Page 56 of The Mistake

“Yes,” I said.

I didn’t want to be entertained by my wife, but I was.

The waiter interrupted our conversation to bring our food. It had to be the fastestservice here.

He put the plate in front of me first and then in front of Charlotte. There was a second where he lingered and I finally looked at him. This time, really looked at him. The restaurant didn’t have a lot of people inside. When I called to make the reservation, I always called ahead so they knew to save my table. I was told they were full. This wasn’t full.

The waiter sweated, a lot. I noticed his hand shook. Something wasn’t right.

“This looks incredible,” Charlotte said.

She lifted asmall buttery potato and I didn’t know what it was, but in my gut, I knew it was poisoned. I stopped her just as she was about to put it in her mouth.

“Stop!” I yelled the word, and that was all it took.

I had a second to react as the door to the kitchenflung open and gunshots started raining down. Pulling out my gun, I grabbed Charlotte and covered her with my body, taking aim. I didn’t have to wait long for backup. Screams erupted as the shots kept ringing. The waiter was dead. He’d been the first to go.

“Ive, what’s going on?” Charlotte asked.

I heard the panic in her voice. I didn’t have her out yet, but to go out the front door put us at risk.Hubert entered the restaurant, as did two more of my men. Covering Charlotte, I got to my feet to see the few diners that had been there being ushered out.

Vlad appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “It’s clear,” he said.

Putting my gun down, I turned to Charlotte, holding her face in my hands. “You didn’t eat anything, did you?”

“No, no, you told me tostop. I did. That happened so fast.”

“Boss, youneed to go,” Vlad said.

I already heard police sirens and I got Charlotte pulled against my side. That was way too close.

Nodding to Hubert, I ordered him to take her. “Get her home. Call the doctor. I want her looked over. Tell him to check for signs of delayed poison.”

“Ive, no, I’m not leaving you. Didn’t you see what just happened?” Charlotte asked.

I saw her starting to panic.

Pulling her in for a hug, I hold her tightly, wrapping my arms around her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

I couldn’t gowith her, I had no choice but to stay here. This was where my men needed me.

“Ive, please?” she asked.

I hold her a little more tightly, and then pull away to stare into her eyes.

“I need you to gowith Hubert. I’ll be there as soon as possible, okay?”

“What if you die?”

“I won’t die.”

“People die.” Her lip quivered. “They die. You can’t die.”

“I won’t die,” I said.

She nodded her head. “You won’t die. You promise me?”

“I promise you.”

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