Chapter 56 Old Friends and New Enemies
Elena stepped into the dim bar, her eyes squinting against the darkness.
“Why is it so dark in here?" She muttered uncomfortably.
The smell of stale beer and old wood hit her immediately but she merely wrinkled her nose and kept her head down, the brim of her baseball cap shielding her face as she scanned the room for Francis.
She looked at the booths in the back and the shadowed corners, but he wasn't there yet. Her heart was beating so fast she was almost sure a heart attack wasn't so far away.
“Where is he?" She muttered and pulled out her phone, about to call him. But on the second ring, it went to voicemail.
She walked toward the long wooden bar and tried to act comfortable despite the cramped up cheap space. She needed to look like she belonged there, so she pulled out a stool and sat down.
"What can I get you?" the bartender asked. He was wearing a stained apron and had a tired look on his face.
"A tequila," Elena said quietly.
The man nodded and reached for a bottle. But as he started to pour the drink into a
glass, Elena felt a sudden wave of nerves.
She looked at the clear liquid and thought about the envelope of cash in her pocket. She couldn't afford to be tipsy right now, especially not with someone as slippery as Francis. If he tried anything funny, she needed to be completely sober.
"Actually, wait," she said, raising her hand. "Change that. Just give me a glass of water instead."
The bartender stopped pouring and looked at her, his eyebrows drawing together. "Water? You come into a place like this for water? You having a rough day or something, honey?"
Elena gripped the edge of the bar. "Not yet," she muttered. "But I think it might turn into one soon. I just need to keep my head clear."
The bartender shrugged and dumped the tequila into another covered beer glass. He filled a glass with tap water and set it in front of her. As he did, he leaned over the bar, his eyes wandering over her tight leggings.
A slow, supposedly sexy smile spread across his face.
"You know, you look like you could use some company later on," he said, his voice dropping into a flirty tone. "I get off shift in an hour. We could go somewhere a bit more private than this dump."
Thank goodness someone else agreed that this was a dump.
Elena looked away, feeling sick to her stomach. She knew why he was hitting on her, in fact, she wasn't surprised.
In her hoodie and leggings, she looked like a girl who spent her time in places like this. She looked like his type. She didn't look like a billionaire’s daughter anymore, and for a second, she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"No, thank you," she said coldly and took a long drink of the water, trying to ignore him. "I’m just waiting for a friend."
“Oh come on, I could buy you a proper drink and maybe a snack for later."
Elena couldn't believe her ears. Did he just hit on her with the promise of food? “I said, no. Please, go away."
The bartender’s smile vanished instantly. He straightened up, his face turning sour. "Fine. Suit yourself. You’re going to have a very lonely afternoon, then."
At least he had a little bit of pride and didn't bother her anymore.
He turned away from her and started talking to a regular at the other end of the bar, leaving Elena sitting there in the cold silence. She didn't care.
She had bigger problems than a rude bartender. She kept her eyes on the door, watching every person who walked in, waiting for the one face she dreaded seeing.
Suddenly, she felt a heavy hand drop onto her shoulder.
Elena jumped, nearly knocking her water over.
Her first thought was Francis, but when she spun around on the stool, she froze.
Standing in front of her was a man with a messy head of hair and a face she hadn't seen in almost ten years.
He was staring at her with wide eyes, a look of pure disbelief on his face.
"Oh my goodness," he breathed, his hand going to his chest. "It’s really you."
The man grinned, his eyes crinkling. "I thought I saw those cute little lips from across the bar, but I couldn't be sure. It’s really you. Elena Vance. I can't believe it."
Elena swallowed hard, her mind racing back to college. "Silas? Silas Kane?"
"In the flesh," he said. He reached out and took her hand, shaking it firmly. He looked her up and down, his eyes taking in her hoodie and the water glass. "What are you doing in a place like this, Elena? Last time I saw you on the news, you were some billionaire heiress living in a mansion. Now you're sitting in a dive bar drinking tap water. Did the world end while I was away?"
