Chapter Four – Unwelcomed Visitors

"You're early," Dante commented as I breezed through the back door.

"Nothing better to do, and Dex likes to make me late," I returned, hanging my leather jacket on one of the many pegs by the door to the cooler.

"Ain't that the damn truth," he grunted as he moved another case of beer.

"Keep being mean and I'll sick him on you," I teased, hopping up onto one of the counters as I threw my hair up into a ponytail.

"That dog loves me, Jules. It won't do much good," he replied, his warm grin lighting up his face.

"Don't remind me," I groaned with a roll of my eyes. Numerous times Dexter had refused to allow me to leave without him. So he had become Tuxedo's personal bodyguard of the backdoor on those nights. Hence why he and Dante seemed to be the best of friends. Sometimes I worried that Dexter liked Dante more than me.

"So," he started, wiping a rag over his sweating forehead. "A little birdy told me you got caught up in some gang shit," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Devyn?" I deadpanned. He nodded. "Damnit, I'm going to kill her."

"Juliette, I've told you before if you stick around I'll drive you home –"

"Save it, Dante," I snapped. "I'm alive. That's all that matters."

"Vincent Monroe is not a guy to mess with, Jules," he warned.

"Obviously," I seethed. "Why does everyone know who this guy is but me?"

Dante grinned at me, his blindingly white teeth setting his dark complexion off perfectly. "Because you choose to be naïve."

"I do not," I denied with a huff, jumping down from the counter. "I just don't care."

"And that's the kind of attitude that could get you killed," he said in such an offhand manner it unnerved me.

"Whatever," I ground out, glancing at the clock. "I'm starting early," I informed him before pushing through the swinging door and out into the bar.

Tuxedo's was more a club than it was a bar, but I loved it all the same. From the flashing neon lights to the cheap alcohol, it was home. We served food earlier in the day, but after ten it was strictly drinks only. Making my way behind the bar, I nudged Anthony with my hip as I passed him. The other bartender on shift cast a playful glance my way as I moved to my side of the u-shaped bar. "You're early, Jules," he called over the din.

"I just love this place so much, I can't stay away," I dramatically replied.

He laughed, rolling his eyes at me before turning back to the crowd of women surrounding him. Anthony was a ladies man, and he made a lot of money because of it. With his dimpled smile and charming personality, I almost hated working with him. Mostly because at the end of the night I felt guilty taking half of the tips when he earned the majority of them.

"Whiskey neat," a loud yell reached me over the roar of the music.

Not even bothering to look up, I poured the drink before sliding it down the bar into the awaiting hand. "Looks like I'm not the only one hear early," I observed, trailing after the drink to its owner.

Chris just shrugged before tossing the drink back. "It was a long day," he grumbled, running a hand through his platinum hair.

"Why do you even come in here?" I questioned, gesturing around to the grinding bodies on the dance floor. Chris had been coming into Tuxedo for close to a year now, and he was one of the sweetest guys I had ever met. Just entering his late twenties, he ran a successful business in the heart of the city.

"Familiar faces, I guess," he answered, nodding towards me, and then behind me. Tossing a glance over my shoulder, I spotted Dante emerging from the back room. "And the service is always good, so I can't complain."

"Just keep those generous tips coming and I won't have a reason to either," I teased, moving back to get a beer from the tap for someone farther down the bar.

Chris just shook his head. "You're ridiculous, Jules," he told me, raising his glass in my direction.

"Hey," I said with a shrug as I walked backwards. "You're one of the main people paying for these," I informed him before gesturing to the tattoos on my arm.

For the most part, I serviced regulars and a few people that ventured to my side of the bar, but most people went to Anthony. He just had this aura about him that drew people in. So as I stood off to the side conversing with Chris, I didn't notice the new person plop himself down next to the easy-going businessman. "Jack and coke," the person ordered, rather loudly.

Something sparked in the back of my mind, but I ignored it as I spun back to our assortment of liquor and snatched the Jack Daniel's off the shelf. "Half and half alright?" I questioned without turning around as I filled the glass with ice. Another reason most people favored Anthony – I tended to make my drinks stronger than he did.

"Perfect."

After the drink was mixed I moved to hand it to the man. However when I gave it to him, his hand wrapped around mine, causing my eyes to snap up to meet his. "Am I ever going to get away from you people?" I groaned.

Brandon grinned before taking the drink from me. "Not anytime soon," he stated.

Chris just raised his eyebrows before laying down a fifty and sliding it my way. "See you tomorrow, Jules," he said, waving before disappearing into the crowd.

Brandon's eyes about popped out of their sockets before I took the money and deposited it into the cash register. Once I had the change in hand I placed it in the tip jar. "So how many times have you banged him?" he bluntly asked.

My cheeks heated, but more from anger than embarrassment. "None," I snapped, glaring at the impish grin on his face. "Now go away."

"You're not going to hit me again?" he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I'd get fired if I did that, otherwise I might break your nose," I replied, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

A call from farther down the bar caught my attention so I left Brandon to take the order. After serving the poor kid who looked like it was his first time in a bar a beer, I returned to the irritating member of Vince's gang. "How'd you learn to punch like that anyway?" he questioned as I began to wipe down the bar.

"Practice," I simply answered. "Are you my new tail?"

