see as mine.

Maybe he’s right though.

It is pretty stupid of me to even consider bringing a human in here.

They don’t do well in a place that’s designed to accommodate minotaurs, not them.

And in my minotaur bar, I don’t make them a priority.

We have to acclimate to their lifestyle outside of this building.

Every aspect being dictated for us in uncomfortable ways.

So, in my place of business, if they choose to venture in here at their own risk, it’s the other way around.

Bulls & Horns was built for us.

I’m a fucking idiot for thinking I could bring a female human bartender on without consequences.

I decide I need to call Justin tomorrow and call the whole thing off.

He’s actually a really nice guy.

Having to tell him something terrible happened to his daughter would be heartbreaking.

I finish sweeping the glass into the dustpan, letting it fall into the trash can with a large thunk.

I’ve made up my mind.

No humans are working here.

Especially one that will set our monster instincts ablaze to everyone’s detriment.