Keeper of Spirits Read online

  “The only place in town is the old motel. It’s on the right as you head south. It’s not glamourous, but they have clean sheets.”

  “Great. We’ll check it out.” He sipped his beer and nodded.

  “So, you guys aren’t from around here, are you?”

  She watched him closely as he shook his head. No, we are on a trip through California, so we thought we’d stop in and see a friend who lives here. Hell, we might even stay for a while if we like it here.”

  “Oh.” She raised a curious eyebrow. “Coming from out of state then?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, nothing like a good road trip.”

  “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been anywhere but between here and San Francisco,” she casually admitted.

  “You should try it sometime, there are some great sights to be seen.”

  Reese shrugged and moved down the bar to her lemons. “I’ll pass, I’m good right where I am.” Then, she switched topics away from herself. “What friend? Do they know you’re here?” She didn’t worry about asking questions. She was a bartender and aside from listening, that’s what bartenders did.

  “His name is Estmond.” As he spoke, he flinched as if something had bit him. Then he quickly raised his beer to his lips and drank.

  The Estmonds huh. Something about that didn’t ring right with her at all. No one in that family traveled, except for Greg and that was because he worked in the Bay Area. Greg was back and forth a lot. It wasn’t out of the question that he would have friends there, but these guys said they were from out of state.

  “There are several Estmonds who live in this town. Which one are you looking for? I could give them a call and let them know you’re here,” she offered.

  “Oh no, we’re going to surprise him. That’s okay.” He smiled. “Thank you for the offer, though.”

  Reese noticed his demeanor had gone from comfortable to anxious. She sliced her lemons and eyed the group as she did. She couldn’t peg it, but something was definitely off about these guys. She knew people. She spent every day listening to people spill secrets in a drunken slur. She listened to them lie, as if that would somehow make their lives better. She listened to truths from people who had no one else to talk to. She watched as some cheated on their spouses and then lied to the rest of the world. She watched, she heard, she kept silent, but one thing was for certain, she knew when someone was blowing smoke up her ass.

  She shrugged. “If that suits you. I’m sure it will be a fantastic surprise.” She finished the lemons and dumped them into the container. With a fresh rag, she wiped off the cutting board and set the knife in the sink. Then, she discreetly pulled out her phone and set it on the counter. Leaning over, she quickly pulled up Hannah’s number and texted her.

  There are some people in here asking about the Estmonds. Won’t tell me who they are looking for. Just thought you might want to know. It’s weird. I don’t like them.

  She sent the message and left her phone sitting where it was on the counter. Standing, she checked and was happy to see that the guys at the bar were chatting amongst themselves, except now they looked like they might be arguing in whispers.

  The couple at the table also had their heads in and were speaking low enough that she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Their drinks had barely been touched, so she didn’t call out to ask if they were ready for another one.

  “Reese, can I get another,” Jane Lowery called from a table where she had her laptop sitting in front of her and was typing faster than Reese had ever seen anyone type.

  “Sure thing, Jane.” She turned and began to gather the ingredients for a Long Island Iced Tea. Jane was an author and often came in to work on whatever book she was writing. She scooted her chair out and headed up to the bar.

  Reese mixed the drink and slid it over to her. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks, Reese.”

  “How’s the book coming?”

  Jane let out a long sigh, “Slower than I’d like, but I think it’s going to be a good one.”

  “I can’t wait to read it,” Reese told her. She didn’t have to lie either. She read all of Jane’s books and knew for a fact that she was a fabulous storyteller.

  “I’ll make sure you get an advanced copy,” Jane assured Reese as she lifted her drink. “Back to it now.”

  Reese watched as Jane headed back to her table, sipped her drink and returned to hacking away at the keyboard.

  Her phone chimed and she moved down the bar to check the text. It was from Hannah.

  Coming to check it out.