"Nope," he replied, causing me to whip my head up in time to see him wave me off. "We actually come here all the time. Vince, Luke, and a couple others are back there," he informed me, jerking his thumb behind him. Peering over his shoulder, it wasn't hard to locate Vince and the rest of them in one of the corner booths. The gang leader in question was already watching me, and when our gazes locked I narrowed my eyes before refocusing on Brandon. "When we saw you working they sent me up because they have a bet going on how long it'll take you to deck me again."

At that a grin broke out across my face before I lightly chuckled. "Well they're going to be disappointed. I'd rather not lose my job." Hearing my name being called, I twisted to see Anthony was trying to get my attention. Sending Brandon an apologetic look, I moved towards the other bartender. "What's up?"

"Massive order, and they specifically asked for you," he told me, handing me a small scrap of paper covered in his messy scrawl. Glancing up, I saw a familiar head of blonde hair making its way back to the gang's table.

Sighing, I shoved my bangs out of my face. "I've got it," I grumbled.

"Thanks, Jules."

I waved him off before setting to work preparing the ten or so drinks. Most were easy, just a bottle or glass of beer. It was the mixed drinks that took me time to actually make. But before long, I had every drink on a tray. Now I just had to make my way past the dance floor and back to where the men sat.

Biting my lip, I held the tray over my head. Thanking my lucky stars that I had been a waitress, I expertly maneuvered past the grinding bodies. Just as I reached the edge of the dance floor, someone stumbled forward. Gasping, I held the tray higher and spun out of the way just in time. Letting out a deep breath, I finished my walk to the booth.

"If this was your idea, I'm on my twentieth way to kill you," I all but growled at Lucas as I set the tray on the table.

The blonde just grinned at me before holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Wasn't me, sugar," he assured me.

Sighing, I flicked my ponytail over my shoulder before crossing my arms. "Just don't make me have to kick you all out," I muttered, spinning to make my way back to the bar.

"You think you could make me leave, princess?"

His voice made me freeze. Ever so slowly, I turned back to face him. Vince's forest green eyes looked borderline black in the dim light as he studied me. "Maybe not me," I admitted. "But I'm sure Dante would be more than happy to."

He flashed that heart stopping grin of his for the briefest of seconds before it was gone. "I'd like to see him try," he all but purred, leaning forward on the table.

"Don't tempt me," I murmured, leaning forward as well as I braced my arms against the edge of the table.

Tension sizzled in the air as our gazes locked. Something about Vince set me on edge. Maybe it was the obvious air of danger that surrounded him, or maybe it was just his irritating arrogance, but either way he caused my already poor brain-to-mouth filter to become practically nonexistent. Something in me wouldn't let me back down from him. Call it stupid, but my pride caused me to challenge him.

"Juliette!"

Wincing, I broke eye contact to twist my head in order to see Dante sending me a hard look. Groaning, I pushed off from the table. "I know where to find you if you sneak off without paying," I threw over my shoulder as I walked away.

"I told you –" Dante started, grabbing my arm once I had stepped back behind the bar.

"Don't start with me," I hissed, wrenching my arm free. "I'm not sixteen anymore, Dante. I can take care of myself."

"Don't pull that, Jules," he growled. "You know I worry about you."

"Well don't," I said on a sigh. "I'll be okay," I assured him, laying a hand on his tense arm.

He relaxed under my touch before raising a hand and running it over his shaved head. "Just be careful," he grumbled.

Rolling my eyes, I reached up on my tiptoes and still had to slightly jump in order to place a light kiss on his cheek. "Yes, sir."

"Get back to work," he ordered, rolling his eyes before disappearing into the back once again.

"So do you mind filling in your co-worker?" Anthony questioned, tossing a towel over his shoulder.

Shaking my head, I shrugged. "Nothing to tell, Tony."

He made a face. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" he grunted.

"A million," I answered with a wry grin.

That was apparently not the right answer, because for the next hour he would say 'don't call me Tony' every time we came within five feet of each other. Finally – around the eightieth time he'd said it – I couldn't stand it anymore. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I picked up a shot glass and chucked it at his head. He let out a surprisingly girly yelp before rounding on me.

Blinking, I held my hands up in surrender as he advanced on me. "What's wrong, Jules?" he taunted.

"You have customers, Anthony," I reminded him, hoping that using the name he wanted would stop him from whatever he was planning.

It was all in vain because he just kept getting closer. "Say you're sorry."

"Sorry."

"Nope."

"Anthony, I'm so, so sorry," I apologized, jutting my lower lip out into a pout as the small of my back met the edge of the bar.

He stopped as the sound of a woman shouting his name reached us. "Buy my end of the night shots all next week and we'll be even," he offered.

"Deal," I agreed without hesitation. I didn't have a clue as to what he had been planning to do, but I had no intention of finding out.

After that, the night was pretty much business as usual. My regulars came and went, and every few minutes I found my gaze darting towards Vince and the gang. They didn't seem to be causing any trouble, which I was thanking for. Dante and Devyn had both acted as if they knew Vince which meant he had to come in pretty often. That or his reputation preceded him. Either way, I was just happy they were behaving themselves.

How had I never noticed them before? At my request Dante worked me almost every night. So wouldn't I have seen them at least once? The question gnawed at the back of my mind, but I couldn't come up with any other answer other than I simply hadn't been paying that much attention.

Which was completely probable.

__________________________________________

So sorry this had taken so long, but hopefully I can keep on it. But, if you guys know me that may or may not happen. I try! I really do!

Anywho, I don't really have that much to say for once. Just, let me know what you think.

Comment!!

Vote!!

Possibly Become a Fan??

Thanks for reading!

-KC