Chapter Eleven
“What would you like?” Leah took out her notepad and began scribbling orders. She didn’t really feel like she was in the present, just someone going through the motions. Good thing she had a photographic memory. “I’ll be back with your orders.”
Leah relayed the customers’ orders to the kitchen. She could feel Conner’s watchful gaze on her at all times. Coming back to work hadn’t calmed her down the least bit. It didn’t provide her with the sense of normalcy she craved. Leah knew it was all an illusion. She had to face the facts. Her life wasn’t normal by any means anymore.
Mindy, a fellow waitress, nudged her in the shoulder. “Hey, Leah. Who’s the big guy who’s been watching you since we opened? Your boyfriend?”
It was almost sundown now. Leah didn’t even notice the hours flying by. She took a peek at the bodyguard Knox had sent to watch over her and winced.
“Yep,” Leah lied because she didn’t want her colleagues to know she was romantically involved with Knox Carter.
“Well, tell him he has to order soon or Burt wouldn’t be happy,” Mindy said.
Burt was their asshole manager. He was balding, overweight, and far too handsy with the waitresses. The others never voiced their complaints because they all needed jobs.Not you, a quiet voice inside her spoke up.
Knox had offered her the world. Knox told Leah she didn’t have to work anymore if that was what she wanted. She didn’t know what the hell she wanted.
“Tell Burt to go screw himself,” she told Mindy, who raised her eyebrows.
“I think you could tell Burt yourself,” Mindy said with a shrug.
“Leah, come over here.” Right on cue, Burt crooked a finger at her, a disapproving look in his beady eyes.
Leah had no other choice but to talk to Burt. “Yeah? What’s up, Burt?”
“Tell your boyfriend to leave. He’s scaring all our customers.”
She looked over her shoulder, surprised to find Conner was no longer at his table. Maybe he’d made a quick trip to the bathroom? Leah returned her attention to Burt, who seemed to be watching her closely. The gleam in Burt’s eyes always unsettled her.
“Look at that, he’s gone. Good.” Burt flashed his crooked and yellowing teeth at her.
Burt closed his greasy and bloated fingers over her arm, his touch repulsive. She didn’t know why she let out a shudder. Leah recovered her senses and flung his hand away.
“Don’t touch me,” she said.
Burt frowned, not liking her reaction, but Leah didn’t give a damn. Being the manager didn’t give him a right to abuse the waitresses working here.
“You better play nice, Leah, or I won’t let you work an extra shift this week.” He sneered.
The fucker liked it when his waitresses groveled. What a pig.
The old Leah in the past would’ve swallowed her pride and apologized instantly but she didn’t have to do that any longer. Leah didn’t need to work extra shifts anymore.
At that moment, it suddenly dawned on her that she no longer felt chained down by family obligations. Larry was out of the picture. After what he’d done, he could rot in some backwater alleyway for all she cared, stoned, drunk, or a combination of both.
If Burt so much as raised a finger on her again, he’d have a nasty surprise waiting for him. Leah had been wanting to kick his vital parts for ages.
Burt raised his hand, about to touch her again, but someone else interrupted him.
“Touch her again and I’ll break your fucking arm. I won’t warn you again.” Knox’s familiar voice gave her a measure of relief. Leah would never admit that to Knox though.
Burt turned, expression ugly, but seeing Knox standing a foot from him, he turned as pale as a ghost. Heads snapped to his direction, but everyone seemed to know who Knox was because they returned to whatever they were doing.
Knox was dressed in one of his sleek suits, but Leah noticed blood coated his knuckles. A red smear was left on his cheek, as if he’d forgotten to clean up. Leah had a feeling the blood wasn’t his.
Knox slid a possessive arm over her shoulders and pulled her close to his big body. The dirty diner fell away from her line of sight. Only the two of them seemed to matter.
She finally understood why Conner wasn’t in his usual booth. It was because Knox had taken over his watch. He was here to pick her up. Leah didn’t know why she found that sweet and romantic.