Free Web NovelChapter 201: Chapter 201 Drink Disturbance
Christina’s POV
"Do I?" Daniel wiped his face with his hand. "The crowd at the bar is crazy. Had to fight my way through just to place our order."
On stage, Cade finished his set with one final chord that shook the room. He gave a quick bow as the audience burst into applause.
"One more!" Someone yelled from the crowd.
The chant spread, but Cade just smiled and walked off stage with his guitar, ignoring their calls. The venue’s lighting shifted back to a soft glow.
"So, do you come to places like this often?" Priya asked Daniel.
"What, bars?" Daniel shook his head. "Not really my thing. I’m more of a stay-at-home guy."
I snorted. "That’s hard to believe."
Priya nodded in agreement.
"Why?" Daniel looked genuinely confused. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"Well, for starters, you’re tanned and you’ve got muscles," I pointed out.
Akira hummed in agreement inside my head. " He’s definitely not the couch potato type."
"Both are possible indoors, you know," Daniel replied defensively.
"Right, because you’re totally the type to use tanning beds and home gym equipment."
Daniel laughed awkwardly. "Okay, enough about me. What about you two? What do Christina and Priya do when you’re not designing jewelry?"
A server approached our table with a tray balanced on one hand.
"Sherry cobbler," he announced, setting down a glass filled with golden liquid.
Daniel pushed it toward me. "For you. You wanted something light, so this is basically fruit juice with a splash of alcohol."
"Hugo spritz," the server continued, placing another glass down.
"I remembered you like green," Daniel told Priya as he slid the drink her way.
"Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac, neat," the server said finally.
I raised an eyebrow at Daniel’s choice. "Someone knows their expensive liquor."
Daniel shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "Is that okay? You did say you were paying..."
"It’s fine. I said I’d treat." I reached for my glass, the stem cool against my fingers.
"DON’T DRINK THAT!"
The sudden shout startled me just as I was lifting my drink. A strong hand gripped my wrist, stopping me.
"There’s something in it," the voice said urgently.
I looked up into Cade Lawson’s intense eyes as he gently took the glass from my hand and set it on the table.
"Who the hell are you?" Daniel demanded, half-rising from his seat.
His eyes darted between the glass and Cade’s face. The server was still standing nearby, not leaving.
Cade grabbed the server by his collar and pulled him forward. "What did you put in her drink?"
The guy struggled against Cade’s grip, trying to back away.
I stood up slowly, Akira instantly alert. "What’s going on here?"
Cade kept his eyes on the server. "I saw him in the back room. He poured white powder into one of the glasses, then came straight to your table."
I glanced down at my drink. It looked normal—amber-colored with a reddish tint.
"Why would you spike my drink?" I asked the server directly.
He shook his head frantically. "I didn’t! I swear!"
Cade released him with a shove. The server stumbled backward into a chair, barely catching himself.
"You were hiding behind the liquor shelves," Cade insisted. "I watched you add something. Then you ran when you saw me."
"You’ve got it wrong!" the server protested. "I didn’t do anything—"
Cade reached for the glass. "The proof is right here. We can—"
Before he could finish, Daniel jumped up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. He lunged forward and punched the server square in the face.
"You think drugging people is okay?" Daniel shouted. "What were you planning?"
The server stumbled back, eyes wide with shock as his hand flew to his jaw.
Daniel moved closer, getting in the guy’s face. A second later, the server kicked him in the ribs.
"Back off! I didn’t do anything!" he yelled.
"You spiked the drinks. You should be grateful I’m not dragging you outside," Daniel growled, his voice taking on a wolfish edge.
"I didn’t! You’re crazy!"
They went at each other. Daniel didn’t hold back. The server got him with an elbow to the side, then another. By the third hit, they were grabbing each other’s shirts and swinging wildly.
One of them crashed into our table. It flipped over with a loud bang.
Glass shattered across the floor. Fruit slices scattered everywhere. Liquid splashed across the concrete, soaking napkins and Daniel’s pants.
The music stopped. Screams filled the bar. People scrambled backward, chairs scraped against the floor, and someone knocked over a speaker.
I stared at the mess, scanning the floor with growing worry.
The glass with the drugged drink is gone, Akira realized.
Cade grabbed for the server’s arm. "Both of you, stop!"
"Enough!" I moved in, voice commanding. "Everyone shut up and back off."
Priya grabbed Daniel’s elbow while I pulled at the server’s shoulder. Cade helped from the other side. It took all three of us to separate them.
Daniel was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
The server had a split lip with blood trickling down his chin. He doubled over and spat red onto the floor.
I pulled Daniel back a few steps. "Take a breath. What the hell was that?"
"He tried to drug you," Daniel said between breaths. "I had to do something."
"This is a public place in the middle of the city, not some back alley. Think before you act."
"I thought this place was safe." He looked at me, genuine regret in his eyes. "I’m sorry, Christina."
I squeezed his shoulder. "Not your fault. Just calm down."
A heavy-set man in his fifties rushed over, sweat soaking through his collar. His name tag said Vic.
"I’m the manager. What’s going on here?" he demanded.
I turned to face him. "That’s exactly what I’d like to know."
Daniel cut in before the manager could respond. "Your server spiked our drinks. I want to know if he acted alone or if someone put him up to it."
The server shook his head hard. "I didn’t do anything! You’ve got it wrong!"
"Then show us the security footage," Daniel challenged. "Let’s check the cameras and see what really happened."
"I swear I didn’t put anything in the drink—"
"Someone saw you do it," Daniel snapped. "Still sticking to your story?"
Before the server could respond, police sirens wailed outside, getting louder as they approached the bar.
