by Sara Kimball
“…and those feds have been poking around, asking questions about all kinds of things, but mostly about where the money went. If they find out about this place…” Alex turned into the kitchen and deposited her tray of dishes. She thought about what she had heard and wondered if Lorenzo was part of the mafia. The thought made her squirm a little. It could put her in the spotlight if the place got raided by law enforcement, and she wasn’t sure she could stand up to that kind of scrutiny. Not to mention she didn’t want to be involved in a criminal enterprise.
Walking down the hallway again, this time she could hear Lorenzo placating the other two men. “Just relax. Don’t come here again for a while, tell the boss I’ve got it under control, and his money is safe with me. He’s family. I mean, I married his niece, he doesn’t need to send his men to come down and threaten me, I’m not gonna screw him over. Wouldn’t know how, I serve pasta to hungry people. That’s what I know. Okay?” He sounded completely serious and reassuring, but Alex’s wolf cocked her head at Lorenzo’s statement. There was something in his tone that made her think he was lying.
Low mumbling could be heard, and then another murmur, this time from one of the other men. “How about that little young piece you got working for you now? Your wife know about her?”
Lorenzo was silent for a minute. “Why would I need to tell Raisa I hired a new waitress?”
The other man laughed and made a crude comment about wives not needing to know. “Well, if you aren’t spreading those long, long legs, I’ll give it a go then.” He chuckled and the sound made Alex shudder in revulsion. “She looks wild, like she could take it rough and give as good as she got. Can’t wait to try out her sweet little puss—”
Lorenzo, during the graphic sentiment, had been protesting, but a sharp thump interrupted it. Then she could hear Lorenzo, who sounded incensed. “She’s barely eighteen if she’s a day and a little younger than my own damn daughter. You’re despicable, Antony. She’s in trouble and came here for help. Now you stay the hell away from her. We clear?”
Alex walked away towards the dining area, a real smile on her face this time. Illegal activities or not, Lorenzo seemed like a good man. And besides, his statement made it sound like she was here to stay. She felt warm and happy inside for the first time since her father died, and it wasn’t hard to keep smiling at customers the rest of the night.
///
Working for Lorenzo full time was arranged after her shift, while she was tucking the cash that she had made in tips into the depths of her backpack. Alex had actually made a fairly decent amount considering it was her first time as a waitress.
“Be back tomorrow same time.” Lorenzo watched her as she pulled her backpack on and changed out of her too-small flats into her tennis. There was a frown on his face. “You have somewhere safe to stay?”
Alex nodded and smiled at Lorenzo in reassurance. She would make herself safe, wherever she ended up. She left, the other wait staff with her. As they walked out the back alley, she let herself trail behind until the others were out of sight, and meandered through the city, trying to figure out a place to go. Not wanting to spend too much of her cash, she debated whether or not to get a hotel room, or try and just find a park bench or a seat on the subway and ride it all night.
Alex walked around until well after three am, sleepiness finally calling to her. She had found Central Park and was walking around the trails, avoiding bums and drunken people on their way home from clubbing. A few minutes later she came upon a park bench beneath some red leafed trees and sat down, placing her backpack in her lap and curling around it, waiting to make sure it was a safe enough place to go to sleep. She wasn’t afraid of the darkness; her wolf genes gave her enhanced vision, rendering the darkness between the pools of light nothing more than soft shadows. And the only scents her nose picked up over the city was the moldy scent of decaying autumn leaves.
Seeing nothing to alarm her, she moved into the bushes and changed into another set of clothing quickly, placing her now wrinkled and garlicy-smelling work outfit into her bag. Alex was tempted to shift to her wolf form to stay warmer, but even though it was a cold night with a hint of frost in the air, it wasn’t wet. Since she ran hotter than most the chill was tolerable. Moving back to her bench, she put her bag on one side and leaned on it, deciding to catch a little bit of sleep before the sun rose.
