by Zoe Chant
“Fucking asshole – should have been enough in him to put down three dragons. Jesus.”
Dante’s vision was going dim, and he stumbled, his head feeling light. He knew he was losing consciousness.
I can’t let his happen. I have to... have to fight... for Mercy...
It was the last thought he had before everything went black.
Chapter Eight
Mercy
Dante.
Mercy lifted her head from where it was slumped over the table, staring down at Dante’s mugshot.
She couldn’t explain why, but a sudden fear shot through her heart, making it beat wildly. She pulled in a deep breath, preparing herself for an impending panic attack... but this felt different, somehow. Blinking, Mercy shook her head, the momentary feeling dissipating.
She looked back down at the mugshot, biting her lip. Even if Dante hadn’t straight-up told her that it was him, there would have been no way for her to deny it. The photo was in black and white, and grainy from having come through a fax machine, but it was him. Somehow, his eyes, even indistinct as they were, seemed to see her, as if looking into her very soul.
Swallowing, Mercy turned to the next page, reading through the charges. Affray. Possession of illegal firearms. Menacing. Intimidation.
She understood the words, but she couldn’t see how they connected to the gentle, protective man she’d been getting to know. The man who’d come to her defense when Garrick’s men had tried to threaten her. The man who’d told her he’d protect her no matter what. The man who’d sat and read to Jessa’s reading circle children. The man who’d soothed and comforted her through her panic attack, and made her feel safer and more loved than she had in years – maybe more than she’d ever felt before in her life.
It didn’t seem possible, but the proof was right in front of her.
But he said... he said he wasn’t that man anymore. That that was in the past, and he’s left that life behind...
Mercy squeezed her eyes shut, her head pounding.
Can I really believe that?
She didn’t know right now. But she did know that if Dante’s talk of trying to make up for what he’d done and trying to find a second chance was real, then she had to at least listen to him and hear him out.
Swallowing, Mercy stood up, suddenly regretting that she’d told Dante to leave. More than anything, she wanted to talk to him, to find out more about who he’d been in the past – and who he was now.
I have to find him. I have to know.
Standing, Mercy raced to the kitchen door. It had only been a couple of minutes – Dante couldn’t have gotten too far. She ran through the kitchen and burst out into the alleyway behind the restaurant.
“Dante!”
There was no one there. Mercy didn’t realize just how much she’d been expecting to see his imposing, muscular form until she came out in the alley only to find it empty.
Her heart pounding, Mercy dashed up the alleyway and out into the street, her eyes searching for Dante’s figure among the few people out and about in the morning.
Nothing.
“Dante!” She didn’t care about the quizzical stares she attracted as she raced up the street, frantically calling Dante’s name. She pushed between people in the more crowded areas, searching for him.
But it was as if he’d disappeared into thin air.
Stopping, Mercy stood panting, looking around her – but it was hopeless.
She had no idea where he’d gone or what direction he might have headed in. Running through the streets calling for him all day wasn’t an option.
Guilt and pain twisted in her gut.
I should have talked to him.
Mercy shook her head – no, she hadn’t been wrong to ask for a moment to think, she told herself. She had gotten a shock, and she’d needed the time. She might regret it now, but she’d been well within her rights to ask him to leave.
She just had to hope that Dante had meant what he said, and that he wasn’t gone for good. He’d told her he’d be there for her if she ever needed him – that all she had to do was ask, and he’d be by her side once more.
I’ll find him again. If I have to scour every inch of Hainesville, I’ll find him.
Setting her mouth in a determined line, Mercy headed back to the restaurant. The morning was progressing, and she needed to start now if she wanted to have things ready in time to open for lunch. Tai would be arriving soon, and Mercy knew she’d need to be on the ball if she was going to get through the shift ahead of her.
Life didn’t just stop because she was having a personal crisis. It was something she’d learned the hard way.
Back at the restaurant, Mercy kept herself busy – not that that was difficult – in order to keep her mind off the cold, churning feeling in her stomach. Something within her felt that something was wrong. It felt somehow larger than the confrontation she’d had with Roy and Dante this morning, but she couldn’t put her finger on what.
That has to be it though, right? Mercy thought to herself as she pulled out a box of chicken from the fridge, getting ready to dice it. She didn’t know what to make of Roy’s motives in telling her about Dante’s past. Roy couldn’t possibly have known how close she and Dante had gotten, and, reluctantly, she had to conclude he had perfectly good reasons for investigating the people close to someone he might be about to donate a large amount of money to.
Might.
Mercy swallowed.
Had she blown the whole deal when she’d told Roy to get out of her restaurant this morning? She wasn’t sure how she’d face Jessa and Jimmy if she had.
She looked up, yanked out of her own swirling thoughts at the sound of Tai’s motorbike pulling up outside. A moment later, Tai herself, dressed in her riding leathers, strode through the door, her helmet dangling from one hand.
“Mercy? What’s up? You look... well, you don’t look happy, let’s put it that way,” Tai said, frowning.
