On the run

Ten

It was finally quietening down a little. This was the busiest Saturday we'd had in here in a while and after my week at work, I just wanted to be folding napkins on the barstools. Instead, I was dealing with grumpy middle-aged men who's football team had just lost a major match on a Saturday afternoon and this was where they blew off the steam.

Dean had a full team in tonight, me, him, Sandra, Ellis, Conner, and Toni. The 6 of us had managed to keep on top of the rush. As we approached midnight, the crowd started to dispense, usually the drinking started heading out onto the streets, into the city centre clubs, or they were going home to terrorize their families. Lord knows they'd given me and the girls the brunt of it. 5 guys had pulled me into their laps tonight. 3 slapped my arse and I lost count how many were rubbing themselves under the table as I approached.

Men finding me attractive had never been new. It was just a natural kind of thing. But the whole gang leader thing meant it was kind of expected. I'd wear clothes to encourage it, knowing I had the power if I could bring men to their knees. Have them begging for me. That's how I'd gotten Jaxson. Some high-class party where I was wearing a skin-tight, dress, slit on my leg coming all the way up to my hip. He didn't stop staring the whole night and I sure as hell wasn't going to make the first move. I didn't know who he was at that point. As much as I was in that kind of crowd, it wasn't where I'd grown up. It was through friends that I'd been dragged into it.

Jaxson had given me a sense of crazy security. I knew I was safe with him. Well, I thought I was until I heard him tell his friends about how disposable I was. We'd been together for nearly 3 years at that point so it wasn't even a short-term thing. He'd saved me from a lot in the past. My parents weren't the best people. Dad much alike the men in here and mum pretty much who I was pretending to be. Weak and small. Forgettable. Jaxson got me out of that, gave me power, taught me to shoot a gun, to fight. He taught me how powerful it is to be a woman, that in his world, this dangerous, power-driven world he embodied, women were the ones with all the power. No matter how much the men pretended it was them, it never was.

He used to say that the men would lay down their lives for a women they loved. Would make sure that come hell or high water, they were safe. When I called him from the middle of nowhere, he told me that he wasn't ever going to stop looking for me unless he knew I was dead by seeing my corpse himself. That was the only way he'd give up. I didn't doubt him. But I'd left him not a single thing to run on. I had no doubt he'd moved on and now he would only be hunting me to make a point.

I'd heard stories since then. Stories about another girl he was supposedly involved with ending up dead. Abducted in the middle of the night from her own house, her lifeless body left naked on his doorstep. When I'd heard that, around one of these tables last year, I went home and reminded myself that that could have and most likely would have been me. Up until that point, I was in a constant battle with myself over if this was worth it. If I had just caught him in a moment and in reality, he would have protected me more than them. But hearing that, that he'd not only moved on but obviously not kept her safe, I knew it was the right thing. I knew leaving was the best thing for me.

I leaned over the table of men, trying to keep out the way of their conversations, but needing the empty glasses since we were starting to run a little low. I was so lost in my head about Jaxson and the previous assaults last night, the men here used it to their advantage, pushing me down on the table and laughing at me as they slapped my ass, grasping at it from both sides.

"OI!" Dean wasted no time in jumping over the bar and rushing to my aid. "Get the fuck out. All of you. Now."

"We've not finished."

"I don't give a fuck. You're all barred. Leave now or I'll call the police and I know for a fact half of you have outstanding warrants." The men slid out as Dean grabbed my shoulders and spun me too him. "Break room. Now." I nodded, moving through the bar to the back of the building, slipping through the staff only door calmly.

No matter how many times this happened, it always had the same effect. I'd be fine but a few hours later it would set in and I'd be a shaking on edge mess. Luckily for me, my shift ended at 2am. I had no doubt that Dean wasn't going to let me drive home tonight now, he'd demand he drove my car. I didn't live far away, 5-minute walk if that. But I didn't walk to work in case someone was following me. I always drove the long way around too. Taking more than necessary right-hand turns, only going home when I was sure no one was following. Dean knew this and always did the same. He laughed as he did, but he got it.

"Are you okay? Sit down." He pulled a chair out and sat me down. "I swear to god Pen, they won't be allowed back in here."

"It's fine Dean. Comes with the job."

"Not in my fucking bar it doesn't."

"It's just been a bad night is all. The game was shit-"

"Stop making excuses for them." He sighed, sitting down opposite me. "What is with you tonight? This week? You normally don't touch tables like that until they've gone."

"We needed the glasses. They were only going to end up throwing them everywhere and that would have made more mess. I'm fine Dean, honestly. Can we just get back to it?"

"Fine, but you're staying behind the bar. Ellis can work on the floor instead."