Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Helena

The bell above the door jingled as another customer stepped into the diner, bringing with them a gust of chilly night air. I straightened up from wiping down the counter, offering a warm smile as I greeted them. The shift had already gone well, and the diner's atmosphere was homey and cheerful.

"Hi there, welcome to the Odd Duck. Grab a seat wherever you like, and I'll be right with you," I chirped, the words flowing effortlessly from my lips. Already, I felt like I was fitting in here. Daisy was a massive help in getting me trained and acclimated for my shift. There were still some things she was helping me with, but the Duck was old-school, so it wasn't too hard getting into the swing of the place.

The diner was bustling tonight. A steady stream of customers were coming in for a late-night meal or a quick cup of coffee, which meant great tips. Despite the hectic pace, there was an energy in the air that I found exhilarating. Given that I had so much experience at the Open Road with a pace busy with demanding customers, it was easy to let myself get into a groove. I weaved through the crowded tables, balancing trays of steaming food with practiced ease. The people at the Duck were typically more relaxed than the men I was used to, focused on their food and moving on to the next part of the day, not hanging around socializing. At this time, we had customers just starting their day or truckers pushing through to their next stop.

"Daisy, order up!" Vito's booming voice echoed from the kitchen, prompting Daisy to act. She didn't pause as she passed me, her red hair bouncing with each step as she went to the pass to pick up a huge stack of plates. She'd been waitressing here for a while, so she had no trouble maneuvering as she delivered plates of food to waiting customers. The girl had a seemingly endless supply of energy for the late hour. We were moving into the four a.m. range, and she hadn't slowed down, either with her chatter or the spring in her walk. I wondered if she was hoarding a particular brand of caffeine somewhere that maybe I should be trying to find.

I couldn't help but admire her efficiency. Her confidence shone through as she navigated the diner's chaos with ease. Working alongside her and Vito felt like part of a well-oiled machine, each of us playing our part to keep the wheels running smoothly. The familiar system of restaurants everywhere had me picking up tables and the all-important tips as the night went on.

"Helena, table four needs more coffee," Daisy called out as she passed by me, her voice barely audible over the din of the diner.

I nodded in acknowledgment, mentally noting to refill the coffee pot on my next round. As I approached table four, a group of tired-looking truckers greeted me, their worn faces brightening as I set down a fresh pot of coffee.

"Thanks, darlin'," one said, flashing me a tired but appreciative smile. "You're a lifesaver."

Waiting tables wasn't necessarily glamorous, but I've always liked it. Despite the long hours and the occasional demanding customer, there was something profoundly gratifying about making someone's day just a little bit brighter with a simple cup of coffee or a warm meal. During college, I'd waited tables on the side and worked in a little coffee shop, which I loved, probably more than my accounting job.

Even though the night wore on to early morning, the diner showed no signs of slowing down. As I navigated the bustling dining area, balancing trays and refilling coffee cups, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri sliding into a booth. To my disappointment, he was alone. After our little conversation earlier, I was surprised to see him, although I guess I shouldn't have been. I guessed that Maddox sent him to keep an eye on me. It hadn't escaped my notice that there had been a few tables with prospects hanging around nursing coffee and sending glances my way.

Dimitri wasn't in my section, so I didn't bother going over, but I did give him a little wave. I spotted Daisy lingering at his table as I approached a group that just sat down. Craning my neck a little, I watched as they made conversation. I'd love to see Dimitri hook up with someone stable. He deserved it. Daisy was so bubbly and cheerful that she'd make a nice counter to the grumpy side he'd developed. However, I wasn't sure if Dimitri could handle all her chatter. Dimitri cornered me a few moments later while heading back towards the kitchen.

"Helena, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Sure, Dimitri. What's up?" I asked, following him to a quieter corner of the diner. "But I have tables, so I can't talk long." Waving towards the dining room, I indicated the diners who had filled up the space.

Once we were out of earshot of the other customers, Dimitri fixed me with a severe gaze, crossing his vast arms over his chest. I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. If he thought he would intimidate me, he had another thing coming.

"Maddox wanted me to come and check on you. Make sure that you were handling things here."

"And?" I asked. There must be another part to this. "What else?"

"Well," he hesitated. "He wanted to see if I could get you to return to the club early," he finished hurriedly. "Is that something you'd consider doing? Coming back?"

"Well, you can say you asked." Offering him a small but reassuring smile. "I appreciate you checking on me," I said, grateful for his concern. "Really. I can't leave early. I need this job. The tips here are great. I know Maddox told you about what happened in Phoenix." He nodded imperceptibly, so I pushed on. "There's no way that I can just hang out here. I'll need to move on once Maddox has my ID ready. So …" I waved to my Duck t-shirt. "Got to make some cash," I finished like it was self-explanatory, even though something about it felt dishonest.

Dimitri's expression softened, his eyes reflecting sympathy and maybe understanding. "I get it. We'll handle that whole mess, though, Helena. You don't need to worry about it." Sensing that I was about to protest some more, he held up a hand. "What time are you done? Maddox will want to know," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Not until seven. Graveyard." I shrugged. It was not my preferred shift, but given the biker and trucker crowd, it had been busy so that I couldn't complain. I was floating on coffee at this point, though not having been acclimated to working the shift, I had already been up all night.

