Page 2 of Debt to the Mafia King
Staring at him blankly, I watched as he dropped loose change into my palm.
“Maybe I was wrong about the Russian?” He chuckled.
“Indeed. You get home safe now.” It was the politest way I knew how to tell someone to get lost and leave me alone, and for a second, I thought he was going to say something else, but all he did was walk away, leaving the oat bar on the counter.
“Sir?”I called out after him, but he didn’t once look back and within seconds had peeled away. Shaking my head and bringing myself back to reality, I sighed.
Strange. The whole encounter had been strange, but could I honestly say it was the strangest encounter I had ever had here? Of course not, doing the graveyard shift at a gas station meant I met and interacted with lots of colorful characters. Some are violent, most are drunk.
It was just not usual for a man like him to come in here, with his looks, his wealth, and that damn accent. I winced back, closing my eyes as a wave of pain swept through me. It had been two weeks since Alek’s funeral. And three months since I had ended things.
That’s why the tall Russian had freaked me out so much. I realized with a start that it was the accent. Alek’s hadn’t been that thick or that gravelly, but they were both clearly Russian.
“Leah?”
Letting out a scream, I toppled off the stool and landed heavily on my knees.
“Shit, Leah.” Two hands reached down with a chuckle to help me up. “You must have been in a world of your own. I thought you would have heard me come through the back?”
Climbing to my feet, I dusted off the knees of my jeans and found a little hole in one. I stuck my finger into it and wiggled it. Just great.
“Why did you come in the back way?” Straightening, I glared at my co worker.
“Saw something back there that caught my attention.” He shrugged. “Any problems tonight?”
Sliding back onto the stool, I shook my head. “No, it’s been quiet. I’ve been really bored.”
Jumping up on the counter, Dion, the day cashier, studied me with a wry smile. “So the car parked out back isn’t some boyfriend that’s come to keep you company?”
Confused, I stared at him. “Boyfriend?” I parroted back before Irealized what he had said. “What do you mean, there is a car out back? What kind of car?”
Without waiting for an answer, I rushed toward the door that led to the store room and the metal door that led out onto a back alley.
No one ever parked out there. Neither I, Dion, nor the other people who worked here had the money for a car, although Dion was saving hard for one, and the boss always parked his flashy Cadillac out front where people could see.
Flinging open the the door, I stared out into…nothing.
There was nothing there but a light, drizzly rain falling in the stacks of cardboard boxes and trash.
“What’s going on, Leah?” Catching my shoulder, Dion turned me around to face him.
Now Dion wasn’t a big man. He was taller than me, but that wasn’t exactly hard, and he was pretty slim. He wasn’t the kind of man who would be your first choice for protector, but in that moment, I was glad he was here.
“It’s probably nothing.” Slamming the door shut, I threw the latch and headed back toward the shop.
“You freaked out—“ Dion chuckled from behind me. “I’ve never seen you act like that before. You don’t freak out about anything.”
“It’s nothing,” I repeated,
“Wait.” Catching up with me, he blocked my path. “Did something happen tonight?”
“There was a man—“
Dark bushy eyebrows shot upwards. “A man? Did he hurt you?” Reaching up, he ran his hand through his hair and made it stand on end. “I told them to put me on the night shift and not you. It’s not safe. I told them it’s not safe.”
I cut off his rant. “Nothing happened. Honest to God, Dion, he didn’t touch me. He was just a little—“ I trailed off, what was the right word?
Scary? Sure, that covered some of it, but not all of it.