///
Footsteps pounding on the concrete path in a steady rhythm woke her, along with the sound of low puffs of breath from a human mouth. Sitting up quickly in the rising sunlight, Alex pulled her hair into a neat ponytail before grabbing her bag and standing, walking along the trail before the jogger got into view. She hoped she looked like a student that had gotten an early start for the day, rather than like someone who had just slept on a park bench.
It took her some time to find a laundromat, and she washed her dirty clothing as quickly as she could. Wandering around, she ran across a small bagel shop and splurged on three bagels with fried eggs and bacon. Being hungry was not good for a werewolf. And though she had gotten a meal at work last night, most of the meals there contained a lot of pasta and a small amount of meat, and Alex’s wolf was salivating at the thought of more satisfying food—bloody and red.
The bagels appeased her wilder side for the time being, and Alex took off again. Another day was spent walking around, though this time Alex was looking for places to live rather than a place to work. She found an apartment building that looked promising, but when the super found out how old Alex was they told her to forget it and leave. It went like that for the next three apartment buildings, and Alex finally threw in the towel and headed towards work. As much as she didn’t want to sleep on the park bench again, she needed to find someone a little bit more flexible when it came to her age before she would be able to find an apartment.
She was nearly to the restaurant when she spotted one of Lorenzo’s ‘friends’ from the night before leaning against the entry to the alleyway, playing with his phone. She recognized him as the one that had been asking about her, and narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Ignoring him, she focused on the pavement beneath her feet. Turning down the alley behind the restaurant, she strode briskly towards the back entrance.
“Hey, new girl!” The shout rang out behind her, and running steps made her stop and turn around, facing the man before her. He had small dark eyes and dark hair, tan skin and wore a button up shirt under a leather jacket. “New girl. Hello. I’m Tony. How about you and I get to know each other a little bit better tonight.”
Alex smiled. This man thought he was tough, but she bet if she knocked his ass to the ground and squished his balls under her foot he’d be singing a different tune. “No thanks, I just want to work.” She turned to go and he grabbed her arm.
“Listen you little cock tease, you’re going to meet me tonight or I’m gonna talk to Lorenzo and get you fired.” His other hand slid around her waist and his voice grew rough and edgy. “Understood?”
Alex continued to smile as he touched her without permission. He looked appeased, but if the man knew her better he would have realized that toothy show was more of a threat than any words could be. She had had rather enough of being man-handled. First my brother, now this lump of scum. And she knew from Lorenzo’s words last night that he had told Tony—or Antony—to stay away from her, which made his statement about getting her fired nothing more than a bluff.
“No. Now remove your hands before I make you.”
He blinked at her in astonishment. “What?”
Alex enunciated each word very carefully for him, “Remove. Your. Hands.”
His face tightened in anger and his fingers dug into her skin hard enough to bruise. Alex didn’t give him a second chance. She punched him with her free arm in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Then she kneed him in the balls. He fell to the ground, huddled over his groin and making pitiful, pained noises. “Don’t touch me again unless you want me to rip your balls off and help you disc
over what they taste like.” She cocked her head to the side and mimicked his earlier tone. “Understood?” She didn’t think he was too badly injured, as she had been careful not to use the full force of her werewolf strength.
Smirking, infused with her triumph over a fiend, she turned back towards the restaurant’s alley door, only to stop at the clapping and laughter that met her. Lorenzo and the cook stood there, watching her and Tony, gleeful malice evident on their faces. Lorenzo walked over to where Tony was still crying on the ground, clasping his balls. “I did tell you to leave her alone.” He ushered Alex into the doorway with a quick word about staying away from Tony from now on lest he retaliate. Alex nodded and headed towards the bathroom for a quick wash in the sink, and then changed into her black clothing. Now clean, and in clean clothing that no longer smelled of chemical deodorizer, Alex hurried into the small break room, which was outfitted with lockers, and let out a sigh of relief that she was still employed. Grabbing the flats she had bought at the discount store, she wished she had replaced them earlier today with tip money, but shrugged and slipped them on. The shoes had hurt her feet last night but the blisters had healed by now, so Alex decided to deal with sore feet until she at least had a place to stay. That was her first priority. New shoes aren’t high on the list, unfortunately.
