Page 45 of All the Discord

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Peachy,” I said, turning the wheel to pull into a large gravel parking lot with other vehicles dotting it. I tucked my car up close to Seth’s, hoping to use it as a shield for mine. The small diner was rundown and looked closed. I stared at the building dubiously. One window was even covered with a board slate, graffiti etched onto it. At least the graffiti was pretty cool, showing an artsy ice cream cone that looked a bit evil with a long tongue coming out of it, like it was going to devour us instead of the other way around. Better than the nearby buildings that had tags sprayed on them, along with slurs and inappropriate pictures.

Frankly, this building looked untouched, unlike the others. My stomach tightened as my anxiety grew. “Is this it?”

“Yup.” Paxon grinned at me, trying to put me at ease. It didn’t work, and when he noticed, the smile slipped away into concern. “Relax. I know it’s intimidating, but Davies makes the best burgers around.”

“Probably because his secret ingredients are rats’ intestines,” I grumbled.

Paxon laughed.

“Is this really a place to go, dressed like this?”

I was pretty sure the moment I stepped out of the car, I was going to be mugged. And five seconds after entering the building, my Impala was going to be stripped clean—not that I cared about my car. More like I cared about the parts being used to fund illegal activities.

“You’re fine. We’re fine. Your car will be fine too. No one dares to move against Davies.”

“He isn’t the leader of the Ryders, is he?” My heart rate picked up with that thought as bile rose, tasting acidic in my mouth. Was it hot in here? The car suddenly felt sweltering hot.

I’d heard enough about the mysterious leader to know to stay away. And if I ever saw him, I needed to run. Besides, if the leader knew what I did… well, that was a thought better left unfinished. I had zero regrets in saving Janice, but even so, the infamous gang leader was not someone I ever wanted to meet.

Paxon broke out laughing, not understanding the seriousness of my question. “Shit no. Davies is ex-marine. Black ops or something if we listen to rumors. He has his toys, but he only uses them if people cross him. Stripping a car in his lot is crossing him, and everyone knows better.” He looked at me with a grin and a light twinkle in his eyes. Was he messing with me? “Especially the Ryders. They keep a wide berth from here. They’re defenseless against Davies considering they don’t want to draw in the police’s attention.”

He leaned forward and patted my thigh. I flinched and gripped the steering wheel harder. “This place is probably the safest place in the entire area. We wouldn’t have brought you here if it wasn’t. I wouldn’t allow Mini-me here either.”

“Mini-me?” I asked, confused.

“Calvin.” Paxon’s smile softened. He really did love his brother.

I smiled at Calvin’s nickname. An adorable nickname for an adorable little boy.

My smile slipped away as I stared at the building. The others were already waiting outside the door for us. I nodded to myself. I could do this. Easy-peasy. “Okay, this food better be the best around.”

Paxon grinned. “I promise it’s worth the risk.”

I grunted and climbed out of the car, opening the back door for Calvin to climb out. Calvin grabbed my hand, giving me his shy smile as we walked over to join up with the others. I didn’t miss the small smile Paxon held as he looked down at his baby brother, and then at me. He seemed happy about it.

“Ready for some fucking brilliant food?” Toby asked as he rubbed his hands together dramatically.

I gave him a tight smile as Seth opened the door and we all piled through and into the cool, dark diner.

The AC whirred as it cooled off the large space. Familiar smells attacked my nose. Garlic. Grease. Bread. Bacon. It all mingled together and got my taste buds pumping out saliva. There were some patrons already seated and working their way through massive dishes of food, looking very content. There was a huge range of people from men in suits to some in undershirts, jeans, and boots. Women were just as varied in simple dresses to jeans to short shorts. No one gave us a second glance, not caring that we were decked out enough to go to a five-star restaurant.

“Seat yourself,” a gruff voice yelled out from the open window that gave us a view of the kitchen. I couldn’t see him, but his voice was commanding enough for me to nearly squeak in surprise. I almost wanted to stand straight, arms at my side, responding in a military fashion.

“Will do,” Toby called back with a grin. He winked at me as he led us to the back of the diner and to a round table that sat eight. Calvin took the chair to my right and Seth grabbed the one to my left. Everyone else sat around the table.

Old laminated menus were already on the table. Seth grabbed them and passed them out to everyone. I looked it over, going through each item. The prices were cheap, and by the dinners I had seen on other tables, the portions large. Not many places sold specialty burgers for only seven bucks anymore. The only real option were fast food joints that would put my bowel movements at risk.

“The chicken burger is juicy,” Seth said, leaning over and pointing at said item on the menu. His warm breath tickled my shoulder. I suppressed a shiver, trying to ignore the small distance between us. It was hard, considering I could feel his heat against my chilled skin. My stomach bubbled from his close presence, and I had to force myself to remain still.

“No, order the nachos supreme,” Toby said. “You’ll fucking love that.”

“Why do I get the impression I can’t go wrong, no matter what I order?” Everything did seem good, and they weren’t making it any easier in choosing. It seemed everyone already knew what they wanted. They probably had their own regular that they got every time they came here. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like—to go to a place so frequently that I’d become a regular. To be able to walk in and yell out to the owner in a friendly manner. To just be familiar with a place in general.

The only time I ever ate out was for business, to meet with clients. I always went to a different place, and just ordered something simple and easy to eat. No one wanted to talk with an important client with garlic breath or sauce all over their face. It was silly, but I’d never been able to truly enjoy eating out before, not like this.

I finally settled on a hot turkey sandwich with a side of potatoes with gravy, and macaroni salad. I also ordered a stack of onion rings to share with Calvin. Apparently, he loved onion rings. Once he realized I got them to share, he kept jumping in his seat, impatiently waiting for them to come out.

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