Keeper of the Peace (Graveyard Guardians #2) Read online

  It was only after she had gotten out of the car and locked it that she realized she still had her scrubs on. “Screw it.” She mumbled under her breath and slid the scrub shirt over her head, leaving her in a white tank and black scrub pants. What the hell did she care, she wasn’t here to impress anyone, she was here to drink till she forgot all the terrible shit that happened today.

  She threw the shirt into her car and rounded the corner to the front of the bar. A few of the patrons were loitering outside on the sidewalk, outside the door. They waved and smiled as she pushed open the heavy wooden door.

  Inside, the jukebox blared, assaulting her ears with pop music disguised as country. Reese waved at her from behind the bar. “Hey Hannah, it’s a rare occasion to see you in here.”

  Hannah made her way over to the end of the bar so she didn’t have to yell over the music and conversation. “Yeah, but have no fear, I come on a mission.”

  “Oh yeah, what mission would that be?” Reese laughed and tossed a wave of dark hair over her shoulder.

  “To get trashed.” Hannah pulled out a stool and plopped down onto it. “What other reason would responsible little me be doing in a bar?”

  “You have a point there. So what’ll it be?”

  Hannah surveyed the bottles of booze behind the bar. “Shots. Tequila shots.”

  Reese raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t kidding.” She reached under the bar and withdrew a couple of shot glasses. “You have someone to drive you home?”

  “I’ll call one of my brothers or sisters, someone will come and get me.” She dropped her keys on the bar in front of Reese. “If all else fails I can walk, it’s only a few blocks.”

  With a nod, Reese took the keys and hung them on a hook behind her that was made from a crumpled license plate. Hannah knew the story. That plate had belonged to Reese’s father. He had owned the bar before her, but he died when a drunk driver ran a red light and T-boned his car at the intersection in town.

  “Can I have a coke to chase this with?” Hannah asked as she watched Reese fill the shot glasses.

  “Sure thing,” Reese answered, returning the tequila to its place on the shelf with the other liquor. After pouring a coke and setting it on the bar beside the shots, she looked at Hannah expectantly. “Bottoms up, woman.”

  Hannah stared down at the tiny glasses full of golden liquid and then picked one up. She put it to her lips and tipped her head back. As soon as the booze hit her belly she shivered and then did the same with the next shot.

  “Ugh!” she scrambled for her soda and drank about half of it in one gulp. “So nasty.”

  Reese laughed. “Well you’re stuck with it now. I’m not going to let you mix it up.”

  Hannah pushed the glasses forward. “You’re a bossy bartender, you know that.”

  “Yes, yes I do.”

  “Fill ‘em up again.” Hannah was already feeling the buzz, since she didn’t drink very often.

  Bringing the bottle back down, Reese poured her two more shots. “Now who’s being bossy, huh?”

  Another shot down, cringe, chase. “I’m the patron. I can be bossy if I want.”

  “Ohhh, and sassy when on the booze.”

  Both women laughed and Hannah had just lifted her shot glass when to take her next shot when the door swung open and David marched into the bar.

  “Oh fuck.” Hannah shook her head in disbelief. She had never wished for a do-over day so badly in her entire life.

  “What?” Reese asked, following Hannah’s stare. “Oh shit, is that…”

  Hannah nodded. “Yup. That’s him.”

  “I’ll get the tequila down again.” Reese turned and reached for the bottle.

  Hannah and David were pretty much common knowledge among those who had grown up in Summer Hollow and were around her age. She and Reese were both thirty, so they had been in school together.

  She knew that she should stop staring and turn around before he saw her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. He stopped just inside the entrance and moved his eyes over the patrons.

  Reese filled her shot glasses. “Did you know he was in town?”

  “Yes,” Hannah answered with a nod. “He came into the morgue today for a case he’s working on.”

  “Oh,” she wiped some spilled tequila off the bar with a damp white rag, “That’s right, he’s a detective. But I thought he was with the LAPD.”

  “I don’t know what he’s doing.” Hannah shrugged. “I don’t really care either.”

  “Sure. Like I believe that.”

  Hannah turned back to face the entrance just in time for David to meet her gaze. Quickly, she turned back around and slammed one of her shots. “Ugh!” her hand went to her mouth to catch a few drops of liquor. “Tell me,” she asked Reese “why does he have to look so damn good? Why couldn’t he have gotten fat and … bald?”

  Reese laughed. “I will admit, he’s even better looking now than he was in high school, and he was hot then. Uh oh …”

  “What?” Hannah widened her eyes.

  “He’s coming over here.”

  “Dammit.” She didn’t want to turn around, so she grabbed her purse and pretended to be looking for something inside.

  “Hannah.”

  Crap, he was right behind her.

  Slowly, she spun around on the stool to face him. “Detective.” She was perfectly aware that she was slurring her words, but there wasn’t really much she could do about it now.

  His blue eyes were radiating intently as he stared down at her. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn’t know that you were working there.”

  “Uh … don’t worry about it.” What did he really expect her to say?

  “David,” Reese came to the rescue. “It’s been a long time.”

  David nodded. “It sure has. I heard about your dad a few years back. I’m sorry, he was a good man.”