When she was done, she found the cook in the kitchen, regaling two other waiters with the story of her defense against Tony, and they were laughing so hard tears were coming out of their eyes.
“Jesus Alex, that’s awesome. Tony’s always been an asshole. I wish I could have done what you did…How’d you know what to do? Did you take some of those self-defense classes?” One of the nieces, Alex couldn’t remember which, asked her in a rush, not taking a breath in between sentences.
Embarrassed and hoping not to draw too much attention, Alex shrugged. “Just some stuff my dad showed me. And I got lucky that Tony underestimated me, I guess.”
The shift went by more smoothly than her first one, and she made even better money in tips, in addition to actually getting paid. At the end of the night she lingered as long as she could, even volunteering to vacuum before going to the employee area. After she could procrastinate no longer, Alex slowly headed towards the back door.
“Alex. Wait a moment, will you?” Lorenzo asked her from the door to his office. He motioned with his hand and she reluctantly followed him inside.
“Sit down.” He slid around his desk and sat in a large leather chair. Alex reluctantly sat on the wooden chair in front of her. “Now, don’t think I didn’t notice how much you ate tonight. And how you aren’t leaving like everybody else. So I want you to tell me straight.” He took a deep breath and looked at her sternly. “Do you have someplace to go?”
Alex firmed her resolve and began to nod, opening her mouth to lie, when her wolf grabbed control for a second. Instead of a lie, a small whimper noise came out of her mouth. Alex looked at her lap, trying to get her eyes back to normal before looking up again. She struggled with her wolf, fighting for dominance, though she imagined to Lorenzo it looked like she was embarrassed.
“There girl. No harm done. I ask because we have a little apartment above the restaurant. Stinks to high heaven of garlic at all hours of the day. And it’s small. But I would be willing to take the rent from your paycheck if you’d like.” He leaned back in his chair. “I used to live there before I met my wife.”
Alex’s eyes, now back to normal, rose to meet Lorenzo’s gaze. At first she was worried that Tony had been correct and Lorenzo was looking to have sex with her. However, there was not even a trace of lust in his scent or expression. In fact, his face held only genuine concern. “That would be really great. Thank you.” A rush of affection for the man surprised her, but she could tell that he was worried for her, and had a kind heart. Even if he was involved with illegal activities.
Nobody’s perfect.
He grunted and waved away her thanks. “I said it before, but you remind me of my daughter, and I’d hate to think of her sleeping on the streets. Now.” He shuffled some papers around on his desk and pulled out a form. “I need you to fill this out so we are all nice and legal for the IRS.” He slid the paper across his desk along with a pen.
Alex hesitated as she stared at the W4 form. She should have figured this out. If Lorenzo was funneling mafia money through the restaurant there was no way he could have employees with a sketchy past. It needed to look squeaky clean everywhere so that no one suspected anything. She had her social security number and all her paperwork, but stupidly hadn’t thought to give herself a new name or identity. She wondered if she could find someone to buy one from with the cash she had stolen from the Pack before it became too big of an issue. But she had no idea where to even look to find someone able to do that.
“Is there a problem?”
Alex looked at Lorenzo one more time and sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t work for you anymore.” She stood, but Lorenzo waved her back into her seat.
“What do you mean? You work twice as hard as my nieces, and they know it, so they’ve been working harder. It’s good for business. Now. Is it a problem with this?” He waved the form in his hand.
Slowly, Alex nodded. Lorenzo leaned back and contemplated her. “So you are a runaway then? Not some criminal? I can’t imagine you going around killing puppies or children. So what is it you’re running from?”
