BRIANNA (RAZORBACK NOVELLA)

2

NOW

GABRIEL'S POV:

Somehow the times when Bri and I had to work together it was smooth. After the first night, she didn't drink and come onto men in front of me, or even when I wasn't there. She didn't look at me, she left early on my birthday, and she sure as s**t asked for her birthday off this year.

Today the schedule rotation on positions in the club had me closest to the bar, so I got to hear her a bit talking to some men about their drinks, about the policy, and we were f*****g good to go with more and more customers. She got a lot of s**t done, cleaning tables quickly, getting lots of drinks out and on the floor. I remember when it was Gemma behind there most of the people came up to her and ordered, but if Bri saw that some glasses were getting empty and they still had drinks set to order for themselves, she would take it upon herself to go ask if they wanted repeats. We had appealed drinks because of that, and we all got a raise a month ago because of it.

Marcus came back every now and then, but Avery and Haus were our bosses now, and with that came a good transition, not that Marcus was a hard ass, but with Avery we were more open to talking and chatting if we weren't busy. We weren't stationary warriors.

I laughed to myself when I saw Bri almost trip. We weren't friendly so I knew she wouldn't look at me and blush or tell me to shut up, we mostly ignored each other unless she signaled me. With the new customers we had a lot more issues if there were lightweights coming in. She had her hands full of her mixes so when a man was reaching over, trying to tuck a 20 in her back pocket, we had it for her.

One time someone had moved a little too slow and she caught the fuckers wrist and twisted it until it almost broke. She let him go when we got there, and she wasn't happy or smiling at anyone for the rest of the night.

But now, today, she was faking her smiles, shifting around like she was nervous, and I wanted to ask if someone said something creepy to her but then some guy came in a little before we closed, and he sat at the bar, talking to her, not watching the stages and I got close so she could see me, and she shook her head at me and started to talk to him.

Her real smile came out, and she was laughing, flirting, putting her hair back and shaking it out like she was coming onto him, and I glared hard. It got to be 20 minutes before closing, he still had half a flat beer in front of him, and I moved in, like we usually do, and made sure she saw me coming.

"Just to let you know buddy, we close in 20 minutes. Bar closes at 12 sharp." I told him and he turned, letting me see the nice tailored suit and nice tie before he laughed.

"Sure bro. What ever you say. I am here to pick up Bri." He told me and I looked from him to her and to check I decided to ask.

"You know him?"

"Yes Grey, I know him. I am leaving with him." She turned as she said it, not saying it to make me jealous, not saying it to hurt me, and not making it seem like she was teasing me either. It had been a little under a year but she was just being herself.

"Make sure you let Avery know he's staying past close." I told her and went back to my spot and I saw them talking again, she was smiling again, nodding and she gave him a huge smile as he chugged his beer.

I went to tell the others slowly that he was staying, that I checked it out, and I watched her go into the office to tell Avery that he man was staying and I was walking out some of the dancers after closing when I saw her and him walk out of the front. She had that weekend bag on her shoulder, he got the door for her, and I saw the f*****g expensive Bens he was driving. She slid in, rubbed her hand over the door, and then grabbed her seatbelt.

She didn't look my way but I made sure to get the plate number in case she never came back. I stood at my station in the club the rest of the weekend, wondering what day she was coming back. Tara stood in her place, she was kickass as always and Marcus was back helping Avery do the books again and I just did my f*****g job.

She came back Monday, looking all puffy eyed and her voice was kind of out and I made sure to keep my ideas to myself. She talked with some of the girls that danced and I heard some saying she was just shouting a lot over the weekend, a sports game she said.

I knew she was lying, she had been crying, I knew that face well. I saw it on my sister a bunch of times when men treated her shitty. Some of the girls got her to laugh though, and she excused herself when her phone started to ring. I saw a name with a J and watched her take it outside. I looked around and started working. I got the keg out for her, got to the front door since I was watching it tonight and I had an easy night.

No one that was banned tried to get in, no one too drunk got in, no parties larger than 8 got in... s**t was easy. Being June it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold at night. We had out small shivers when a car went by fast but that was it.

I was getting on my bike when I saw Bri walk out, she had her hair down, her fingers pushing at her scalp... I remember when I first asked her why she did that, she told me it was because she had a lot on her mind and it hurt sometimes.

I watched her get in the car and I took off after she was heading home. I got to the club, played some pool, headed up to bed when I had my two beers. I couldn't get the puffy eyed look out of my head, something was wrong, and if that fucker she went away over the weekend showed up when I was on the door, he wouldn't be able to get in at all.

I laid in bed alone and tried not to think about how rough Bri's voice was. With her eyes like they were it wasn't from hours in bed. More like screaming matches. That right there showed how much more she probably liked him more than me. SHe fought and screamed at him and all I got was mild cursing.

I didn't want to think too much about htat. I knew I f****d up with her, but s**t wasn't going to go any other way. We would have eventually stopped what we were doing, better to do it before she caught feelings deeper than she already had with me.

BRIANNA'S POV:

I ignored Josh's call again, focusing on my paper and listening to my music. I was done hearing how I shouldn't be in the strip club serving drinks, and I shouldn't be in this hell hole of an apartment. I was done hearing that if I went back to school dad would help me with a great apartment and a better car and all the s**t that I left behind for a reason. I wasn't going to let my father control my life.