  Reese didn’t respond since she didn’t feel that she needed to. She attended to a few more customers who needed refills, keeping a close eye on the shady group, who had gone silent, now facing forward and sipping their drinks.

  True to her word, ten minutes later, Hannah entered the bar with David, Liv, Greg and Steph close at her side. “Hey Hannah,” she called out, waving as she greeted them.

  “Hi Reese,” Hannah responded, but her eyes were scanning the bar and Reese immediately sensed that something was wrong. David didn’t look as tense, but she could see Hannah gripping his hand and squeezing.

  Greg took in the interior of the bar as well. When he met Reese’s gaze, she tilted her head to the side, indicating the three guys at the bar were the ones she had meant when she texted Hannah. Greg appeared to already know who the culprits were, but still offered her the slightest nod that he understood.

  The three hadn’t even turned around yet, so they didn’t take notice of the Estmond family behind them. The two at the table, however, seemed to recognize one or more of them. They straightened in their chairs and the woman elbowed the man gently. He responded with a silent nod, never taking his eyes off of the Estmonds.

  Shit. She sensed trouble brewing. Her gaze moved back and forth between the Estmonds, the couple, and the trio at the bar. Her hand crept underneath the counter to where her bat was propped up against the cabinet. Her fingertips caressed the wooden surface of the handle and she felt better simply knowing it was there.

  Suddenly, the door blew open and Jack Walker, Lucy’s new man, entered with his friend and Liv’s new boyfriend, Aiden. Reese’s eyes slid over the two men and she couldn’t help but wonder where they had come from and how in the world Liv and Lucy had scored these smoking hot guys.

  Maybe it was the fact that she never left Summer Hollow and she had known every guy here her whole life, but she found very few men in town attractive at all. Daniel Estmond was one of the only guys she’d ever found herself attracted to, but he had never even looked twice at her. Then, he’d met Anna and his world revolved around her. After Anna passed away, Dan had changed tremendously. He would probably never get over losing her.

  As soon as Jack and Aiden stepped inside, relief flashed across Liv’s face. One of the three at the bar turned and Aiden glared at the man, a flicker of familiarity glimmering in his eyes. Aiden knew these men. In fact, she was positive that they all knew each other from somewhere.

  Aiden rested his hand on Jack’s arm and then, after letting it fall, he marched toward the three men at the bar. Reese moved so that she was closer and could hear what they were saying.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” Aiden demanded, fists clenched at his side.

  The dark-haired one glanced at Reese and then smirked. “Just stopping in to visit an old friend.”

  Aiden only glared, his emerald eyes stone cold as he assessed the man before him. “You need to leave town. It’s pretty damn ballsy of you to show your face here after all that has happened.”

  With a shake of his head, the man responded. “We will stay as long as we see fit.”

  This time it was Aiden who threw a glance at Reese before turning his gaze back to the group. “You know damn well what I’m capable of. I think you better take my advice and just leave.”

  The blond guy turned to Aiden and shook his head. “We don’t have to go anywhere and you don’t scare me. I don’t care what
you were before, you are nothing now. We’re simply here to watch the precious Estmond family, nothing more. Last I heard, Summer Hollow was still open to tourists and you don’t get to choose who spends time here.”

  Reese watched as Aiden’s jaw set and his fists clenched. Jack and Greg moved, one on each side of Aiden. “Why are you staying in Summer Hollow?” Jack growled.

  The man didn’t respond, he simply met Jack’s gaze and very deliberately sipped his drink.

  Obviously irritated, Jack raised his eyebrows and rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Listen man, you know who I am. There might be a time coming soon when you are going to wish that you answered when I asked you a question, because I never forget a face.”

  The guy spread his hands out in explanation. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”

  Reese tried to digest everything she was hearing. First of all, she wanted to know what in the hell Jack and Aiden had going on with their ‘You know what I’m capable of,” and ‘You know who I am.” Sounded like they were with the freaking mob or some shit.

