Page 3 of Lenkov

“Yeah, what are you going to do? Make us behave? Is that something you’re into? Being in charge?” The ring leader wiggles his thick dark eyebrows.

Stomach flipping, I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’ll have to pass.”

“You think you’re too gooooood.” I look at the blonde.

His blue eyes are glassy, and his flushed cheeks compete with his tan for control. Lips puckering, a sound comes from the bowels of his belly. Eyes widening, he opens his mouth. I jump back to avoid the river of chunks he’s depositing on the table. His friends scatter like rats, and the women behind me scream, tossing wads of money onto the counter. They scramble toward the exit, rushing out the swinging doors as Charlie comes out from the back, head down, and game face on.

The puker rushes past me, heading for the bathroom, throwing me off balance. The Diner’s door swings open.

“Look out,” I call as a man enters the area.

He responds swiftly, catching me in his arms and pulling me close to his muscular frame to keep me on my feet. Heat rushes through my body as I grip his biceps.

“Thank you,” I mumble quickly, stepping back.

“Anytime.” I know that smooth baritone.

The bottom drops from my stomach as my heart pounds in my chest. No. Not now. It’s the man I avoid like the plague for my mental health. He’s the one-night stand that left me the forever present. I keep my head down, refusing to meet his hazel-eyed gaze identical to my son’s–our son. It’s a miracle he hasn’t recognized me yet. The minute I spotted him in a booth with his thick wavy black hair, strong angular face, and cupid’s bow pink lips, I knew it was the man I lost my virginity to years ago. I don’t know what he does, but the Rolex on his arm and the black Amex lead me to believe he’s not hurting for money. His lanky form has become lean, and sterner countenance replaced his once carefree aura

Tell him about Jaycee. He could help you.I bite the inside of my cheek, not ready to risk losing my son.

***

LENKOV

I smile to reassure the woman I’m not upset about our crash and glance down. When I see the riot of black curls she’s pulled up into a bun, leaving her heart-shaped face on display, my mouth goes dry.

It’s her.

The brown-skinned beauty resembles the young girl haunting my memory like a ghost. I will her to look up so I can peer into her big whiskey brown eyes and see if there’s a glint of recognition. I’ve caught glimpses of her leaving the restaurant and coming in to start her shift. But I’ve never been this close to her before. She has an uncanny ability to work the opposite shifts from my visit.

Is she avoiding me?I’m admittedly paranoid, but this could signify that she might be the mystery woman from my past.

“We need you over here, Rylee.”

She turns to glance over her shoulder.

The mocking tone hits my eardrum like a missed note. “This is your table. Come clean up this mess.”

“I have to go,” she whispers.

I place a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t.”

Leonid walks in behind me. “We have a problem, Lenkov?”

I smirk at the husky Russian and shake my head. “No, I’ve got this.” Taking in the puke-covered table full of college kids in various states of inebriation, I piece the story together swiftly. “Stay here,” I tell her firmly as I stalk over to the men who outnumber the cook, Charlie.

“You boys need to get your things together and go,” Charlie says.

“You and what army are going to make us, Pops?” The blonde asks cockily.

“Ry—”

I step forward and wrap my hand around his throat. Lifting him from the ground, I slam him into the wall behind him. His friends lurch toward me, and I issue a kick to the gut and another to the groin. They both drop to the ground, struggling to breathe. The man claws at my hands, and I tighten my hold as his face goes from red to purple.

“If you want to get out of here alive. You’ll pay your bill quietly, leave a fat ass tip, and get out of here.”

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