Chapter 5

Adam cursed as he made his way to the club, hoping the silly woman hadn't already dug her own grave. He knew how violent the men at the club could be and also how volatile Veronica's speech and temper was. He groaned as he pressed on the accelerator. The combination of both was a bad idea.

His cellphone rang and he slowed his speed to answer. It wouldn't be any help to anybody if he broke his neck driving. Well, except Derek. He thought with a sneer. He still couldn't believe he had been in bed with the enemy all along without knowing. He shook his head as memories of good times with Derek threatened to overcome him. The pain shot a dart to his heart as he realized that he was probably the only one who still thought of the good times.

Erica. He couldn't believe she would break his heart with Derek like she had. His lips curled into a bitter sneer. He should have known how ambitious she was. Scoffing, he shook his head. He shouldn't have expected anything better from a drug addict.

What was the point of being in love? Thinking of it, he warmed up to the idea of being with Veronica. They were not in love with each other and would have no reason to hurt each other.

"Hello," he said into the phone.

"I got her address." Bruce's voice boomed into the phone.

"Good. Please send it to me."

Bruce chuckled. "I guess you haven't checked your phone. I sent the address ages ago."

Adam laughed. "No problem. I will check. Thank you, Bruce."

Bruce grunted. "Have you gotten to the club yet?"

"No, but I am almost there."

"Okay. Be careful on the road and also when you get there. I will join you shortly as well."

"Do you have to come?" Adam asked. "I am just going to get her out and get her home."

Bruce barked out a harsh laugh. "Seemed like you are underestimating the troubles of the rainbow club. Byers is a bastard; he looks for troubles even if there is none and your girl is trouble. With her, he doesn't have to look far before finding the troubles he lives on."

Adam grunted. "Thanks for reminding me."

Bruce laughed. "Always a pleasure. Go get the madam, boy."

Adam snorted. "How come she is madam and I am boy?"

"If only you can see me shrugging. How do I know the answer to that?" Bruce teased him, laughing.

Adam cut the call off and zoomed to the bar, already scared his prayers Veronica kept her mouth out of trouble was not going to be answered.

Veronica banged her empty cup on the bar and gestured to the bartender to fill it up again. "More."

The bartender frowned at her, glancing at the men keeping their eyes on her. The club was not the place for a lady like her. He could tell when she entered as everyone else could also tell and his frown etched deeply into the night as she kept asking for drinks. It was her fifteenth shots for the night and he could see that she was struggling to keep her sanity with her.

He wondered what could have happened to make her as reckless as she was. He gave another look at the guys glancing at her, knowing their lot was up to no good.

Veronica tilted her head at the bartender and scowled. "I said more."

He nodded and filled her cup up again. "You are drinking too much, ma'am. Don't you think you need to call it a night and go home?"

She snorted. Home? Home was annoying? She would spend the night thinking of how her father couldn't trust her to handle the family business unless he married her to a stranger. She wasn't going to yield in, no matter how handsome the so called stranger was.

She shook her head. "No advice." She said, smiling at the bartender. "Just keep refilling the cup till I say stop."

"Okay, ma'am." He replied and moved away, his heart at unease as the men moved closer to her, looking at her with smiles that reminded him of how sharks looked when they are on the prowl.

"Good boy." She smiled drunkenly. "I will tip you handsomely, handsome one." She said amd giggled at her rhyming words.

He shook his head as he went back to his post. She was wasted. And she was in trouble.

Veronica shook his head at how annoying he father was. She tipped the drink into her mouth in one gulp and Madea gesture to the bartender to fill her cup again. She sighed, wondering why his expression was darkened as he moved towards her.

Wondering if there was something she had no idea of, she looked back and saw nothing weird. She sighed again. Everyone around her was dramatic.

How could he have done that to her knowing how much she dreamed to take charge of the company? Her phone pinged and she glanced at it, groaning as she read the new message in her inbox.

"Dad!" She groaned. How could he keep doing this to her? She wondered if what he was doing was fun for him and she knew she was right. Her father has turned it into a game and was having fun at her expense.