Elena pulled her hand back, glancing nervously around the room. "Keep your voice down, Silas. Please."
Silas looked surprised by her attitude. He leaned against the bar. "Hey, are you okay? Is someone chasing you? You look like you're ready to jump out of your skin."
"No, it's nothing like that," Elena lied, trying to act normal. "I just... I’m meeting a mutual friend here for some business. I just don't want to be recognized. People talk, you know?"
Silas didn't look like he believed a word of it. He looked at her cap and her plain clothes and then shrugged. "Okay. If you say so. But you look like you're in trouble, Elena. You were always the rich, pampered girl back in school, and you hated beer. Seeing you here with water... it just doesn't fit."
Elena looked at him, really seeing him for the first time. Silas had been a good friend back then.
He had always looked out for her when she was trying to blend in with the regular students. He was the one who walked her to the bus station so she didn't have to call a private car. He never made her feel bad for having money, and he never asked for anything.
But Silas had changed. He had tattoos covering his arms and neck now. His nose looked like it had been broken more than once, and there were faint scars along the side of his throat.
He looked like he had lived a very hard life since graduation.
"Are you okay, Silas?" she asked softly. "Have you been in the city all this time?"
"In and out," he said, taking a sip of the beer he was holding. "I’ve had a few rough years, moving around, doing what I had to do. But I finally found something stable to keep me in town. I’m doing okay now."
"I'm happy for you," Elena said. She meant it, but her eyes kept drifting back to the door.
She was terrified Francis would walk in and see her talking to another man.
Silas noticed her distraction. He leaned in closer. "Listen, Elena. If you need help getting out of here, I can help you. I have a car outside. We can leave right now and you don't have to see whoever you're waiting for."
Elena thought about the sex tape and about the cash in her pocket. "No. I can't. I have to handle this on my own. It’s... it’s a personal matter."
Silas opened his mouth to argue, but he never got the chance.
Another hand dropped onto Elena’s shoulder, but this time it wasn't friendly.
It was a tight grip that made her wince.
"You little whore," a voice hissed in her ear. "You've barely been here for a minute and you're already getting cozy with another man?"
Elena spun around.
It was Francis. He looked disheveled and completely pissed at the fact that she had company.
"Francis, it's not what you think!" Elena argued defensively. "This is Silas. He’s an old school friend. He was just saying hello."
Francis didn't look at Silas. He just kept his eyes on Elena. "I don't care who he is. We’re here for a reason. Come on, let’s find somewhere private so we can finish this."
He tried to pull her away by the arm, but Silas stepped forward and grabbed her left hand. "Hey! Stop right there. You don't talk to a lady like that, and you definitely don't put your hands on her."
Silas looked like he was ready to throw a punch. And damn it if he didn't look like he could throw a painful one.
"Silas, no!" Elena said quickly, stepping between them. She couldn't have a fight right now and risk the police showing up. "It’s okay. Really. He’s my friend. I’ve been waiting for him.”
Francis cocked his head arrogantly. "You heard the bitch. I'm here for her.”
Elena nodded at Silas. "It was nice seeing you again, Silas."
She gave him a look that begged him to let it go. Silas stared at Francis for a long time but finally, he looked at Elena and nodded once.
"I'll be at the bar if you change your mind," Silas said.
Francis let out a mocking laugh and pulled Elena toward a corner booth at the back of the room.
It was far away from the other patrons and it was even dimmer than the rest of the already dim place.
As soon as they sat down, he snapped. "Do you have it?"
Elena didn't say a word. She reached into the front pocket of her hoodie and pulled out the envelope.
She set it on the sticky wooden table between them.
"Here," Elena said, her voice shaking with anger. "It's everything you asked for. Now, take it and delete the files. I want them gone from your phone, your cloud, and everywhere else. And then I want you to get out of my life for good."
Francis looked at the envelope and reached out, touching the paper with a wicked smile.
Elena watched him, her breath held, waiting for the nightmare to finally be over.
He licked his lips and grabbed her hands. “That's just step one. Now, you have to give me a farewell gift."