Page 53 of Shame

“You still have tables to bus.” Fia gestures to a few tables full of dishes. “Your shift doesn’t end for another four hours, just like us.”

“Nah, Norman said I could go early today. It’s my girlfriend’s birthday.”

Leaning onto the nearest empty table, I take in a breath to ease my stomach. He’s letting Tyler go home early, without finishing his duties, because it’s his girlfriend’s birthday but he won’t let me get a day off, after I found coverage, for my father’s surgery?

What is wrong with that man?

“I’m going to be sick,” I say quietly, hand on my stomach.

“What’s wrong?” Fia says, moving close to me and putting the back of her hand on my head. “Are you okay?”

I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut.

“He denied my time off,” I say.

“Hewhat?” she barks. I wince. “Your father is having surgery and he won’t give you the time off?” She glances toward the door. “But he lethimgo?”

She moves toward the door to the kitchen, but I grab her arm.

“No, please don’t. It’ll only make it worse.”

“No way, Cora. This guy is a jerk and what he’s doing is illegal.”

She’s furious on my behalf, and I appreciate that, but saying something to him about it will make it worse. That’s the last thing I need.

“I need this job,” I say forcefully.

“I’ll handle it.” A shiver runs up my spine at those growly words coming from Kaison, who is walking into the kitchen. Even if I tried grabbing him, I wouldn’t be able to stop him. Not now, not when he’s like this.This is going to be so bad.

Kaison pushes through the kitchen doors like he owns the place. I swear I see Christian smirking at him as he cleans the grill, but the door swings shut so quickly I can’t be sure.

“I can’t let him do this,” I say, grabbing onto Fia’s arm. He’s going to make me lose my job, and Ineedmy job. Kaison may think he’s helping, but he’s not. I’m the one who has to deal with Norman when Kaison leaves. So, I hurry into the kitchen, needing to stop this however I can.

“—going to go, you got me, you little prick? You’re a scared little man who hides behind his title, but that ain’t happening anymore. Wanna know why?” He moves closer to Norman, who is cowering in the corner. “Because you’re done here. So get the fuck out. This diner belongs to the Merciless Few now, and if you got a problem with it, you can take it up with Dunner.”

“You c-can’t do that!” Norman shouts. “I own this place!”

“Oh no? You gonna stop me?” Kaison says so low, so lethal, it scares me. “You have one minute to get your shit and get the fuck out. If I ever see you around here again, I’ll bury you in the parking lot.” Kaison jerks toward him like he’s going to hit him, and Norman squeaks out a terrified sound. He scurries to his office to grab his things, then bolts out the back door. It slams heavily behind him.

My eyes are on Kaison as he turns toward me, pushing his sleeves up.

“Tell me what you need me to do, sweetheart.”

“What?” I breathe out, still staring at the door that Norman ran out of like his ass was on fire.

What just happened? He left, and he isn’t coming back? This can’t be real.

The diner belongs to the Merciless Few now? How? How is that possible? Kaison can’t do that… can he? What about the legal stuff? The paperwork?

“What do you need me to do? You want me to bus tables? Take orders? Dishes? Trash? What?”

Wait… what?

Kaison steps to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. He lowers to get eye level with me. “Tell me what you need help with.”

I blink a few times, snapping out of it and looking around the kitchen.

“Um, dishes and tables,” I say, though the words feel weird coming out of my mouth. Like someone else said them, not me.

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