by Raven Scott
If the old dust bags behind me asked for compensation and started smack talking o the waitress, I was gonna lose . . . my . . . shit. Every single day for the past week, these two ladies came in and did this two-faced act. They’d apparently worked up enough courage to try this, and I was honestly curious as to what would happen.
I’d been coming here for lunch— and breakfast and dinner, pretty much— at least twice a week since moving here, and not once had I ever seen the owner come out of the kitchen. And during the lunch rush, too.
“Oo-oo, hottie alert, Valerie.” Snapping me from my dark thoughts, Natasha pointed through the swirling, glass divider at the door. My gaze followed, and I pursed my lips thinly as a man and his buddy chatted up the hostess. His light brown hair styled perfectly, his smile revealing small dimples that framed his strong jaw. “I’d go home with that.”
“Yeah.” Broad shoulders flexed when he took off his jacket, and I bit on my bottom lip absently. “I wonder where he works out? Maybe, I should start going there.”
Shrewd, brown eyes scanned the restaurant, and my chest tightened when they met mine through the polarized glass. His polite smile morphed into a sexy smirk, and I tapped my feet against the floor absently. Super-hottie alert.
A sharp scoff from behind me broke the intensifying moment, and I twisted around sharply to watch the scene play out. The poor waitress clearly didn’t know how to take such a second face, and the old lady started reaming into her service. She talked so fast that I barely registered any single word, and her old-lady wrinkles started to ripple with anger.
“Excuse me.” Goosebumps washed over my exposed legs and under my shirt at the deep, rich baritone. Like thunder, it was powerful enough to cut off the ancient bone pile. My eyes snapped past the waitress as she jumped in surprise, and the guy I’d been ogling looked down his nose at her. For a second, shocked tension thrummed through the air before he turned to the owner, his eyes narrowing into tight points. “I don’t appreciate having to eat around disgusting garbage.”
My throat tightened at how casually he spoke, and my breath caught when the owner seemed a little . . . unsure.
“Of course not, sir. I was curious what they were going to say, considering they’ve been here for an hour and eaten everything in front of them. I apologize for the disruption.” So much for the entertainment value of these ladies getting kicked out. The thought struck me with a jolt of disappointment, and I watched the elderly women get up huffing and puffing. If the guy’s stare wasn’t so intense, they might’ve gotten into it with him. I’d loved to have seen that. It seemed like my heart skipped a beat when that gaze flickered to me, but he only cast me an appreciative look before turning on his heel and walking back to his hostess.
“Um . . . sorry about the delay. What can I get you today?” I blinked hard, tearing my eyes off him to focus on the waitress, and she held her pad and pen poised expectantly.
“I’ll have some of that.” She giggled a little at my sigh, and I cleared my throat before sitting up a little straighter. “I’ll have the chicken parm with extra cheese and sauce.”
“Of course. And for you?” I didn’t catch Natasha’s answer when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I licked my lips heavily. “I apologize again for taking so long. I’ll be right out with your drinks and make sure you’re not late.”
“No problem. Those old ladies were witches.” Natasha smiled reassuringly, and I ran my hand through my curls as the waitress flounced off towards the kitchen once again. Casting me brows arched in knowing curiosity, my sister propped her forearms on the table to drum the top with her manicured nails. “Hot guy swooped in and saved the day, Val. Just your type.”
“I know! I can feel him staring at me.” Frowning at the slippery smirk my sister shot me, I slumped over the table and groaned softly. “If I didn’t have to go back to work, I’d go over and talk to him.”
“I don’t think Paul would mind if you’re a few minutes late. Just say you hit traffic.” Natasha sniggered at her own, stupid, joke, and my frown darkened more in dismay than anything.
“We walked here. Jesus, Nat, that’s not funny at all.” I would not look over despite the ache in my eyeballs, and I scrunched up my face as Natasha laughed in earnest. “And you called me an idiot.”
“You’re younger than me.”
“By six minutes! That’s not fair!” My eyelid twitched when she snorted lightly, and I huffed as I covered my face with my arms. “Go away. I’m tired of you.”
