rving drinks to people who looked right through her like she was furniture. The smell of stale be

d her under the table, no questions asked, which meant no taxes but also no prote

hours of sleep, and start all over again with her morning shift at the diner. The thought

floor next to a stack of betting slips. She'd stopped counting how much he owed months ago. The

nd over here

beers for the past hour. They looked like they'd come straight from some office job, ties loose, shirts wrin

sked, already reaching

his words slurring slightly, "we w

her expression neutral, though her stomach turned. She'd heard worse, dealt wit

aid. "But I can get you s

's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Wh

e customers, and worse had taught her exactly how to handle this situa

loudly enough for the whole bar to hear.

ne of his friends said, standing

the bar. Elena's heart started racing, but she kept he

o drink," she said firmly. "Tim

towering over her. "You'll throw

or taking a smoke break. The other customers had suddenly become very i

rapping her fingers around an empty beer bottle. "But I'

ably expected her to back down, maybe cry, or call for help th

e taunted, stepping closer.

Oakland," Elena said, raising

apped. The bottle connected with his wrist with a satisfying crack. He howled a

his friends jumping to their

your hands where they don't belong," Elena shot back

ebox. Other customers had turned to watch, but nobody moved to help. Elena

he man snarled, advancing aga

n, I think it's tim

way that made everyone freeze. She turned and found herself

t was perfect despite the dive bar setting, and his hands-God, those hands-looked like they'd never touched anything dirty in

buddy," the big man growled, but

er agreed. "But I'm makin

radiating the kind of quiet authority that came from never bein

aid, still holding her bottle but feeling th

nger asked, his tone poli

ing in the stranger's steady gaze made him think bette

ooting dirty looks over their shoulders. Elena watched until they were

t strange. She wasn't used to people helpin

r kept his distance, hands

face, suddenly aware of how she must look to him. "But

tter-of-fact, not condescending. "But

ve suits, manicured nails, the kind of polish that came from never wanting for anything

ke you to a place like t

tened slightly, like being surrounded by chaos was physically unc

ind of

ick-thinking, and good at handling difficult si

bubble up. "You d

My name is J

hands-something about his careful distance t

e interested in hav

professional. Not like the men

inking alone, the life she'd been trapped in since dropping out of hi

e and

una on Fifth Street

of times but never been inside. It was the kind o

paused. "But I'm no

jacket and pulled out a business card.

an Knight, Cardiac Surgery, Blossom Central Hospital.* A doctor. That explained the auth

omorrow, D

tables and chairs like he was avoiding contamination. At the door, he used his sl

he broken glass from her fight. Whatever Julia

said her name, or the careful respect in his voice when he'd asked if she was hurt. In her world, men took what they wanted and left