How could he send her Adam's number when she was trying to drink him out of her system. She smiled, an idea bubbling in her head and making her giggle.

She copied the contact number into her phone dialer and rang him up. She giggled when he picked up on the second ring.

"Who is this?" He asked. It seemed like he was driving. She could hear horns and blares of others cars around him.

"Guess!" She giggled.

Adam sighed and wondered who it was who had the guts to call him while drunk. He doubted it was Derek calling him to gloat about how miserable he had made him. That bastard had a high alcohol tolerance and the voice he had heard was feminine.

"Erica!" He sighed. She could have gone on a binge as usual and called him to help her out. Sorry, that wasn't going to work this time.

She giggled more. "Not Erica, stupid. Do you have a girlfriend already?" She snorted. "This is interesting, you cheating son of a gun." She cursed at him.

He sighed, chuckling to himself in amazement. "Veronica."

"Bingo!" She laughed. "You are smart." She praised, her words slurred.

He smiled. She was totally wasted. He had never dreamed a day she would praise him would come so fast. He guessed he owed the compliment all to alcohol bityhe frowned at how wasted she was to have said what she said. He didn't want another Erica.

"To what do I owe this call? I must say I am very surprised. I must also add that I am not a cheating son of a gun as you have called me or also a cheating son of a woman. Erica is my ex and never am I going back to her. Yiu have nothing to worry about, sweet."

She snorted. "Good for you." She started whining. "Tell my father you don't want to get married to me."

He sighed. "It doesn't work that way."

"I will give you the money."

He scoffed. "It is not as easy as that. I am in deeper mess than that, just as you are."

She frowned, not understanding what he meant. "You must think I don't have money or your pride is hurt that I offered."

"All of the above."

"So you won't accept my help until you marry me like my dad wants?"

"Exactly." He replied, speeding up. She was in more danger than he had thought if she could call him while drunk.

She yelled at him. "I thought as much. There is no point talking to you. Get lost, you insensitive and dumb man." She ended the call.

He sighed, rubbing at his forehead with a hand while he drove with the other. He checked how far he was to the club again and breathed a sigh of relief that he was almost there.

The men walked up to her, leering at her. They flanked her on both sides, moving too closely to not be intimidating.

"Oh-oh!" The bartender said, his breath caught in his throat.

"Having troubles with your boyfriend?" One of the men said, leaning closely to her. "We can help you out with that, beautiful."

Veronica sniffed her nose, breathing out and scowled. "Not any of your damn business."

The men gasped and the man who had spoken earlier talked again. "A feisty one, I love that. Something tells me we are going to have so much fun together." He winked at her.

She snorted as she glared at the man and also at the other ones. She burst out laughing at the looks of them, wondering what gave them the assurance that they could even dare to breathe in the same air she took much less speak with her.

"What are the men nowadays eating that is giving them unnecessary ego boost and making them stupid?" She said to herself but loud enough that the men could hear.

"What?" They echoed, rage suffusing their features.

She continued, glaring at them with defiance in her eyes, her tone harsh. "Something tells me you are going to get into trouble with me right now if you don't get your stinking breath out of my face." She spat at the men.

The men gasped and growled in outrage but the bartender's gasp was the loudest. Oh no! He didn't want to hear another woman kicking and screaming. He could see the tick of the veins in their neck, announcing that they were ready for blood.

Adam groaned as he entered the club, his eyes searching for her. His groan came out louder as he heard her words and he smiled at her brazenness. He cursed as he saw one of the men lift his hand up to hit her.

"If that hand touches her, you will hate the day you were born." He growled as he moved forward.

Veronica gasped as she saw Adam, surprised to see him. The men snorted.

"Who are you? The boyfriend?"

"Not your fucking business, man." Adam growled and held Veronica by the hand. "Let's go home, Vee."

"Annoying couple." The man hissed.

"Just do as he says if you want to live the rest of the night." Bruce said as he entered the club.

Adam smiled, grateful to see him. The men took a long look at Bruce, hissed at Adam and Veronica and left their side. The bartender eased s sigh of relief as he watched the men walk away.