Mercy shook her head. Her first instinct was to say I’m fine, no need to worry about me, but Dante’s words about accepting help when it was offered echoed in her head.
“I... I guess I’ve had a bit of a stressful morning,” she said. “Roy showed up.”
“Oh?” Tai said carefully, as she unzipped her leather jacket and hung it up. “And?”
“He... had some things to tell me. About Dante. About his past.”
Tai’s eyes narrowed. “Bad things?”
“Not good things, that’s for sure,” Mercy said. “He’s... well, he’s been in prison.”
“Okay,” Tai said, tying her apron on before washing her hands at the wash station. “So have a lot of people we know. You know sometimes the system is... well, it’s the system. So the real question is, what did he do? And did he try to justify what he’d done?”
“I know that,” Mercy replied. “And it wasn’t for rape, murder, assault, anything like that. And... no, he didn’t. He didn’t try to make any excuses at all. He just told me he’d left that life and was trying to do better now.”
“Do you believe him?”
Mercy swallowed. “I do,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to just act blind.”
“No one’s asking you to,” Tai said quietly, coming to stand by Mercy at the kitchen bench. “You took a chance on me, you know – you didn’t have to hire me, after you knew how I was in school. You knew what I was into. But I knew how easy it would have been for you to give up on me, not believe me when I told you I’d turned things around, gotten through culinary school, made myself into something better. But you didn’t. And now I am where I am because of that.”
Mercy closed her eyes.
She knew Tai was right. If nothing else, she at least owed Dante a fair hearing. A chance to prove himself. And he’d done so much for her already...
“But speaking of, if we don’t get a move on, we’re not going to be ready to open,” Tai said, a smile quirking her lips. “I don’t know if you’re expecti
ng many customers, but if we do get busy, well, we’re not going to be able to serve them standing around like this.”
Mercy smiled, looking up at Tai. “You’re right.”
Forcing her mind away from her troubles, Mercy tried to focus on the task at hand. But the feeling that something was wrong just wouldn’t leave her.
Maybe it’s the uncertainty about what’s happening with Roy, Mercy thought as she rinsed some lettuce in the sink. Maybe once I get that sorted out, I’ll feel better.
That had to be it, Mercy decided. She’d go visit Roy at the address he’d given her this evening once she’d closed. She’d get that cleared away, and then she’d look for Dante. She was too much of a control freak to be able to relax when there was so much uncertainty hanging over her head.
At least, she hoped so. The cold feeling in her gut would be too much to bear if it went on too much longer.
Leaving Tai to finish prepping in the kitchen, Mercy went out into the dining area to begin setting tables. She picked up the fax of Dante’s mugshot from the table, folding it over and stuffing it into her back pocket. Next, she picked up Roy’s business card, now taking the time to read the address he’d written down next to his office address.
It was for the Bondsville Plaza Hotel, a fancy place in the next town over, closer in to the city. She’d call Roy as soon as she could to set up a meeting, and get the proposals in front of him.
Then she’d find Dante, and ask him to explain himself.
At the thought of Dante, a strange coldness surged through her once more, as if something was trying to warn her of danger.
Mercy shook her head. That was impossible.
She’d just have to do her best to ignore it for now, and try to get on with her job.
But even as she went around the restaurant, setting out places and aligning menus, the cold, insistent feeling that something was wrong wouldn’t leave her.
Maybe it’s just another panic attack trying to start, Mercy thought, forcing herself once again to take deep breaths. That’s what it has to be. What else could it be?
***
Tai’s prediction about there being only a few customers throughout the day had turned out to be correct, but there’d still been enough to keep Mercy busy. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or not for the slow day – on the one hand, the cold, tight feeling in her stomach had made it hard to concentrate, and she appreciated the moments she had to herself to take a breather. On the other, maybe being a bit busier would have taken her mind off how strange she felt, and given her something else to concentrate on.
Shaking her head, Mercy decided she shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth – the slow trickle of customers meant that she’d been able to handle them on her own since she’d had no chance to replace Debbie as a waitress yet, and –
And Dante’s not here to help.
Mercy blinked, pulling in a deep breath as she locked the front door, getting ready to close.
No, he isn’t. But I did okay. And I’m going to find him.
It was dark out – it was almost nine o’clock, after all – and Mercy wondered if he had somewhere to sleep tonight. Clearly, he’d been doing okay before he’d staggered into her kitchen the night before last, but still, she couldn’t help but worry for him.
Half of her had been expecting to see him walk in through the door every time it opened, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be a customer coming in for a bite to eat. It seemed somehow like the cold feeling in her gut only grew larger every time he failed to appear.
He’d said he’d give me space, Mercy reasoned. Nonsensically, she wondered why he couldn’t somehow tell how much she was missing him – after all, he’d known how desperately she’d wanted to be comforted yesterday evening during her panic attack, even if she hadn’t been able to make herself say the words. She realized she was being totally irrational, but the thought wouldn’t leave her.
“Everything okay?”
Tai’s voice from the doorway shook Mercy out of her thoughts, and she realized she’d been staring into space for who knew how long.
“Yeah.”