He had tried that before, he was the reason I was pre med in college even though I could not tolerate the sight of any kind of organ. I got to drop out when I failed and when I did, I was dead to my father. But apparently I wouldn't be now if I decided to get a college degree of any kind so I don't embarrass the family.

I had enough shouting and arguing over the weekend that I still didn't need to do it four days later. I had an appointment for my forearm to get tattooed in less than an hour which meant I needed to finish up with the details before I went down to Danielle's chair.

I had just finished when James, my other brother called and I declined that too. They had both ambushed me, made me happy with my nieces and nephews and I was lured in by a big game for the oldest nephew, and I did cheer from the sidelines, happy that I got to see him hit a homerun for the first time.

I was done with my brothers trying to convince me to be the good daughter. I was done fitting into the Evans family gatherings and ploy for the media. Dad was mayor and needed to seem like he had control of his family like he wanted to control the city.

I took a deep breath, glad to be getting some work done today, and I was done three hours later, just in time to get to work. I had to cover it up a bit since it was still new, and I brought some of the things I usually put on there so when I had a second free at the strip club I would be slathering it on there.

I was halfway through the shift when I got the chance, and I was so happy with the way this section turned out. I had mostly flowers and lovely quotes on my body, starting on my right hip, up my spine, over my right shoulder, and now down my entire arm.

Next I would make it go down my right leg, and I would start to design something that would be on my left side that kind of intertwined with the flowers and quotes. I would get there.

I was pouring a pitcher when I heard a familiar voice, a couple actually. I looked up and over as I let the foam set and saw Grey keeping my brothers from getting to me. Both of them.

"Grey, it's fine." I told him and he looked over, then at them before letting them pass. "What the f**k are you guys doing here?" I asked knowing that this wasn't going to be good.

"You weren't answering us. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Josh told me and set himself against the bar and I gave him a look.

"And he wanted me to see the place. f**k Brianna, you're in the middle of bikers, s*x, and drugs. You need to get out of here before dad's opponent gets wind of you being here." He told me, looking around, and I knew that was the cop in him getting antsy and thinking the worst.

"No one here doesn't do drugs. One of the guys who helps run the place drug tests us." I crossed my arms and moved to get the pitcher topped off before going to set it down around the bar and passing my brothers with a glare. "Go home." I told them and they just stared me down. They were stubborn, but so was I and I wasn't leaving, or quitting.

"Bri, you can't f*****g stay here. Look at the bikers just watching you. You don't belong to them." I heard James and I rolled my eyes and looked around. Grey was watching us, and he had Haus checking it out too. I shook my head at them and focused on my brothers.

"They're watching to make sure you're not going to hurt me or sexualize me. They protect me here more than they did at the truck stop I used to work at." I told them, realizing they had never seen me working in that place. If I was still there and they pulled this s**t then I would probably go along willingly... but I wasn't, I was in the Clubs territory and they protected me because I worked for them.

"Bri, this isn't what you should be doing. You have your trust fund-"

"I only have that when dad dies, or i go back to school." I cut Josh off and he sighed and looked away and then around. "Why is that man still staring at us?" He was talking about Grey and I sighed and looked at him. "He's the same fucker that wanted me to leave last time right. Does he want you or something Bri?" He asked me and I kind of blew it.

"Josh, seriously, stop. You need to leave if you're looking for a fight. These guys will stop it, will toss you out, and you will never be able to come in here again." He made a face and before I could get the entire sentence our Grey was on his way over, keeping eye contact with my brother. Some of the other guys were coming too and I sighed. "Seriously... go. I don't need you or dad's money." I saw James look from me to him before slapping his shoulder and getting Josh to agree to leave. But they told me that they would be back and that they would stop by my place for another chat.

Of course that meant Grey heard it and he didn't seem to like it one bit.

"What was that about Bir? You want us to make sure that they can't get in here again? It didn't look like a good conversation." He told me and I just sighed and thought about how to word it.

"It's just stuff, Grey. Don't worry about it. They'll forget about it soon." As soon as our dad was elected again they would drop me like they did last time. They were just here to do our dad's bidding for me to come home and play perfect family again.

That s**t was not happening... anytime soon if ever at all.

Grey sat at the bar and I got him a glass of water before going to collect the used and now empty first pitchen the table I gave a refill to had. I got to the back of the bar and was washing the glasses I had soaking and made sure they were all spotless before getting them all put away before we had another small rush before closing time.

I cleaned, I wiped down the tables, the floors, the dishes and glasses were done and I was going out to clock out when I saw Grey still following me around. "What are you doing?"

"Protocol. You know that. He said they would see you later. We have to make sure that they aren't waiting to kidnap you or hurt you. I am just walking you to your car." He held his hands up like he was innocent but I just turned back and walked to my little old Toyota. "Who was he?"

"Grey-"

"I mean, is he your boyfriend, your ex?" He asked and I sighed and looked at him before taking a breath. I tossed my purse into the car and looked away.

"Let's just say that he will be back and he will probably be more impatient. But I can handle him. Don't worry so much." I told him and moved to get in but he caught the door before I could close it.

"He loves you?" He asked me and I scoffed.

"In the only way he knows how to show it." I told him honestly and he took a deep breath before letting the door close. He moved back and I started to take off home.