"Someone will be here to check on you, but you have a vehicle, right?"

I nodded gratefully, touched by his protective instinct. "Yeah, I took a car. Thanks, Dimitri. I appreciate it," I replied. "Really."

Dimitri nodded before glancing back at his booth, where his untouched coffee had been forgotten. "I should get going. Be careful, Helena," he said, his voice gentle as he gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

I watched him go. Despite our earlier disagreement, Dimitri changed his tune about me. That hatred that I'd initially felt was gone. Coming here had been the only choice I could have made at the time, but there were pieces that I'd not known about at the time — Dimitri was one of them.

Snapping myself out of it, I went back to work. There were customers to feed, coffee to make, and a grumpy Vito to placate. He might be hunky, but I could see why he might chase off servers. Losing myself in the breakfast rush, I put my head down and returned to work.

Nearly an hour later, I approached a new table and smiled at the group. But as I got closer, a sense of unease washed over me, prickling at the back of my neck. Keeping a smile on my face was an effort, and suddenly, I was sorry that Dimitri had left.

"Hey, how're you doing? Welcome to the Odd Duck. Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?" I made sure that I maintained eye contact. "Coffee?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the nervous fluttering in my stomach.

The group sitting at the table consisted of four men, their suit jackets making them stand out in the small diner as anomalies. This was so bad. My heart skipped a beat as I took in their slicked-back hair and cold eyes, and my hand tightened around the edge of my notepad.

"Coffee," one of the men muttered in a heavy accent. His gaze lingered on me in a way that made my skin crawl.

I nodded, quickly scribbling down the order before retreating to the relative safety of the kitchen. As I grabbed the coffee pot, my mind raced with thoughts of what to do next. I wasn't sure if I was overreacting, but I didn't want to cause a scene or draw attention to myself. Maybe I should have paid more attention or asked more questions about this contact that Maddox discussed. He'd said he had one with the Volkov Bratva; perhaps these were people he knew? If these were Makarovich's men, they would have just grabbed me. Right?

It was just another table, I reminded myself. Trying to push aside the fear that threatened to overwhelm me, I gathered up the coffee pot and returned to the table, praying that this would pass without incident.

I approached the table with the coffee pot in hand. The men's eyes followed my every move, lingering too long for comfort. However, I forced myself to maintain a professional demeanor, plastering on a polite smile as I refilled their cups.

"Here you go, gentlemen. Fresh coffee," I said, my voice steady despite the nervousness in my stomach.

But as I turned to leave, one of the men reached out to slap my ass. My heart skipped a beat as I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "You're not in a hurry, are you? Why don't you keep us company for a while?"

I swallowed hard, trying to keep the fear from showing on my face. "I'm sorry, but I have other tables to attend to." My voice shook slightly despite my best efforts to sound composed. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before, but it wasn't the actual slap that made me so afraid. Suddenly, coming out here seemed monumentally stupid. Not leaving with Dimitri seemed childish.

But the man didn't seem to take the hint, his grip tightening on my wrist as he leaned closer. "Aw, come on now. Don't be like that. We want to have a little fun," he said, a leering grin spreading across his face.

My heart pounded as I stepped back, my eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm sorry, but I do need to get back to work," I said, my voice firm despite the tremor of fear that ran through me.

The man's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. For a moment, my heart stopped, fearing the worst as his eyes went still beneath their surface, but then he released me with a grunt of annoyance.

"Fine, go on," he muttered, shooting me one last glare before returning to his coffee.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I made my escape, the tension draining from my body as I retreated to the safety of the kitchen. I couldn't shake the unease lingering in my stomach—it had gotten a lot more complicated tonight.

As I caught my breath in the kitchen's relative safety, Daisy approached me with a concerned expression. "Hey, Helena, are you okay?" she asked, her eyes flickering with worry. "Are you sick?"

I forced a smile, trying to push aside the fear that still lingered in the back of my mind. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice shaky despite my attempts to sound casual. "I'm going to take my break, though, if that's okay?"

"Sure, no problem. I can cover for you. Grab a sandwich from Vito."

Deciding to take her up on that, I ordered a BLT and quickly called Open Road from the office phone. Unfortunately, I had to get rid of my cell before leaving Phoenix. That was a problem for another day, though. It was just after five in the morning, so the chances of someone picking up the phone were slim to none. I realized that I didn't have a solitary phone number for Maddox. Fuck. Not even for Dimitri.

I stood against the wall of the Duck, savoring a Coke and a BLT that Vito had prepared for me, my eyes fixed on the horizon where the sunrise was about to break. The Duck, situated on the town's main street but at its far end, offered a view of a small field where the sunrise could be seen.

Vito hadn't been happy to hear that I had no cell phone. His face had creased into a frown, and he jabbed his spatula at me. "Your man think that's okay?" I'd shrugged even though I knew that neither Maddox nor I had even thought about it, let alone thought it'd be a problem. We'd both had a lot on our plate. Honestly, the insistence that I come in today was probably not a good idea. If there was a girl that was going to get murdered in a horror movie, it was going to be me. Vito did say he'd watch the suits for me. Hopefully, they'd disappear by the time I finished my sandwich.

I was leaning into another bite of delicious bacon when the blow to my head came, sharp enough that I saw stars as I slid sideways towards the dirt, falling hard onto my knees. I didn't even have a chance to scream.