  Greg inhaled deeply and then exhaled a long sigh. “We can’t make you leave,” he told them in a low, intimidating voice that Reese had never heard Greg use before. “But, everyone in this bar is witnessing this encounter. If anything happens to anyone in my family … and I mean one fucking hair on their heads, I will unleash hell as you have never seen it before. Do you understand?”

  What kind of shit had the Estmonds gotten themselves into? Sure, she had heard Greg threaten people before. When you messed with any one of those siblings the entire group came after you. But they were adults now and she hadn’t seen him threaten anyone since high school.

  None of the men answered him. Greg turned, pointed to the couple at the table and said, “That goes for you, too. I know you heard me. One. Fucking. Hair.”

  None of the newcomers seemed phased by his threat. That fact also shocked Reese. Everyone, even David, who was a police officer, acted as if this sort of encounter was a daily occurrence or something.

  Jack took one step back and tilted his head. “Now, we are going to go stand over there while you finish your drinks, so mind your manners,” He glanced up at Reese and she saw apology in his deep dark eyes. “And don’t forget to tip your bartender generously.”

  He backed away slowly and then turned, striding quickly over to Hannah, Steph and David.

  Okay, no fight. She released the grip on her bat, but eyeballed them from the bar. Steph stood with her hands crossed under her breasts. She appeared nervous, but also angry. Everyone else was whispering and motioning with their hands.

  Reese wanted to know what the hell was going on, but she had a feeling that she shouldn’t go over there and talk to them with these strangers watching her. Best to be neutral and let things simmer down.

  Maybe she never should have texted Hannah about these guys. Maybe if she had left it alone, they would have just continued on their road trip.

  Nah, she shook her head as she silently argued with herself, grabbing a fresh bar towel and wetting it. They had said that they were specifically looking for an Estmond. They knew that the family lived here in Summer Hollow, so it was probably best that she had alerted Hannah to the fact that they were here.

  One thing was for sure, these guys were not friends with the Estmonds.

  The tension in the room was still thick, but the Estmonds, David, Jack and Aiden had all taken up posts throughout the bar. None of the regular patrons appeared to notice or care. Some had witnessed the confrontation, but hell, it was a bar and confrontations were common.

  She wiped the bar mindlessly while she thought over the details of what had just happened. The moment for reflection didn’t last long, though, as the dark-haired guy signaled to her. “Could I get another down here?”

  With a nod, Reese set down the rag and made her way down the bar. Smiling, she grabbed his empty glass. “Same thing?” she asked.

  He nodded, now appearing uncomfortable in her presence. Likely because she heard every single word that had been exchanged earlier. “Yes, that would be great.” He threw some bills on the bar.

  She finished filling it and was just setting it down for him when the door burst open once again and Dan entered the bar. He let the door swing shut behind him and his gaze moved over the bar. He caught her eye, nodded, and then moved his line of vision from the guys at the bar to the two seated at a table, over the other customers and finally settling on his brother.

  “Shit,” Reese whispered, more to herself than anyone else, but the group of guys in front of her swiveled on their stools and followed her eyes. She set the beer down on the bar and grabbed the cash off the bar. “Thanks,” she mumbled without taking her eyes off of Dan.

  “Keep the change,” he mumbled back.

  Dan’s face morphed into a mask of anger and he strode quickly through the crowded tables and over to his brother, who was by the bathrooms. She watched as they whispered hastily back and forth. Greg was calm, leaning up against the wall. Dan was moving his hands around as if he were trying to convince his brother of something.

  Then, Dan turned and marched toward the bar. The two at the tables stood as he passed and the trio near Reese all got to their feet, because the look on Dan’s face said he wasn’t in the mood for talking.

  “Son of a bitch,” Reese hissed under her breath and, once again, curled her fingers around the handle of her bat.

  Dan approached the group, his siblings and the others following him. “You need to leave,” he began, pointing at the trio. “Right now.”

