“Well, I suppose that’s Lula’s business, and if she wants you to know, she’ll be sure to tell you.”

“Then send her right on over so I can get to askin’.”

“No can do,” I said. “She’s got her own section to deal with. You’re stuck with me.” Then, because I couldn’t resist, I added with a bright smile, “And my sunny disposition.”

He studied me for a moment, as though trying to figure out if I was for real, then started to laugh. I’d heard him laugh before but only for effect—this laugh was extra proof that the previous ones had all been counterfeit. This one was genuine, and it caught me off guard. Based on the looks of the people around him, they’d been taken by surprise too. When he settled down, his smile faded and his eyes took on a hint of warning. “Let me give you a lesson, little girl. When I ask for something, I expect it to be done.”

“Well, shame on your parents for not teaching you that the world doesn’t revolve around you. Now do you want to order something on the menu, or should I go take care of my paying customers?”

His eyes darkened and I knew he was done tolerating my back talk. “No one speaks to me that way.”

I let out a heavy sigh, but my heart was racing. Todd Bingham was a dangerous man, and I was playing with a freaking bonfire. Even so, I couldn’t let him boss me around. He might be a lot rougher than my father, but they had a lot in common—both men were arrogant enough to believe everyone in the world had been put there to serve them and do as they said. Anger billowed in my chest. I’d spent most of my life cowering from my father, trying to stay off his radar, but I was done. I wasn’t going to let Bingham tell me what to do, and once I left this town, I was going to find a way to stop my father. With or without Wyatt’s help.

I stepped closer, standing over him. “And no one orders me around. No. One. Not even you.”

He jerked upright, placing one hand on the table and the other at his waist, and it was then I saw the bulge under his shirt, not that I was surprised he was carrying. I’d learned that Drum was a lot like the Wild West, not just because it was hidden away from the rest of the world, but also because most people carried a gun of some type. So far there hadn’t been any shoot-outs on Main Street at high noon, but then I’d only been here for a month.

Turn around and walk away, Carly. But I couldn’t do it. If I backed down, I’d start the transformation back to Caroline Blakely, the proper daughter of a supposedly respectable man. The woman who’d let so damn much slide. I’d discovered I liked being Carly Moore too much for that.

I narrowed my eyes and glared down at him. “What are you gonna do, Bingham? Shoot me in the bar? Not a good idea. Max is pretty wicked with his knife, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his blade was embedded in your chest two seconds after you pull the trigger. Besides, you and I both know there’s one more thing that’s gonna stop you from touching a single hair on my head—your agreement with Hank Chalmers.”

Hank had been the previous drug lord of the area, something I’d learned after moving into his house. He’d ceded his territory to Bingham, but there were two iron clauses attached to their agreement. Hank had pledged to stop growing his much coveted high-quality weed, and in exchange, Bingham would never touch Hank’s kin. Hank had claimed me as kin, and while that offered me certain protections, I knew Bingham was a little fuzzy with the rules. Still, there was no twisting attempted murder to fit their arrangement.

He lifted both hands to the sides of his head. “You’ve got an active imagination there, girl.”

I didn’t back down, still glaring at him. “I have a name and you will use it. You may call me Carly or Ms. Moore. Your pick. If you refuse, then I’ll refuse to wait on you.”

“I’ll just move to Lula’s new section.”

“Not a chance in hell is that happening.”

I wasn’t surprised when I heard Max’s voice directly behind me. “Is there a problem here?”

Bingham gave me a long, cold stare before lifting his gaze to Max. “Carly and I were just getting reacquainted. A lot to catch up on.”

“Uh-huh,” Max said, putting his hand on my upper arm and pushing me to the side. “So are you all caught up now?”

“Not quite,” Bingham said, his gaze following me. “But we’ve reached an understanding or two.”

“Carly?” Max asked, and his tone let me know that all I had to do was say the word and he’d kick Bingham and his men out. Which would likely cause him nearly as many problems as firing Lula.

“I wouldn’t be as generous as Bingham about our progress, but I’ll concede that we’ve reached an agreement.”

Max looked back and forth between us, uncertainty in his eyes.

“Mr. Bingham,” I said with a tight smile. “What can I get for you and your friends?”

Bingham’s cold, dark eyes penetrated mine. A chill ran down my spine, but I didn’t blink—those third graders had taught me a thing or two.

After about five seconds, he glanced away, looking even more pissed than ever. “Two fingers of whiskey.” Two of his men ordered well drinks, while the other four ordered draft beer. Most everyone asked for wings or a burger. Max stood next to me the entire time, and while I appreciated him jumping in to protect me, I felt like I’d been holding my own. We both turned and walked away from the table, and I snuck a quick glance back at Bingham, who had his gaze firmly on my ass.

Gross.

“Carly, a word in my office,” Max said in a tight voice.

I searched the room for Lula, my protective instincts kicking into high gear, but I locked eyes with Wyatt first. Somehow I’d forgotten he was in the dining room. For a moment, I wondered if he’d missed the excitement with Bingham—he hadn’t intervened, after all—but his ramrod-stiff body and the dark look on his face let me know otherwise.

Lula was at a table next to his. “Just a moment,” I told Max, then strode toward her. Wyatt must have thought I was coming to see him, but I ignored him, instead sidling up to Lula and leaning into her ear. “Stay away from Todd Bingham.”

She turned to me in surprise. “Why?”

“He wants to talk to you for some reason, and I don’t trust him.”

She swallowed and worry filled her eyes. “He wants to see me?”

“Do you know why?” I asked.

She didn’t answer, instead glancing back at Bingham. She seemed nervous, which made my decision for me.

“Come with me,” I said, wrapping an arm around her back and leading her over to Max, who was waiting at the back door with an exasperated look.

“I wasn’t callin’ a damn staff meetin’,” Max grumbled.

I ignored him and continued on to his office, practically dragging Lula.

“Ruthie won’t like that neither one of us is out there,” she said in a trembling voice.

“Ruth?” Max snapped. “What about me? I’m the damn owner of this place, in case no one’s noticed.” He turned to me. “Why the hell is Lula back here?”

“Bingham wants to talk to her.”

“So?” he asked as though my statement was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “He likes her. She usually waits on him.” He shook his head, narrowing his gaze on me. “Are you saying that big to-do out there was over Bingham wanting Lula to wait on him?”