Read Into the Light (The Admiral's Elite Book 2) for Free Online Page B

color. They hoped it would be and be a bit more used to outside traffic than the others if the motel was recommending it. Barely longer than the six stool bar along the back wall or wide enough to accommodate the row of three narrow tables on the other side of the aisle, it was easy to scan the place for anything out of the ordinary. A few seconds in and they realized the only thing out of the ordinary in there was them.
     
    No dancing spots or sick stomach, Becca trusted they wouldn’t come to any harm and gave Michael an encouraging grin. Her early warning system was, after all, why the admiral brought her on. It had saved all their skins several times and the unit looked to her for guidance often before entering a potentially dangerous situation.
     
    Michael led the way to the second to last stool giving her the option to sit on either side. She knew he would prefer to keep himself between her and the bar and didn’t want to needle him. Taking her seat at the end, she set her purse down on the bar and turned to keep an eye on the lone occupied table. Only one other patron sat at the bar two chairs down to bring the building occupancy to a grand total of five, including the bartender. A wall mounted jukebox was playing CCR, loud in the empty space.
     
    Their elbow room disappeared quickly, the music picked up in speed and volume, and it got crazy noisy. Within half an hour, right about the time they were considering leaving, a steady stream of people began trickling in and didn’t stop for the next two hours. Becca was grateful for the man beside her and bar behind providing a small buffer from the press of people all around. How so many could fit inside was a mystery. There had to be thirty people. There was no way they were in compliance with fire code. Fire. An involuntary shudder sent ice racing down her spine.
     
    Michael ran a hand up her arm and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Remind me when we get back, I still want to take you dancing.”
     
    “You do?” She tipped her face up to see if he was serious or if he was merely trying to distract her after sensing her discomfort.
     
    The corner of his mouth twisted. “I made a promise, Becca. I always keep my promises.”
     
    Becca felt the tension leak from between her shoulders as she allowed herself a brief daydream. What would it be like to dance with Michael? If he was half as good at dancing as he was at some of the other things he could do with his body… she felt herself flush.
     
    He chuckled beside her.
     
    “You did that on purpose.” She felt her own mouth twitch.
     
    Michael’s soft laughter moved her hair. Then their moment was gone as the front door opened and a gust a cold air blew against their feet.
     
    “Hey Josh,” the bartender called over the crowd to a round-shouldered kid who looked barely old enough to be there, even if he was large enough to pull a car with his teeth.
     
    The towheaded kid raised his chin to the rail thin bartender. “I’m thirsty, Pete.”
     
    Grinning, Pete wiped his fingertips on the white rag hanging over his shoulder and disappeared into the little room beside the bar. When he came out, brown beer bottles hung from his fingers like ornaments.
     
    Josh and two of his equally large friends made their way through the throng, reaching above the heads of two young girls giggling over light green martinis. One doe-eyed giggler ogled him hungrily. Taking the beers and handing them back to his friends, Josh smiled at the girls before giving Pete his money.
     
    “Figured you might be in again. Still not safe out there.”
     
    Michael and Becca both heard the bartender’s cryptic comment even with the noisy chattering all around. Hiding their interest behind bored expressions, they listened in.
     
    The big blonde head shook and frowned. “No, we’d rather be drinking around the bonfire and taking the girls for four wheeler rides but a little groping’s not worth dying for.”
     
    The bartender