  Blondie rolled his eyes. “Are we seriously going to go through this again?”

  “Get up, get out of this bar and keep going until you are far from Summer Hollow,” Dan growled.

  “Dan,” Reese tried. “It’s okay, there isn’t a problem here.”

  He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Oh, you’re mistaken. There is a problem. These guys are a threat to my family and I want them gone.”

  “Threat?” Reese asked, but Dan ignored her and stepped even closer to the dark-haired guy, so close that their bodies almost touched.

  “Dan.” This time, her voice was low with warning.

  “Step back.” The guy raised his hand and pushed Dan’s chest so that it forced him backward.

  That was it. He had pulled the trigger. It happened so fast there was no stopping it. Dan reared back his arm and punched him. His fist made contact with the guy’s cheek bone, his head twisting to the side from the force.

  And then it was on. The room exploded. The guy hit Dan back and grabbed the front of his jacket, lifting and then throwing him backward. Dan landed on one of the chairs and it snapped beneath his weight. He cursed and jumped to his feet, just as the trio went after the other Estmonds and their significant others.

  Just as Dan got to his feet, Reese was grabbing her bat. “Knock it off,” she yelled as she slid easily over the bar, landing on the other side with a thud. Immediately, she intercepted the two strangers who had been at the table. They had been headed for the fight, but stopped in their tracks when Reese held up her bat in front of them.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she warned, panting a little from the adrenaline.

  The woman snorted. “What, are you really going to hit your customers with a baseball bat?”

  “Of course I will. That’s what it’s here for.”

  The man grabbed the bat with both hands and tried to yank it from her. “Hey,” Reese pulled back and then without thinking, kicked out her foot, finding his stomach.

  “Shit.” He stumbled back a step, but didn’t let go of the bat.

  Chaos was all around her, people yelling and fists flying. The next thing she knew, she saw a chair swing up and then down over the top of the guy’s head. Surprised, he cried out and released her bat so that he could reach for his head.

  “Jane!” Reese shouted. “Move back. Get out of here.”

  “Your welcome,” Jane shouted back
, but didn’t appear to be going anywhere. The woman lunged at her. Reese had no choice. She swung the bat, making contact with her small shoulder. “Don’t come near me,” Reese screamed as the woman side-stepped several feet while clutching her shoulder.

  This is bullshit, Reese thought as she swung her bat up so that it rested on her shoulder. Breathing hard, she turned and saw that everyone … well, not Mr. Alders, but everyone else in the bar was fighting now. This trio of strangers and the two she had been scuffling with, they were in deep shit. The townspeople were not having any of their own messed with.

  “Get them out of here!” Reese called out above the noise.

  With that, the three men were hoisted up and dragged toward the door. She bent over and took a few deep breaths as Aiden and a few other guys took care of the man and woman she had been fighting.

  Man, I really need to get back in shape, she thought, realizing that even that little bit of physical activity made her feel like she’d climbed a freaking mountain.

  Finally, the doors shut. All five strangers had been escorted out to the parking lot and, for a short moment, the entire bar was silent, everyone looking to everyone else as if searching for clues to what had just happened.

  And then, Dan straightened his jacket and yelled, “Next round is on me! Everyone get a drink,” and the room erupted with cheers of victory.

  CHAPTER THREE

  DAN

  Reese looked so pissed. No, she looked more than pissed. He had seen her upset before and it was nothing compared to the look on her face now. Why was he always fucking things up when it came to her?

  After he announced that he’d pay for the next round, Reese had tossed her long dark waves over her shoulder and slid back over the bar without a word. He waited until she stashed her bat on the other side somewhere before he approached the bar and slid his card over to her. “Whatever they want, I’ll pay for it,” he told her softly.

  Reese glared at him and took the card off the bar without looking away. “You have some explaining to do,” she told him, setting his card inside the cash register. “After you all clean up. I want my furniture replaced too.”