  “Yes,” Reese smiled, “he was. Now, would you like a drink?”

  “Absolutely. Surprise me with something good off the tap.”

  “Sure thing.”

  While Reese was keeping David occupied, Hannah opened her purse and discreetly set some cash on the bar. Then, she slid off the stool in a poor attempt to sneak away.

  “Where are you going?” David asked her, his voice soft.

  “I … I was just heading home.”

  He glanced at the bar and then back at her. “You still have a shot to do.”

  “You can have it. I have to go.” Ack. Why didn’t he just leave her alone?

  “Please stay and have a drink with me.”

  Hannah shook her head. “Sorry, detective. I have plans.” Intending to leave without any further confrontation, she took a stepped to the side and moved around him.

  “Please, Hannah. I just want to talk.” He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arm, gently turning her around to face him.

  “Don’t touch me! I already told you to leave me alone.” She yanked her arm out of his grasp.

  Unfortunately, David could not be swayed so easily. “Well, at least let me drive you home.”

  By nature, Hannah was a fairly calm person, but this was getting ridiculous. When a girl says no it means no, dammit. She felt the anger spreading through her body like a deadly disease. “Fine, you want to talk. Let’s talk!” She threw her purse on the bar and stepped forward so that, if she had been taller, they would have been nose to nose. “You left, I get why, but we can’t just pick things up where they left off.”

  David glanced around at the patrons in the bar. People had started to stare at them, wondering what the confrontation was all about. “I was thinking a more private conversation would be appropriate.”

  She shook her head vigorously. “No way, buddy. You wanna talk, we can do it right here. Everyone in this town will know about it by tomorrow anyway.”

  “I had to leave, Hannah.”

  “I know that, you asshole. But, it doesn’t make the hurt go away.” She reached o
ver and snatched the last shot off the bar and slammed it back. After swallowing down the urge to puke, she set the glass back on the bar and pointed at him. “I spent all those years trying to forget you. I wanted to leave it in the past, and I did. But, now your back and opening those wounds that took twelve fucking years to almost heal.”

  Completely losing her composure, she pushed him in the chest so hard that he took a step backward. “So go back to L.A. and leave me alone.”

  David wasn’t swayed by her outburst even one little bit. “I can’t go back.”

  “Then go anywhere but here,” she spat.

  “I’m going to fix this between us, Hannah. I’m not asking to go back to the way it was. I just want to help heal those wounds you mentioned.”

  “Fuck off.” She spun around to leave again and like before, he grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. He turned her toward him so she had to look into his eyes. His grasp was tighter than before, as he held onto both of her shoulders. “If you think you are the only one who has wounds, you are an idiot.” He gave her a little shake. “I hurt too, Hannah. I didn’t want to leave you … I wanted to make something of myself and I fucking did.”

  “Well good for you! Now let me go!” She struggled against him, but he tightened his grip a bit more.

  “I know that nothing I say will ever change what happened but we can try to forgive and start new.”

  “I don’t want to start anything with you.” Despite the anger, she felt tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

  “David,” Reese’s voice came calmly across the bar. “You need to take your hands off of her.”

  No sooner were the words out of her mouth, than the door swung open and a shit storm walked over the threshold. Lucy and Daniel Estmond strode into the bar with Jack close behind them.

  Hannah didn’t see them come in. She didn’t see Daniel spot the confrontation between the two of them and she didn’t see his eyes flash with anger as he practically pushed other patrons over to get to his sister.

  She did see when he grabbed David from the back of his jacket and yank him backward. “Don’t ever touch my sister!” he bellowed.

  Surprised, Hannah staggered backward as David released her. “Dan!”

  Dan ignored her and stepped in between his sister and her ex-boyfriend. “I told you before if you came near her again that I would give you another ass kicking.” He spread his hands wide, “And look where we are now.”

  “Dan, I can take care of myself.” Hannah could not believe that this was happening. She grabbed the back of Dan’s trench coat and tried to pull him away from David. She wanted David to go away, but she didn’t want her brother to beat him bloody.

  “Stay back, Hannah,” Dan ordered.

  Hannah moved around him and squeezed in between Dan and David. The sudden turn of events had her mind reeling. Only a moment ago she was yelling at David to get away from her and now she was standing in between him and her brother, trying to save his ass.

  “You don’t need to protect me, Hannah. Get out of the way.” David tried to move her aside so she didn’t get hurt.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you two calm down.” She placed her hands on Dan’s chest and pushed just a little, trying to get him as far away from David as possible.

  “Move Hannah,” Dan ordered.

  Right, like she was going to move out of the way and let Dan beat him up. David was a freaking cop for crying out loud. They didn’t need this shit right now, with all the other stuff going on.

  She peered around Dan and saw Jack and Lucy standing nearby. Jack looked like he was ready to jump in if he needed to and Lucy glared at David with a furious expression. Suddenly Hannah was afraid that Lucy might jump him too.

  Reese with her bat in hand, had come around the bar so that she could also step in if needed. Hannah tilted her head, indicating that Reese should do something.

  Taking the hint, Reese moved forward and poked her bat at Dan’s side, “Hey, back off.”

