Silver Bracelets by Charisma Knight Page A

shift.”
    “Oh, yes. That was one hell of a performance last night.”
    “You mean … ”
    “Yes, I saw you on stage.” His jaw tightened and his lips formed a cruel, thin line. “You have a lot of men wanting to bed you down.” He opened his ticket book and took out a pen.
    Alexia bit her lip. She knew Tyler was jealous. She also blushed at the thought of her ex fiancée watching her shaking her ass in front of strangers. Had she known he was in the audience, she probably would never have completed her shift. She’d felt bad the day she stood him up, but her situation could not be helped.
    “Tyler, what were you doing there last night?” She folded her arms and tried not to show how embarrassed she was.
    “To be honest, I don’t know.” He shook his head and exhaled loudly. “Guess I just wanted to know why you did it.”
    “Tyler, please. That was—”
    “Two years ago, and still no explanation,” he bit out sharply. His eyes blazed with anger. Rightfully so. She’d done him wrong. “Is that how you thought of me? Still think of me?”
    “This really isn’t the time or place.” Her voice was shaky, and she shivered while averting her gaze from his. It was hard looking him in the eye. Alexia tried swallowing the stubborn lump in her throat while wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans. “I thought you were in Virginia?”
    He nodded. “I was. Just transferred back to Maryland about a week ago. What the hell are you doing working in a place like that? Don’t you know some of the things that go on there?”
    “Don’t start on me.”
    “No. I’m going to start on you. Hard and heavy, baby. I want … No! I demand an explanation.”
    “So you resorted to stalking me?”
    “Did you leave me standing at the altar on our wedding day to become a dancer?”
    “Tyler, there’s a lot you don’t know.” She debated whether or not she should tell him her reasons. She’d listened to her parents too many times in the past. Tyler was never good enough for her; he wasn’t a self-made millionaire, blah blah blah.
    “Do I smell alcohol?”
    Alexia’s gut twisted. Her intuition had been correct. He was going to haul her ass off to jail this morning. Was this his reason for relocating from Virginia? Panic dug in her soul like a dark force. What the hell would she do about her two-year-old son, Kelvin? She knew her sister wouldn’t mind holding onto him for however long it took to clear this situation up, but she still had some concerns.
    “I don’t usually make it a habit to drink and drive. In my defense, it’s been a few hours.” She tried to smile, but Tyler wasn’t having it.
    Tight-lipped, he held out his hand. “License and registration, please.”
    Alexia’s breathing became shallow to the point where she feared she might hyperventilate. Why the hell did he need her license and registration? He knew who she was. She’d hoped he wouldn’t ticket her. “Is this necessary?” His gaze burned into hers, and she knew he had some unresolved issues
    “Yes, it is. What, did you think you could buy your way out of this?”
    “I’ve never tried buying my way out of anything, and you know it!” she lashed out sharply. “Don’t you dare compare me to my family!”
    It was true—the DuBois clan had money and always found one way or another to dodge their responsibilities.
    Any hope she had of escaping this fine died. She hoped he’d issue a warning, and maybe he’d forget about the alcohol he smelled on her breath. Maybe.
    His dark eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, I know you,” he admitted while taking her information. “Is this your vehicle?”
    “Who else would it belong to?” she snapped before she could retrieve her words. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She said regretfully. “Look. Tyler. Please. I can’t afford to get a DUI.”
    “You’ve got enough money to pay it, so why not?”
    She shook her head. Honestly, it wasn’t like that. Her family had disowned her after the wedding for going