“I’m just getting started cleaning up in here – do you want me to finish closing?” Tai asked, watching her closely. “I don’t mind. Kay’s teaching tonight, so I’ll probably still get home before her even if I stay back here a little.”
Mercy opened her mouth, about to tell Tai she wouldn’t hear of it and that she’d be fine on her own – when again, Dante’s words about accepting help when it was offered came back to her. She’d been battling her feelings all day: the strange sense of unease in her stomach, her worry over whether Roy would still donate the money, and where Dante had gone.
She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find Dante, but she thought, maybe, she could settle the uncertainty about Roy sooner rather than later.
“Thank you, Tai, I’d really appreciate that,” Mercy said. “I’m gonna call Roy before it gets any later – see when I can get him the proposals and if he’ll agree to meet Jessa and Jimmy. You don’t think it’s too late to call him, do you?”
Tai shook her head. “Nah – these business types don’t sleep, do they? He’s probably still up wheeling and dealing, telling his secretary to get Australia on the phone, sipping expensive scotch, ordering room service lobster –”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Mercy laughed. “I’ll give him a call. Maybe he’ll have time to see me on Saturday.”
Chapter Nine
Mercy
Saturday was out of the question, Roy had insisted when Mercy called him.
Come over tonight, he’d said. The proposals are important. I want to get the ball rolling on this as quickly as possible.
He hadn’t minded at all when Mercy had told him she’d need at least an hour to clean herself up after her shift and drive over there – she supposed perhaps Tai had been right when she’d said that business tycoon types didn’t care about sleep. She’d pushed aside her misgivings and agreed.
Swallowing as she drove to the hotel now, she wondered if she’d made the right choice. Bondsville, though it neighbored Hainesville, was much, much more affluent – the two towns were only divided by a small river, but that, apparently, made all the difference. Mercy’s beat-up Corolla couldn’t have looked more out of place on the streets of Bondsville, lined as they were with large, impressive houses with manicured lawns, and Lexuses and BMWs parked in their driveways.
Mercy didn’t usually let herself feel self-conscious or intimidated around money. It didn’t mean anything – it just meant some people had drawn a better hand in life than she and the people she knew had, and she wasn’t ashamed of where she came from. But right now, she would have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t feeling just a little bit uncomfortable.
Was she really going to drive her tiny, crappy little car right up to the Bondsville Plaza Hotel and ask the valet to park it? Was she really going to go into the foyer in her old clothes – the nicest pencil skirt and blouse she owned and a dark blue blazer, but still old – and tell the receptionist she was here to see Roy Wilmore in his suite?
Yes I am, damn it.
Mercy nodded to herself, not caring if she looked silly. She had as much right to be here as anyone else. And she wasn’t about to be intimidated by anyone, just because they had some money in the bank.
The hotel came into view as she took a left, driving past some upscale restaurants and fashion boutiques. They were a world away from the shopping strip Mercy’s Kitchen belonged to. It was hard to believe she’d only been driving for about forty-five minutes.
Taking a deep breath, Mercy steeled herself for the looks she expected to get as she pulled up out the front of the Bondsville Plaza. The valet and baggage handlers did look a little... surprised, she supposed was the word when she pulled up, but one of them still hurried over to open the door for her as she stopped.
She got out of the car, handing over her keys when the valet asked for them. He took
off quickly, probably hoping to get her car out of sight as fast as he could, Mercy thought wryly. The doorman held the entrance open for her, greeting her good evening, and then, Mercy was inside.
She’d never been in a place like this before – golden marble floors, chandeliers that seemed to drip crystals, and ornate furniture arranged by massive potted ferns. She could hear a fountain burbling somewhere nearby, though she couldn’t see it. And there, standing in the middle of it all was Roy Wilmore, her high school sweetheart, wearing a dark blue suit and talking on his cell phone.
His eyes zeroed in on her almost immediately and he gave her a small wave and a half-smile, before gesturing her over.
“... No, I have to go. I have an important meeting. I’ll speak to you soon.”
Mercy caught the last few words of Roy’s conversation before he hung up, sliding the phone into his pocket with a smooth motion.
“Mercy,” he said as she reached him. “You look stunning.”
She resisted the urge to contradict him – yeah, she was wearing her best clothes, but she knew that compared with the beautiful people swanking around this foyer on their way out to dinners that probably cost more than she made in a month, she looked completely blah. But it wasn’t even remotely important: looking fancy wasn’t why she was here.
“Thanks,” she said instead. “I’m really glad you could meet me tonight. I know it’s late.”
Roy waved a hand dismissively. “It’s not late for me. Business runs to its own timetable. And in any case, I always have time for you.”
Mercy couldn’t help but smile. Roy might have changed since she’d known him, and she might still have been a little angry with him for revealing Dante’s criminal record the way he had, but she did hope they could be friends – if Roy was as interested in her work helping out his old hometown as he said he was, then that was a solid basis for it.
“I have the proposals we discussed,” she said, deciding it would be best to get straight down to it. “Is there somewhere we can talk about it?”