Wicked Destiny - By Tiffany Stevens Page 0,32

around the club so he could show him what to look for and whatever else it was that Dale did.

And unexpectedly, I heard someone behind me.

“Hiring people without asking, bartender?” It was Jared, smug as ever.

“Now why would I do that without consulting my boss first?” I said over my shoulder.

“Sloane, what do you know about him? I mean, other than that he’s a great lay?”

I whipped around on him. “It’s not any of your business, but I haven’t slept with him. In fact, he hasn’t even suggested it, unlike you I might add.” I turned back around to clean and stock my area again.

Jared was pressed right up against me. He lowered his head to the side of mine until we were cheek to cheek. He rubbed his face against mine and I closed my eyes.

“I have always been truthful about my intentions. There have never been any secrets between us, but ask yourself this, what is it he’s hiding from you? Do you think all of this just happened and he knew you were ‘different’ right off the bat? I’ve been here with you for years and I knew you were special, but in a different way. How does he know so much about you that no one else knows…even you?” He kissed my cheek and left me to my job.

As I watched him walk away, I spotted Viktor watching the whole act. I was about to say something, but then Jared’s words stuck around a little bit. He was right. I gave Viktor a quick smile so that he’d think Jared’s words meant nothing to me. I wasn’t certain if he was a mind reader, so for now I’d just smile like nothing bothered me until I could figure everything out. Viktor smiled back and continued to walk around with Dale.

Customers started to flood in and the orders started piling up as the music blared in the background. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and everyone loved my so-called contacts tonight. Apparently I was a little too happy. Thinking about actually having a boyfriend for the first time in years had me a little giddy, I would admit, and it must have showed in both of us. Every time I needed something, Viktor was there to get it. The ice, beer, or more of anything—just making him work gave me and other females something to watch. One female customer asked how I did it and I told her he was gay just to see what she would say. And then, out of nowhere, he was there planting his soft lips on mine and told the female I was sadly mistaken. She was embarrassed, of course, and took her drink. We smiled at each other as he walked off, but not before I could pop him on his butt with my hand towel.

It was probably about one o’clock in the morning when I was writing down the number of bottles used with my back turned away from the bar. The club was loud, naturally, but it seemed even louder for some reason. I heard a guy order a beer and, without hesitating, I pushed back the door to the cooler I was writing on and reached into my back pocket to grab my spinner to pop the top off. As I turned to give it to the person on the other side of the bar, I was greeted with those icy blue eyes. I froze.

“Hey, babe, I was just wondering how you were doing on ice.” Viktor was on the other side of me. I gave him a side glance and he looked at the person that threw me off guard. And so, he did the only thing that could break the ice.

“Hi, I’m Viktor. Sloane’s boyfriend.” He held his hand out to Declan.

My anxiety level was an all-time high. I wasn’t sure what to do and I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I think I might have even forgotten how to breathe when I saw Declan size up Viktor, who did nothing but smile at him. What the hell is up with tonight? Declan looked at me and I swear, for a split second, I thought I glimpsed hurt. Why did it kill me to see this? He reached out and they shook hands like nice little boys on the playground.

“Can I get my beer?” Declan had a chill in his throat.

I handed it to him, and when he