Claimed By Her Alpha by J.E. Cluney

6

Everly.

* * *

The last few patrons slowly stumbled out of the bar, and I gave Ethan and Dray a pleasant smile as they headed outside to supposedly wait for me while I closed up.

I couldn’t help the flutter in my chest at spending some time chatting with Dray. There was just something about him. I wanted to get to know him, to learn just who this fascinating man was and what made him tick.

And maybe screw his brains out too. I couldn’t deny that the closer I was to him, the more obvious my crazy attraction to him became. He was handsome in a rugged way, with those broad shoulders and tight ass. The longer I was around him, the worse my inner fantasies became.

Just what had taken over me? I’d never thought so much about jumping a man in my life.

“Who’s the new guy?” April asked, plucking me from my mind as we closed up together.

“Dray Ashford,” I said with an overly enthusiastic bob of my head. Fuck, his name sounded so good too. A part of me was hoping I would find him in the parking lot alone, down my drink, then have some fun with him. I’d climb onto that devilish man and let him have his way with me. I wanted those large hands skimming down my body and touching me in places no man had touched for quite some time.

“Seems nice, you guys were chatting a lot,” April remarked with a sly, knowing smile.

“He was nice to chat to,” I said quickly as I busied myself stacking the chairs so we could vacuum and mop. I needed to push away all the naughty thoughts and focus.

“Anything more than that?” April prodded with a cheeky grin. She’d always been in tune with everything around her, and she’d helped me out with my whole shitty relationship with Ben. I owed her big time for that.

“I don’t know. He’s waiting for me to finish so we can chat and have a drink,” I said, smiling at how he’d asked me to make my favorite cocktail which he’d hang on to for me.

Alex would overlook the one missing glass as long as I brought it back in on my next shift.

“Oh, how sweet!” she giggled. “Well, we’re pretty much done here, go on out there,” she stated as she ushered me away.

“We still have to clean the floors,” I argued, but she shook her head.

“You covered for me when my kids were sick, let me handle this,” she said with a wink. “Go enjoy yourself, you deserve it. But tell me alllll about it.”

I grinned and laughed at her as I headed to the office to gather my purse and phone, grateful that Alex had already headed off for the night. He knew we could close up on our own easily.

I said goodnight to Jimmy and Callum as I headed out with a bounce in my step.

“Hey, Everly, if you’re heading out back, can you toss the garbage in the trash?” Jimmy asked as he continued mopping while Callum cleaned the grill.

“Sure!” I beamed as I hefted up the bag of garbage and continued on my way.

I hoped Dray was being truthful in that he’d wait for me. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to lie.

I stepped out the back, the door creaking shut behind me as I looked to the trash bin.

A shiver coursed down my spine at the crisp night air, and I paused, a wave of uncertainty rippling over me. Something didn’t feel right.

I flicked my gaze around the darkened corners outside, only the lone street light out back providing some light at this hour. I hurried over to the trash and hurled the bag in, hating how my heart was now thumping uneasily.

“Everly.”

My stomach dropped at the familiar voice, and I turned to spy Ben stepping from the shadows.

I took a step back as I clenched my jaw.

I’d seen the dozens of missed calls and texts on my phone when I’d picked it up, but I’d chosen to ignore it. I didn’t want him ruining my night yet again. I was excited to see Dray, and I was hoping he could help me forget the shittiness of life lately and give me a night of fun instead.

But of course, here Ben was. I guess the texting, calls, and random drive-bys weren’t enough. Alex had told him he’d call the cops the next time he rocked up here, but that clearly hadn’t swayed him.

“Why are you here?” I said as I clutched my purse tight. Alex had headed home, but Ethan and Dray were hopefully still around. Perhaps I could yell for them? Ethan had always offered to help me, and Dray had made it clear he would too, considering how he’d looked rather defensive of me at the bar with Adrian.

“I want to fix things between us,” he said, although I knew there was no truth to the words. He just wanted control over me again. He hated not having control.

When I’d scrambled out from under his suffocating grip and moved into a new place, he’d not handled it well. Not at all.

“There’s no fixing it. We’re over,” I stated bluntly, although my heart was hammering away now. I wasn’t sure how I’d found the courage to say those words, but ever since I’d been free of him, I’d started to regain my self-confidence again. I was stronger than I thought, and I was not going to let him ruin me. I would stand my ground, even if I was scared of him deep down.