Alex knew she was in dangerous waters, she couldn’t tell Lorenzo anything about shifters, but maybe she could tell him just enough to get him to help her. After all, who better than someone with organized crime connections to help her get a new identity.
“I turn eighteen soon. I got my GED at sixteen and have been taking college courses since. I am able to be on my own, but there were…things. With my family.” His hesitant expression made her reveal more than she had intended to. “I didn’t want to marry someone just because my family told me to.” She quickly changed mated to married so as not to confuse him.
Lorenzo’s hesitation turned into a frown. “Arranged marriages are pretty old school and odd now a days but there are some people that think it might be better with the divorce rate how it is.” He was clearly trying to understand her reasoning though, because he continued, “So what’s wrong with the man they wanted you to marry?”
Alex swallowed. When she thought of Johnny is wasn’t hard to shudder in revulsion, or speak fearfully of the truth. “I didn’t want to marry a cruel man and be his toy to abuse and play with. And so I left. But if my Pa—family found me, it would be bad. Very bad for me. And probably those who helped me too.”
Alex looked up and met Lorenzo’s gaze, hoping he hadn’t paid attention to her slip up where she almost said her ‘Pack’. And she had to think that Mitch would hurt Lorenzo if he stood in the way of her brother getting her back. He had hit her and knocked her out, after all. “I can’t fill that form out. At least not…not with the truth.” She hoped that he understood what she was asking for without her actually having to voice it. It would be hard to explain that she overheard that he was involved in criminal activities from the kitchen…when at the time Lorenzo was talking about it she had been behind a closed door and down a hallway from him.
Lorenzo sighed and drummed his fingers on the desk, his forehead furrowed in concentration. Finally, he put the form down. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.” He pointed a finger at her. “But if this family shows up and you need help you had better ask. We aren’t no slouches around here.”
Alex rose and went around the desk, hugging Lorenzo tightly around the neck in appreciation. “Thank you.”
He sighed and blustered and eventually ushered her up the back alley stairs to the apartment, where he gave her the key. Alex was grateful for some place to call her own. Even if the accumulated dust made her sneeze, settling down onto the old futon was a relief.
Glancing at the door to make sure it was locked, Alex shed her clothing and changed into her wolf. She had been in her skin fo
rm for far too long. While she couldn’t go for a run, she could at least be her wilder half while she slept.
She sniffed around, acquainting herself with all the cents in the apartment before finding a good place to settle.
Cuddling into a ball in the darkness, her amber eyes and the faint glow from the windows were the only illumination in the room.
///
Alex changed quickly, dressing in some clothing and then going to look out the peep hole. A small, slim woman with Slavic features was on the other side, holding a laundry basket that was filled with a bunch of items. Alex took a moment to look back and forth to see if anyone else was outside, and then slowly opened the door a crack.
Before she was able to issue a greeting, the other woman smiled brightly and began speaking. “Hello. Sorry to intrude, dear, but I’m Raisa. Lorenzo’s wife. I brought you some items for the apartment.” Alex found herself opening the door wider and allowing the other woman inside. “I figured Lorenzo wouldn’t have thought to air it out first, or change the sheets.” She looked Alex up and down. “Or tell you that there is a washing machine, but you have to hang dry your stuff in the bathroom.”
Alex followed the woman around the apartment, letting her happy chatter fill the spaces between the walls. Together, they changed the futon into the clean sheets Raisa had brought with her, swept and dusted. Then she showed Alex how to run the washer and the best way to hang her clothes and still be able to use the bathroom.
Finally, Raisa grabbed her basket, putting it on the small kitchenette counter. “I brought some basics, and of course you’ll be able to eat family meal at the restaurant, but I figured some snacks wouldn’t hurt. Or some of this.” She held up a chocolate bar, smiling brightly.
Alex’s wolf had been wary at first, but now she was wriggling and wanting to get closer, missing the friendly touch of her Pack. She managed to hold back, however, and thanked the woman gratefully. “I really appreciate it.”