AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” he said, frowning. “She didn’t. I didn’t realize I got a tip share.”
Delia narrowed her eyes. “I thought you’d worked in restaurants.”
“I have. And that’s usually part of the deal, but it’s specified upfront. No one told me I’d get a share, so I assumed I wouldn’t until after a probationary period.”
“You worked, you get tip share. I’ll talk to Julia. She’ll tell Carole. It won’t happen again.”
“Don’t,” Nico said. “I’ll handle it. I don’t want to get Carole in trouble.”
Delia sighed. “Fine. Say something to Carole the next time you work. She must have forgotten.”
Nico was certain she hadn’t forgotten. She’d deliberately omitted him. Carole was an enigma. And he had no idea why she’d become an instant enemy. Even before the incident with Barrett, it was clear she hadn’t wanted him working at Madeline’s. “Thanks, Delia,” he said lightly. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Have a good night.”
“You, too.” He started to push through the swinging door, and Delia said, “We all leave through the kitchen. So we don’t have to keep locking and unlocking the front door.”
“Got it,” he said, crossing the kitchen. “Later.”
Stepping into dense, inky darkness, he froze. His gaze swept the area, but found nothing.
He hadn’t noticed when they’d arrived, because it had been daylight, but the two lights in the wall fixture near the door were out. He stepped over to the fixture and touched the bulbs. Both of them were loose. When he tightened them, they lit up.
Interesting. One loose bulb he might buy. But two? Not a chance. Someone had loosened those bulbs.
He turned and scanned the dark shadows surrounding the parking lot. Listened intently for any sounds that didn’t belong. His fingers itched to grab the gun in his ankle holster, but he didn’t touch it.
He saw nothing. Heard nothing. Didn’t sense anyone hiding in the darkness.
He turned and studied the light fixture. Without it, the back of the restaurant had been very dark. Surrounded by shadows.
Perfect for an ambush. Someone coming out of the restaurant after a long day, planning for tomorrow, not paying attention, would be a sitting duck.
He’d ask Julia about the lights when she joined him.
And he’d make sure they had a strategy for him to stay in the restaurant until she was finished working and could leave with her.
* * *
Julia walked out of the restaurant ten minutes after Nico, exhausted from the long day but tense and twitchy as she usually was after work. On top of that, she was irritated with herself that she’d noticed when Nico walked out the door. He was checking out the parking lot. Doing his job.
When she stepped into the cool night air, the only thing she saw was her car sitting beneath the light where she’d parked it. Nico was here somewhere. She looked hard, but couldn’t see him. He was invisible. Part of the night. It must be his Delta Force training that made him so easily blend in with the darkness.
By the time she’d unlocked the car, Nico was beside her. “I’m driving from now on,” he said, touching her arm.
She swung around to look at him. “Why?”
“It’s safer. I’ve been trained in evasive and tactical driving. If someone comes after you while we’re in the car, I need to be driving.”
She stared at him for a long moment, then sighed as she trudged around to the passenger side. Another part of her life no longer in her control. “I suppose that makes sense.”
Nico slid into the driver’s seat and adjusted it. Fiddled with the mirror. Then he started the car and exited the parking lot.
He turned right toward her house, then asked, “How long were the lights at the back of the building not working?”
She frowned. “The ones beside the door? They’ve always been working.”
“Both of them were out earlier when I left. Loose bulbs. Once I tightened them, they were fine.”