He could no longer drag me down and berate me with horrid words. Nor would he ever lay his hands on me again.

I was really wishing I’d sorted out that restraining order now though.

“Don’t talk like that, we had a good thing. I know I had some issues, but we can fix them, together,” he said as he took another step closer. His words were empty. I’d heard them all before. How he would change and get better. But he never did.

“No. You need to leave,” I said, hating how my voice hitched slightly, revealing my true fear in the moment.

He noticed this as his mouth pulled into a sickening smirk.

To think I’d actually cared for him once upon a time. But I’d been stupid, fallen for his charm which only masked the vile snake of a man he really was beneath.

A narcissistic fuck.

“Why? Let’s just talk,” he said sweetly as he closed the small gap that remained between us.

I wanted to turn tail and run, to give in to the voice that was screaming danger at me.

But this was my workplace, and Ben had taken enough from me. I wasn’t going to let him take my job and the few friends I’d made as well.

I needed something that was still mine.

“Evie, don’t play hard to get. You know it makes me mad,” he said softly as he raised his hand.

I flinched, my heart fluttering wildly for a moment until his fingers just grazed my cheek.

There was once a time I’d longed for his touch, but now, I wanted to scrub his putrid fingerprints from my skin immediately.

I stared into his blue eyes, at the wicked look in them as he smirked at me.

He knew those words scared me.

Don’t make him mad.

Something I’d drummed into myself over the year we’d been together. My work here had been the one thing that had held me together during that time. I’d moved to this completely new town, met him, and thought I could build a life with him. But he’d ended up not being who I’d thought he was. Instead, he was a man who lost his temper easily and made my life a prison.

I refused to be his plaything now, although it was hard to fight the fear inside from everything he’d done.

“Come home. We’ll put all this behind us,” he said, his fingers still pressed against my cheek.

I wanted to spit that it wasn’t my home. That lease I’d signed with him had come with a damn collar. I’d managed to get my name off it with some help, before moving into my new rental, but he’d found me quickly.

I just wanted to be rid of him.

“Everly?” he ground out my name, clearly frustrated with my silence.

The tone he used struck a chord in me, and I froze up. Fuck, I’d been doing so well at acting strong and sticking with my resolve.

“You belong with me. It’s all you’re worth. No other man would ever want you, and you know it,” he growled. His sweet facade gone in an instant, since I wasn’t melting like he’d hoped. Now he was changing tactic.

Cruel words. Words I’d started to believe from him.

“No…” I managed to mutter, flinching as his lips pulled back into a snarl.

“No?” he questioned, his voice low and frosty.

Why had I even said that? Why had I decided to be defiant again? If I made him mad…

No. He had no control over me anymore. We were over. I was free, and I wouldn’t let him do this. I should’ve walked away, but the fear of showing him my back had stopped me.

The pain shot through my cheek as I gasped, the force behind the slap making me stagger to the side as I instinctively cupped my cheek.

“No?!” Ben snarled as he moved in again, and everything screamed for me to run, to get as far away from this wretched man as I could.

I knew how horrid he could be behind closed doors, and I was alone out here now.

Alone with him.

Thoughts raced through my mind of how to react. Run? Call for help? Fight back?

He was stronger than me whether I liked it or not, and I knew he’d catch me in an instant. Would I have time to call for help?

I was still lost on what to do or how to react as Ben towered over me with utter rage glimmering in his eyes.

Once before he’d gotten that look, and he’d kicked me until I’d thrown up. I’d spent the week in bed, too scared to see a doctor for possible internal injuries, and not willing to tell work why I was suddenly sick.

Ben’s looming figure had tears stinging the edges of my eyes as I drew in ragged breaths.

A snarl rose up to my left, and I barely had a chance to register the movement when Ben was barrelled into and dragged to the ground.

Ben swore and fought back, but Dray pinned him down with ease.

Ethan was beside me in an instant, but all I could do was stare at Dray as Ben shrunk beneath him, clearly sensing the sheer ferocity from Dray that even I could feel.

I knew rage and hate, something Ben had brought into my life. But the look in Dray’s eyes… this, this was something stronger than that.

Something that made my breath catch.

Something truly terrifying.