“Hey, guys.”
I leaned on the table, my fists digging into the scarred wood, trying to rein in my temper. “What are you doing here, Vicky? You know you’re not welcome.”
She tossed her hair, the bleached blond strands stiff under the lights. “It’s a free country.”
I scowled. “Not where we’re concerned. You know the rules. You broke them. That means we’re getting the restraining order we warned you about.”
Her cheeks were flushed. I could see from the haze in her eyes she’d been drinking a lot, which made her even more dangerous and me more tense.
“You wouldn’t.”
Andy crossed his arms. “Watch us, you loon. We’ve tried to play nice.”
She flashed him what I was sure she thought was a sexy smile. It was more of a sneer. “I remember you didn’t like to play nice. Rough was the way you liked it.”
He shoved off the table, cursing and getting ready to lunge. Mark stepped behind him, placing an arm across his chest. “Easy, don’t give her ammunition.”
“Get her out of my sight.”
Liv watched the entire exchange in silence. She turned to Vicky, her voice cool. “Thanks for the warning, but I can make up my own mind when it comes to who I have a relationship with. Frankly, I have no interest in anything else you have to say since it’s probably all bullshit. Maybe you should do yourself a favor and leave. The way security is eyeing you up, it might be best if you leave now before he comes over here.” She paused and slid her hand across the table, covering mine. “Or before one of these gentlemen helps to escort you from the building.”
“Gentlemen,” Vicky scoffed. “That’s not what I’d call them.”
“In case I haven’t made it clear, I don’t care what you call them, and I have no interest in listening.”
Vicky’s eyes narrowed. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Then the mistake is mine.” Liv stood. “I’m not in the mood for a drink now, Van. Can we go home?”
I stood straight, pulling Liv close. “Yep.”
Mark pushed Andy toward Alex. “Take him home.” He waved me off as Brent stepped forward. “Take your lady and go, Van. Brent and I are going to have a little talk with Vicky.”
“Mark…” I warned. Talking with Vicky was dangerous. She twisted your words and created entire conversations that never occurred.
“It’s fine. Brent has my back, right?”
Brent crossed his arms. “I’ve got great ears, and my memory is as sharp as a tack.”
I met Mark’s steady gaze. He was determined, and I knew I couldn’t stop him.
“Call me.”
He nodded. “I will.”
I tugged Liv behind me and left the club. I didn’t look back.
We sat across from each other in the diner, cups of coffee in our hands. Neither of us was hungry. I drained my cup and signaled for a refill, knowing sleep was going to be elusive tonight.
“Can you tell me?” Liv asked.
“There isn’t a lot to tell.”
“She certainly had a lot to say. None of it good.” Liv grimaced. “In fact, some of it was downright disgusting.”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “I can only imagine. Whatever she said was lies, Liv. I swear to you.”
She looked serious. “I already figured that out. I don’t see you into group-sharing-wild-orgy sex.”
“Jesus, no.” I rubbed my eyes. “Is that what she’s saying now?”
“That, plus she had affairs with all of you.”
I hunched over the table, tapping it with my finger. “I never slept with her. Ever. There was no affair, no relationship. Nothing.”
“With anyone?”
“Early on, she and Andy had a fling. It ended fast, and afterward, things went downhill. The woman is deranged.” My head fell back against the booth. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”
“How did you meet her?”
“She was a waitress at the first club we played at together. We became regulars, and she was always there. She seemed great. Friendly, supportive, always bringing us beverages and making sure we were okay. She was easy to talk with, and we all liked her. I mean, we liked all the staff, but she always went the extra mile.”
“Then?”
“She and Andy got together. She became strange. Obsessive. He broke it off, and suddenly it got weird. She’d say things to us individually, as if she was trying to pick us off one by one. Turn us against each other. We started hearing rumors about things she was telling people in the club. She went after Mark, then made Alex’s life a living hell. Went to his wife and said they were having an affair. His pregnant, emotional, vulnerable wife. He went crazy. His wife was having a hard time and actually believed Vicky’s lies. It took a lot of work to smooth it over.”
“Oh, wow. She’s a headcase.”
“She spiraled out of control,” I continued. “She was drinking a lot. She quit her job but only because the manager was going to fire her after we went to him and told him what was going on. She disappeared, but every so often would appear with some ludicrous story or lie. She showed up at my house one night, telling me she knew I was secretly interested. I kicked her out, but it made no difference. She told people we were having an affair.”
“But you weren’t.”
I met her gaze. “Never, Liv. I thought she was our friend. Nothing more.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “I believe you.”
“She showed up one night and caused a scene at the club. We met with her and our lawyer as a group. We gave her a choice. Shut up, and leave us alone, or we’d get a restraining order against her, which would have made her life difficult since she waited tables at a bunch of different clubs we played at.” I huffed out a long breath of air. “That was four months ago. She seemed contrite and apologized. Disappeared. We heard she’d stopped drinking, was getting counseling, and left town. I didn’t think we’d ever see her again.”
“Why do you think she showed up tonight?”
“I have no idea, but I hope it’s the last we see of her. I’ll talk to Mark later and see what he thinks.”
“Why would he insist on talking to her?”
“He’s a professional mediator. He knows how to listen and what to say to defuse tense situations. If he thinks it’s a problem, we’ll talk to our lawyer about the restraining order.”
She observed me for a moment. “Sometimes restraining orders mean nothing to someone who is determined.”
I frowned. “Do you have experience with this sort of thing? Did Sammy’s dad pull something?”
“No, not him. My mother had to get a restraining order against my father. It meant nothing to him, and he kept hassling her. He was arrested, and it finally stopped, but only because he left town.”
I scrubbed my face. “I’m sorry. This is bringing up bad memories for you.”
She shrugged. “No memory of my father is good.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with this sort of situation.” I picked up her hand, stroking the thin skin of her wrist. “You have enough to deal with.”