Hidebound

Chapter FortyFour

"Nothing? What do you do nothing?" Harley grabs my shoulder and yanks me around to face her again, her anger getting the best of her.

"Harley" I grunt as I shake her hand off me as I try and not make it look like we're freaking out. They would love to know they had that effect on us. "Just pretend they're not there, please" I beg her between clenched teeth. I can almost see the steam coming from her ears. "And whatever you do, do not let Hex know they're here" I state as firmly as possible.

I can see the three men in my peripheral as they finish greeting each other and take seats around the four seated table. All of them take seats around the sides that allow them to see the bar but only Kevin does it with innocent intentions.

"Poppy, Hex will be so mad when he finds out" she tries and convinces me but it does the opposite.

"Hex is at home due to those two men and it will be the last time that happens, okay?" I raise my voice slightly and by the look on Harley's face she wasn't prepared for it but I finally get my point across.

"Okay" she agrees with reluctance "but if they get Kevin drunk then there will be a problem" she points her finger and I watch as it shakes with adrenaline.

I nod, done with arguing and allowing her to at least have that one thing.

That stupid back door slams as Sarah exits it and I instinctively jump again at the sound.

"All clean" she brushes her hands along her pants before huffing and looking around. "I thought it was busy?" She questions, her eyebrows pulling together.

"I just needed help with something, sorry" Harley mumbles under her breath as we both go back to pretending everything is okay.

I ignore the strange look Sarah displays on her face, one of confusion but also suspicion. I don't think Harley notices.

"Aye Poppy! Can we get some beers over here?" Kevin calls from the table. I don't look up from the bar but I answer with a nod and a wave of my hand.

"Assholes can't get their own drinks?" Harley mumbles only loud enough for me to hear but I pretend I don't anyway.

I pour the drinks, resisting the unprofessional urge to spit in them but silently pray that on their journey over to the table that a bug flies into them.

"Sarah, can you take these to Kevin's table please?" I ask as she passes. I ignore her brief pause as she wonders why I'm making her take them but she gathers them in her hands and takes them without another word.

And that's how the rest of the day goes. Sarah starts to become more suspicious as time goes on the more we ask her to run drinks to the table Amos and Ace sit at because Harley and I refuse to do it. The camera that continued to remain on us all day became the last worry on my mind as I watched Harley sizzle throughout the day. I don't know how she had managed to hold it in for so long, after all her and her brother aren't known to hold onto their anger, especially for long periods of time.

Amos and Ace had also worked out our plan and had done everything they could to get us to tick over. Including calling us over by our names and making obnoxious sounds whenever we would leave the bar area. It gained everyone else's attention in Darby's and thankfully only a few men joined in while the rest ignored it.

The obnoxious noises was what got to Harley the most though, so much so that Banks had felt it and shown up after he had finished work. He knew who Amos and Ace were as soon as he laid eyes on them. I guess Harley had had that conversation with him and so he took Harley home early. I knew it was probably for the best but now I just felt alone while dealing with them. I was also waiting for Stevie to flip his shit over Harley leaving early and Banks coming into Darby's when he's still technically banned.

But all that had been an hour ago and he hadn't shown his face as I watch the clock on the wall closely waiting for closing time.

"So" Sarah slides up besides me as she watches me wash glasses before hanging them on the rack for tomorrow. "Who are those men?" She asks. I guess she hadn't been as oblivious as I thought she had been.

"What men?" I feel stupid as soon as the words leave my mouth.

Sarah clicks her tongue "c'mon Poppy".

"I don't know, they're from years ago. They have bad blood with Hex" I briefly explain and wipe back the baby hairs that fall into my eyesight.

"So that's why Harley was in a bad mood" she talks to herself and I watch from my peripheral as she looks in the direction of Amos and Ace.

"Don't look at them, I don't want them to know I've acknowledged them" I mumble as I fumble with a wet glass in the sink.

Sarah does as I say but continues standing by me, looking around Darby's as the place empties out as closing time sets upon us.

"Want me to ask them to leave?" She asks. I think about it for a moment but then shake my head. They had already been here all day, what's five more minutes? "Okay, let me know if I can do anything" she offers before pushing off the bar.

"Thanks Sarah, appreciate it" I give her a smile as I turn back to what I'm doing.

I busy myself with little tasks around the bar area as I'm hyper focused on what's happening at Kevin's table. I should be wiping down all the tables but I'd rather stay back later to do that then to do it while they're still here.

Movement outside the front door catches my attention, pulling my mind away from Amos and Ace for the first time today. I freeze up and my mind panics when I see the big build and tattoos but then I realise it's only Rex as he stands guard outside, not letting anyone in before we close.

I throw the tea towel down and leave the bar. I feel the slimy sensation of eyes crawling over my body as Amos and Ace watch me closely.

I push open the door and wince as the cold air hits my face for the first time since I had walked inside Darby's this morning.

"Poppy, what can I do for you?" Rex turns to face me, his arms crossed and they only accentuate his biceps. They look they're about to rip his shirt sleeves.

"Hi Rex" I clear my throat and move away from the door as a couple exit. "There's some guys inside that are causing problems, if they come back can you keep them out for us?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Is this a request from Stevie?" He questions. I hold back my wince as I shake my head.

"No, but-"

"Poppy, you know the rules. It has to go to Stevie first, he's the only one with the ability to ban people from Darby's. If you can get him to agree then sure, I'll keep them out".

"Please Re-" I shut my mouth when the three familiar faces exit the front door. Only one of them I like.

None of them stagger like they had been drinking all day. Kevin had kept his word and only had the one beer but Amos and Ace had been ordering drinks all day and the fact that they're not staggering all over the place makes me suspicious.

"Thanks Poppy! See you later" Kevin says, a wide smile stretched across his lips as he leaves with his two friends.

"See you later, Poppy" Amos says, his smile anything but kind as Ace snickers.

I watch them leave and only when they turn a corner do I release the breath I had been holding all day.

"That them?" Rex asks and I'm reminded he had been here the whole time.

"Yeah, yeah. Not Kevin, he's lovely" I look back over my shoulder and thankfully they're still gone.

"You'll have to go to Stevie Poppy, sorry I can't do more" Rex apologises as he closely watches a young male stagger outside by himself.

"Thanks Rex, I will" I return back inside ready to wipe down the tables finally and head home.

The brief thought doesn't seem as relaxing as usual as anxiety starts to creep in knowing that now I have to tell Hex about my day at work.