  Dan shifted his eyes and glared down at her, then gently pushed the bat away.

  She poked him in the ribs again and sighed. “Dan, you of all people know that I will hit you with this if I have to.”

  There was a scoff from Jack. “Dude, did she hit you with that thing before?”

  “Shut up, you prick,” Dan sneered at Jack, but one more poke from Reese’s bat had him backing up a little bit.

  “Dan,” Reese shook her head, “please don’t make me kick you out of here today, let’s go at least a week without having to do that.”

  Dan threw his hands up in surrender. “You all act like I’m the one doing something wrong here. He’s the asshole putting his hands on my sister.”

  Hannah moved back toward David just a tiny bit. “He wasn’t trying to hurt me, you idiot.”

  “I don’t give a fuck. Like he hasn’t hurt you already. I swear, I will kick his ass again just for looking at you.”

  David laughed. “I let you kick my ass that day.”

  Hannah shook her head at David’s lack of fear. I guess that would make him a good cop though, she thought.

  Dan lunged at David again and Hannah reacted, pushing forward with both hands and shoving her brother back.

  “Move, Hannah,” Dan growled under his breath.

  With a shake of her head Hannah could not believe she what she was saying. “Not a chance.” She only had a slight buzz left after the rise of her adrenaline, which allowed her to think a bit more clearly and her thought was that David needed to leave and it didn’t look like he was going to be doing that anytime soon.

  Unless she went with him.

  Frustrated, David raked his fingers through his hair. “Look, I just wanted to talk to her. That’s it. We don’t have to be doing any of this.”

  Lucy stepped forward and softly urged Dan back a little bit further. “David, she will talk to you when she’s good and ready.”

  “Sorry Luce, but you don’t get to speak for her, neither does Dan.”

  Fuck. He did not go there.

  As expected, Jack pushed Lucy back and stepped in front of her. “And if you even look at my woman wrong I will destroy you. Understand?”

  David narrowed his eyebrows. “Who the fuck are you anyway?”

  “If you hurt any of these people in anyway, I am your worst nightmare, that’s who I am.”

  Lucy grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled. “Okay, it’s over. Let’s go.”

  Jack stood his ground. “I’ll go when we all go.”

  Dammit, this situation wasn’t getting any better. It looked like she was going to be the only one who could end this. “David, drive me home.” She spat out the order, grabbed her purse and stalked toward the door. As a last minute thought, she turned and called out to Reese, “I’m sorry about this.”

  Reese gave her a nod and shooed her away with a wave.

  Her sister and brother called her name as she swung open the door and stepped out into the warm summer night. She ignored them and hurried toward the parking lot. She knew that David would be right behind her, so she didn’t even bother turning around to check, until she got to the parking lot. She skidded to a stop and spun around to face him. “Which one is yours?”

  Not taking his eyes off of her, he pointed, “The Chevelle.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I should have known. Let’s go.”

  Just because she was going with him, pretty much against her will, did not mean that she had to be happy about it. He wasn’t happy either, she could tell. She tried not to look at him as she slid into the seat and buckled up.

  He went around and got in behind the wheel. When he turned the key the engine roared to life and they rumbled out onto the highway.

  CHAPTER

  9

  DAVID

  It only took about two minutes to get to Hannah’s house. He turned into the driveway and killed the engine.

  “You don’t actually think I’m going to ask you in, do you?” />
  He cast an irritated glance her way. He’d had enough messing around. They were going to have this out … in private. “I don’t care if you ask me, I’m coming in anyway.”

  “Fine. Whatever.” She pushed open the door and then slammed it shut behind her.

  He followed her up to the front door where she paused and looked around. “Shit. I left my keys with Reese.”

  “You have a spare?” he asked, keeping his voice soft. His blood was still pumping from the confrontation with her brother and that other guy. Not that he had been afraid, the whole thing just pissed him off.

  “Yeah … under one of these rocks. I put it there a few years ago, so I don’t remember which one.”

  He could tell she was already stressed out about him being here at all, so a missing key was just one more thing. She picked up a couple of rocks and looked underneath them, not finding anything. So he joined her, picking up a few larger rocks that were close to the front door.

  “I found it.” She withdrew a key from underneath a good sized rock. The thing was covered in dirt and a bit rusty too. She blew on it and then wiped it on her pants. “That should work.” She tried it in the door and, luckily, it did open. “Come on.” She waved him inside.

  The inside of Hannah’s house was pretty nice. Cozy, yet it gave off the feeling of class. Her living room was white with beige carpet and beige curtains hanging from the two windows that faced the driveway.

  A dark brown, leather couch sat in the center of the room in front of a cherry wood coffee table. A large, flat television took up a good portion of one wall. David shook his head, thinking the thing had to have been at least sixty inches. Below the television were all the gadgets usually associated with an entertainment center, including a gaming system.

  She had several dark wood cabinets with glass shelves and mirrors behind them. He strode across the room to get a look at what she had inside. He wasn’t surprised to see all kinds of Star Wars memorabilia strategically placed on the shelves.

  “You still into all this?” He gestured to the cabinet.