“Just face it, Valerie. We were together in the womb, and we’ll be together in the tomb.” Shivering dramatically in faux disgust, I shook my head. I sat up, and my sister smiled broadly with merriment in her eyes even as they slid past me. “You should go over and give him your number.”
“Oh, yeah, why don’t you go and give him my number?” Natasha and I were fraternal twins, but sometimes I just wanted to break her nose. Her smirk turned innocent, and I opened my mouth to say something before the waitress appeared by my side with our drinks. “I’m not going over there. We’ve lived here for almost a year, and I’ve never seen that guy before. He’s probably not sticking around until the weekend, anyway.”
“Who? That’s Carlyle.” Chiming in as she set my drink in front of me, the waitress downright grinned at my surprised squeak. “He lives just outside the city. We deliver to him all the time.”
“I thought you didn’t do delivery, only take-out?” Confusion laced my tone, and she nodded firmly with a slight shrug as she held her little tray against her front.
“He’s the only one we deliver to. He always has massive orders and gives huge tips. Every once and a while, he’ll come in, but I haven’t seen him in a few months, myself.” I couldn’t help myself from glancing back, but Carlyle was engaged in conversation with his friend. He was so handsome, and I pursed my lips thinly as my mouth watered.
5
Carlyle
A soft knock on the door drew my attention from my laptop, and I stood up from the sofa to set the device on the coffee table. Numbers flashed behind my eyes when I blinked, and I rubbed them with loose fists before shaking my head viciously.
“What is it?” The barrier swung open to reveal a worry-faced Jerry, and I leaned on the frame with a frown deep enough to drag down my brows. “What happened downstairs?”
“It’s not that. I took care of that.” My eyes narrowed on him, and he rocked back on his heels as he took a shuddering breath. “I need a couple weeks off. My—”
“Go ahead.” Jerry deflated like a popped balloon, and I clenched and released my jawfor a few moments as his breathing returned to normal. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. Update me on when you’ll be back when you can, Jerry. Did you call in your partner?”
“I’m about to do that right now, yeah. Thanks, Carlyle.” Watching him turn and hurry towards the elevator, I crossed my arms over my chest as he fumbled with his phone. His hands shook bad, and I wondered what could’ve happened that got him so out of sorts. Of course, his mom could be hurt or something, but beyond that vague thought, I didn’t care.
What Jerry did or didn’t do when he wasn’t here wasn’t my business. As long as it didn’t affect me, he could have whatever life he wanted.
“Boring.” Maybe, nothing held my interest because I didn’t care. Shutting the door, I rubbed my palms up my face and into my hair with a groan of frustration. All I did was work. All I’d ever done was work. Everything I did, I did because it was an extension of my job.
And, as much as I enjoyed hanging out with Illya, in the end, that was just work, too.
“I should take Carl’s advice and go for a walk. I don’t have the luxury of being distracted when we go to that party next week.” I cracked open the door again, unhooking my keys from the hook on the wall before leaving my apartment. Oran and my father were around somewhere, but the very last thing I wanted was their big-ass noses in my business. Of course, my dad had the right, but Oran just pissed me off
. “I spend too much time alone because of that bastard.”
He may be my brother, but I’d kill him if I could. All he managed was to be a thorn in my side, and he was digging a little too deep. It didn’t help that he didn’t seem as eager to leave as I was to have him gone. But, that’s what he gets for being stuck so far up Dad’s asshole that he can’t do anything for himself.
“Fuck.” Grumbling the slur under my breath as I emerged into the courtyard, I unbuttoned my shirt before realizing it was dark out. Glancing up at the half-moon hanging high, I scowled darkly. The days seemed to blur together, move all too fast, and I headed for the gates to stuff my hands in my pockets.
So much was going to happen in the next few months. I could feel Oran was going to make a move. Illya still had to go through all the transcripts, but I had a feeling Oran’s numbers wouldn’t stack up. Of course, I hadn’t told him or my father what, exactly, was going on, but if Oran already knew . . .
Well, I guess that didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he could change the files without my knowing. If he did, he was as good as dead, and he knew it.
