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pounded in her head and she dug her nails into her palms. “He’s my uncle.”
    He nodded in seeming approval. “Have a seat, Aya.”
    She didn’t like how he used her name as if he had the right but she complied. “Look Mr. O’Shaughnessy, I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but we don’t want any trouble. We’re sorry if you haven’t found the service to your satisfaction but we just want to be left alone. Please.”
    “You seem like an intelligent woman. I would have thought it was fairly obvious what I wanted.”
    She folded her hands in her lap and clinched them tightly together to keep herself from trembling. This couldn’t be happening. There had to be a way she could get herself out of this. She opted to play dumb. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “I think you do. In fact, I know you do. So, let’s not play games. You can make this really easy on yourself. You and your uncle will be taken care of for as long as I want you. And when I no longer do, you’ll be well compensated. You’ll be under my protection.”
    She fought back the urge to attack him. The arrogant son of a bitch. “And what if I don’t make things easy on myself?”
    “I don’t think you want to know. But, the end result will be the same. I will have you.”
    Again, his intense stare roamed her body, lingering over the curve of her breasts. She felt naked beneath that gaze and something else she couldn’t put her finger on. A heat she couldn’t explain surged within her body but she refused to acknowledge it. Aya couldn’t stop shaking. She knew he was trouble the minute she’d seen him but she never imagined things would turn out like this.
    A hand fell on her shoulder. “That’s enough, O’Shaughnessy. My niece isn’t for sale. Please leave.”
    Uncle Arthur. Bless his heart. She could have wept with relief but she knew this wouldn’t end well.
    The bastard didn’t seem the least bit phased. “Have it your way.” He stood up.
    Knowing she now had nothing to lose, Aya stood with him. “Mr. O’Shaughnessy. You forgot something.”
    He raised a brow in acknowledgement.
    “Your drink.” And with that, she picked up his unfinished glass of whiskey and threw it in his face.
    They were so screwed.

Chapter Three
     
      “I don’t understand how they can do this. Your liquor license isn’t up for renewal until next year. They can’t just revoke it.”
    Uncle Arthur rested his head in his palms. He looked every bit of his sixty-one years in that moment. “There was some loophole about not getting some type of requested documentation to them on time. I tried to explain to them I’d received nothing but apparently they weren’t interested in hearing my story.”
    “Getting any kind of communication in this town is spotty at best. We don’t have regular mail delivery unless we pay an exorbitant fee and we can’t afford that. They know this. You’ve always been able to go to the licensing and gaming office directly and there’s never been a problem.” Aya sank down in a seat across from her uncle, with a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach. She had a pretty good idea why this was happening but she didn’t dare say the words out loud lest she gave them more power than they actually deserved.
    “Apparently, not this time. I was told there was an appeals process but it’s by appointment and no one would be able to see me for at least six months.”
    Aya slammed her palms on the table. “That’s outrageous! In the meantime, how are we supposed to run a bar if we can’t sell alcohol? We’ll be ruined by then, especially since that new place down the street will be opening soon. I’ve never seen an establishment go up so quickly. It’s not like business owners are rushing to sell their merchandise in our part of town. We barely do enough business to get by ourselves.”
    Arthur raised his eyes. His eyes glistened with the suspicious sheen of tears.