Forgotten Dawn (Forgotten Book 2)

Chapter 12

 It had been two days since Anna had left. Chad had said his goodbyes to his horse, his new sister-in-law, and nieces. He loaded his bag into the back seat of his truck and turned to his brother. "I'm sorry to leave you in the lurch like this. I think the ranch is doing well enough that you could hire on a full time hand."

"I think I will look into it. Just since Chelsea left yesterday, I feel like Tiffany is getting overwhelmed. I'm either going to have to hire someone to come out and help with the girls or someone to help with the cattle so I can help with the girls. I'd much rather spend the time with my ladies than the cattle."

"If it gets to be too much, let me know. I'll come and help when I can. In the meantime, see if Levi would be interested in leaving his job at the bar for more hours here. If you need to dip into my share to pay him, do it. It's not like I have anyone to take care of."

"Thanks. You better get going if you want to make it by nightfall. You have a hotel room booked?"

"Yes, I'm hoping to find a place to stay within a couple days. You better take good care of my nieces," Chad teased, giving his brother a hug before climbing into the truck. Despite the twinge of sadness he felt every time he left the Circle C, the adrenaline of a new adventure spurred him on.

The adrenaline had worn off by the time he pulled into his hotel that evening. He cursed himself for telling Jerry that he'd come by the club as soon as he got checked in. After checking in, he had a cold shower to wake himself up and pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Towel drying his hair before tossing on a baseball cap, he slipped his boots on and left for the club. Using his navigation system on his phone, he pulled into the parking lot ten minutes later.

More than once, he had found himself thinking about Anna. His mind was free to wander on the long drive from Oklahoma and even the brief drive to the club. He found himself wondering if she would be working when he arrived. There had been a time in his past where he would have a fling or one night stand, but that had been before. Since leaving the military, he tended to avoid women who may seem tempting. He had tried to avoid Anna, but that had proven impossible.

The windowless cinderblock building in front of him was painted a deep purple. A black awning extended over the front doors. Pink neon lit up the side of the building in an alluring script, "PussyCat Club". One of the burly bouncers that he had met at the wedding stood guarding the front door. 

A man in a polo shirt and khakis wearing the most unfortunate pair of thick lensed glasses he'd ever seen showed his ID to gain entry. The guy looked like an accountant that lived in his mom's basement. For a brief moment, Chad second guessed his decision to accept the job. He'd traveled the world, and frequented plenty of bars, but this had never been his scene.

Resigned to fulfill his obligation, he approached the bouncer. "Hey, Rico." He hoped he had the correct name to the correct bouncer.

"Cowboy! Glad you made it in one piece. That's one hell of a drive," the man said, clapping him on the back.

"That it is," Chad responded.

"Jerry is at the bar waiting for you. Man, I'm glad you are here. Luis running off really put us in a bind. Especially now that we have us a creep messing with one of our girls."

Chad's back stiffened. The sudden thought of someone harassing Anna put him on edge. "What do you mean?"

"I'll fill you in later. Jerry's been waiting. It's good to see you. We'll grab a drink at the bar after close if you're still around." The large man stepped aside to let Chad through the tinted glass door.

Chad passed through the doors to find himself in a small hall with deep gray walls, black and white tiles, and a purple curtain at the end. Loud seductive music poured from the room beyond the curtain. Slipping through the hanging fabric, his nose was assaulted with the smell of stale liquor and cheap cologne. The room was large and divided into two levels.