Whether or not my little brother was involved remained to be proven, but uncovering this scheme had set the wheels in motion. I didn’t know enough to be sure, but I had a feeling he was working with the Italians. After all, why the fuck would they invite me to a gala unless it was for some shady dealings? I’d told that crusty, old man in no uncertain terms that he can shove his proposal up his ass and clench. Why, after that, did he think providing me an opportunity like this would be good for him?
Unless he knew I was going to kidnap and kill his daughter? Nah . . . Those hypocritical bastards wouldn’t do something so brazen.
Not to mention I was doing them a favor, God damnit! That whiny, bratty cunt got in everyone’s way, and the internal troubles the Italians were having were being exacerbated by her. She needed to fucking go.
“Agh!” Ruffling my hair, I shook my head hard but couldn’t dislodge the thoughts whizzing through my brain. It never fucking stopped, and I flopped my head back to take a huge breath of cool, nighttime air.
Cars sped past me, erratic and flashing blinders, and I secretly wished one would hit me. At least, then, things would be interesting. My chest tightened from the breeze flowing under my shirt, and my shoes hugged the asphalt as I paused to stare at the white line I followed.
“Hey, mister, are you okay?” Tearing my eyes off the paint, I frowned as a shapely figure emerged from a sea of red. Heels clicked softly, and a vaguely familiar face cast in cautious worry at me. “Are you alright?”
“I guess it depends on your definition of ‘alright.’” Shimmery sequins reflected the brake lights shining out from behind her, and I scanned her from bottom to top. Long, lean legs, nice dress and heels, her bust barely held back. She was obviously on her way to a party. “You didn’t have to stop for me. I’m just on a walk.”
“You’re the guy from the pizza place the other day!” Frowning, I only jerked my chin at that, and her face cast in the shadows of a huge smirk. “Wanna go party with us? My sister thought you were hot.”
“You’re inviting a stranger into your car?” She waved me off, stepping out of the light to really let me get a look at her. Her long, dirty blonde hair teased her breasts, and I frowned when she unabashedly grabbed my arm with a little giggle. Someone pre-partied . . .
“It’s fine. It’s fine!” Gingerly taking my arm from her grip, I forced myself not to roll my eyes as I helped her back to her car. I didn’t even know her name, and she was inviting me out like we were pals. Popping open the back door, I sat her down and glanced over the driver’s seat at the meter running on a phone propped on the dash.
“At least you’re not stupid and drove yourself.” Buckling her in, even as she tried to tug at my shirt, I grabbed her hands and put them firmly in her lap. “Stay.”
“Valerie, you should get his number.” Making the mistake of glancing over the back seat, I paused as those big, beautiful brown eyes widened in mortification. So, Valerie’s her name. She’d been sexy in her feminine, white button-down at the pizza place, and now was no different. A short pencil skirt hugged her thighs, her thin, black shirt— the same style of professional but a little more revealing— tucked into her thin waist. Clenching my jaw, I straightened to shut the door and fish my wallet out of my pocket.
“Bring them back home.” The dude driving opened his mouth to protest, and I flicked two hundred-dollar bills through the window with a sneer. “She just tried to get a stranger into the car— what’s gonna happen when they’re really trashed? Take them home.”
“Yeah, yeah, fine . . . fuck.” Stepping back as he pulled the gear, I glared at the driver’s side while he pulled a U-turn. Waiting until they were out of sight beyond a rolling slope, I heaved a massive sigh and shook my head viciously.
Exchanging my wallet for my phone, I searched for Carl’s number before holding the speaker to my ear.
“On my way, boss.” The call lasted less than three seconds, and I checked the time with a frown from under furrowed brows. I’d been gone almost an hour, and I’d been stuck in my own head for most of that.
“I really need to find something to do before I go crazy from boredom.” Slipping my phone into my pocket, I gazed down the road with a knot of regret grappling my gut. “Or someone.”
6
Valerie
Waiting in line for my coffee, I swiped around on my phone as the people in front of me shuffled forward like zombies. Saturday night still made me sick to think about, and I gulped back a groan. I shouldn’t have let Natasha get out of the car, but I recognized those broad, muscular shoulders in a flash.
It’d been too long since I got laid, methinks.
“What’s taking so long?” Grumbling from beside me, my sister stuck her big head out of the line, and I glanced up from my phone at the baristas scurrying around behind the counter. “Excuse me, what’s going on? We’re usually in and out by now. You guys are always on top of things.”
I could tell the compliment was meant to mask how irritated she was, and Natasha’s question earned her several mumbles of agreement. One man paused, his eyes widening when he realized how long the line had gotten, and he set himself behind the register before I turned back to my phone.
“I apologize. We got a huge phone order. I’ll take the next person in line, please.” Today hadn’t even started yet, and it was already going downhill. Casting a curious glance at Natasha when she nudged my elbow, I pursed my lips thinly at the glint in her eye.
“Are you grumpy because of Saturday night?” Not bothering to answer, I only half-shrugged, and the bracelet on my wrist tinkled lightly. Sticking my phone in my purse, I turned my attention to the menu as the line got noticeably shorter. “Valerie, you can’t tell me that guy sending us back didn’t make you swoon. Come on, be honest with yourself.”
“I really, really don’t wanna talk about it, Nat. You looked a fool.” Carlyle’s voice, when he snapped at the Lyft driver, still gave me goosebumps, and I crossed my arms over my chest tightly. “Don’t go around thinking you did me a favor.”
“I saw him check you out.” Shooting me a smirk, Natasha jutted her chin out, and heat crept up my neck as she nudged my side again. “If you see him, get his number. Seriously. He thinks you’re hot, you think he’s hot . . . what’s the harm?”
Before I could open my mouth to answer what, exactly, the harm was, the front door chimed as it swung open. Everything stopped for a fraction of a second as a huge dude with a scowl stormed around tables towards the pick-up counter.
“Theo, you’re so scowly.” A pretty woman popped out from behind him, and she smiled at the glare he shot her that’d make any man piss himself. “It’s not a big deal. I’m here to help.”
Theo didn’t answer, only stopping his stomping as boxes of flaming hot coffee were set on the counter.
“Do you need help bringing everything out?” I and everyone else watche
d the guy hold up a hand with only had two fingers and a thumb on it, and I covered my mouth to muffle my gasp. My chest tightened, and he stared down the barista before turning to the woman standing beside him.
“You’re not allowed to help, and you know it. Grab the donuts.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute, wiggling her fingers greedily at the five or six boxes piled on the counter. Prancing off, she held the door open for the guy, who only held one box of beautiful, amazing, incredible . . . ugh, I need coffee before I explode.
“I didn’t know you guys took phone orders?” Snapping out of my daze, I shuffled forward as Natasha posed her question to the barista. Two employees disappeared, helping to bring out the order, and I watched them from the corner of my eye.
“We don’t. Every once and a while, we get an order like that, and the boss says we gotta fill it. Anyway, what can I get you this morning?” I couldn’t help but wonder if, like the pizza place, this coffee shop made an exception for Carlyle. Putting in my order for a black brew with tons of sugar, I stepped to the side as the woman came back in to grab more donuts.
“I wanna work where they work. Damn. No one ever buys me a donut just for showing up.” Licking my lips heavily at the idea of a buffet table of coffee and donuts, I meandered around the pick-up counter while my sister nodded firmly. “I bet Paul would have a heart attack if he saw that next to the computers.”
“Everyone needs graphic designers, Valerie, but not everyone treats their employees super-duper.” Natasha’s voice got nasally, and I rolled my eyes as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m telling you, you should quit. You only took this job because you were too lazy to learn anything more than HTML.”
“Me? You took the job because it was easy, Nat. Besides, what am I gonna do instead? Pursue my dream to be a paper plane manufacturer?” Even though she laughed, my sourness was real, and I snatched my coffee from the counter to saunter out without her. Once I was on the sidewalk, I popped the top and blew on the gorgeous, roasted brew, so dark that I could see my reflection perfectly. “I spend way too much time with you, damnit.”