Kevlar (Hounds of Hellfire MC #8)
Chapter 1
MAREN
“Have a good night,” Jerry, one of my regular customers, called as he walked toward the door.
I beamed a smile at him. “You too.”
I enjoyed my last job as a hostess, but I was so glad I took this new one as a server at The Fuel & Flame Diner. Tips were a big boost to my income, and I really liked the late-night shifts. They were slower but paid well because my customers appreciated that we were still open.
One of the other servers had told me during my first week that the only better shift was weekend breakfast. Pure chaos, but worth it.
You earned more, but you also busted your butt for it from what she’d said.
After a month of experience, I still didn’t feel ready to juggle so many tables at once while under pressure to turn them over quickly.
“Order up!”
I changed direction to grab a plate from the pass-through window. “Thanks, Mark.”
The dinner rush had thinned out hours ago, leaving only a handful of occupied booths. I headed toward the one in my section. “Here’s your short stack with a side of bacon. Extra butter and syrup.”
“Thanks.”
I snagged the coffee from behind the counter and moved between tables on autopilot, refilling an empty cup. Then I started a fresh pot and wiped my hands on my apron, glancing at the clock above the pass-through. Still a couple of hours until my shift ended.
I leaned against the counter for a moment while the coffee brewed, and my mind drifted the way it always did when things slowed down.
I tried to guess how much I’d make tonight, thought about the chores I needed to do at home, and wondered whether I’d finally pick a direction soon.
Maybe community college, or I could start putting some of my tips in a jar to save for a vacation since I’d always wanted to travel.
I didn’t mind that my life was simple. Work, home, sleep. Repeat. There was something grounding about the rhythm my life had settled into. But I still found myself hoping for a little excitement from time to time.
The bell above the door chimed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced up automatically, reaching for the menus as they stepped inside.
“Welcome to The Fuel & Flame Diner.”
The four men didn’t return my greeting, not even with the casual chin lift most guys managed. They just stepped inside and let the door swing shut behind them.
Nothing about them stood out. They wore clothes that didn’t draw the eye, paired with black boots.
I added, “Sit wherever you like.”
They finally nodded and started toward the booths along the windows, taking the one nearest the door, which was in my section.
A four-top was good for tips, so I headed straight over with the menus. Dropping them on the table, I smoothed my apron and smiled. “Hi, I’m Maren. I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you something to drink?”
The man closest to me looked up and muttered, “Just water.”
After getting three grunts in agreement, I murmured, “Will do,” and stepped away.
They weren’t the friendliest group of guys, but I’d had plenty of grumpy customers who appreciated my sunny nature by the time they finished their meal. So I put some extra pep in my step as I brought their waters back to the table.
“There you go.” I fixed my smile in place as I pulled the notebook and pen out of my apron. “What can I get y’all to eat?”
The same guy ordered for them all again. “Four double cheeseburgers. The works, with fries.”
“Great choice. Our burgers are the best thing on the menu.” I tucked away my order pad since that was easy to remember. “The only way to make it better is to add cheese sauce for the fries.”
“Sure, four of those too,” he agreed.
I amped up the wattage on my smile. “I’ll bring your order out as soon as it’s ready.”
Whirling around, I headed toward the pass-through window. “Four double cheeseburgers with the works, fries, and cheese sauce on the side, please.”
“Got it. I’ll get that right up for you.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
I dropped the check off at my only other table and swiped their card at the register after they handed it to me. By the time they left, Mark let me know the burgers were ready.
Balancing the plates, two in each hand, I headed toward the booth. I was careful as I set them down, sliding them in front of each of the men. “Here you go. Let me know if you need any condiments other than the ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce already on the table.”
“Mayonnaise,” one of the men requested.
“Be right back with that.”
I went back to the pass-through window. “Can I get a side of mayonnaise, please?”
“Sure thing.”
He scooped some into a ramekin and slid it across to me.
“Thanks.”
I dropped it at the booth and went over to where my other customers had been sitting to clear the table. The kid who bused the tables during the dinner rush went home a couple of hours ago, so it was up to Susan and me to take care of them ourselves since we were the only servers working after ten.
Heading toward the four-top to make sure everything was good with their order, I noticed one of the men had barely touched his burger. He stared out the window, his reflection faint in the glass.
The men’s booth was half-shadowed now, the overhead light casting more glow on the tabletop than on their faces. Two of them leaned in slightly, shoulders angled toward each other. Their voices were low enough that I couldn’t make out words, just the steady murmur of conversation.
As I drew closer, the man who’d done most of the talking so far reached down, his hand disappearing beneath the table. Another leaned back at the same time, just enough to block my view. There was a subtle scrape of something heavy shifting beneath the table, and I slowed without meaning to.
The movement was quick and practiced, completely hidden from my line of sight.
When I got closer, all four of them looked up at me, their expressions neutral. One of them lifted his water. The guy who’d been looking out the window took a bite of his burger.
“Everything tasting okay?” I asked with a smile that felt forced.
“Fine,” the man next to me mumbled.
I nodded, already preparing to step away, when I glanced at the guy by the window again.
He was still chewing, but he was watching me now.
His gaze held mine a second longer than necessary, like he was waiting for me to react.
Except his eyes held none of the usual interest I sometimes got from men.
Somehow, that made me even less comfortable.
Heat crept up the back of my neck, but I forced my smile to stay in place. I broke eye contact first, focusing on putting the cap back on the ketchup bottle at the edge of the table. My fingers felt clumsier than usual as I nudged it into place.
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
None of them answered, just watched as I turned away.
I didn’t look back until I reached the counter.
When I did, their conversation had already resumed, their heads bent together.
But as if he could feel my eyes on him, the man by the window glanced up and caught my gaze.
There was no visible reaction on his face, but his intense stare caused me to hesitate for just the briefest moment before I turned away.
The diner slid back into its familiar rhythm, but something inside me stayed the slightest bit off.
I checked on the four-top once more and dropped off their check. Then I headed back to restock napkins. When I came out again, they were already sliding out of the booth.
They didn’t call me over or say goodbye before they walked out. Walking over, I found a stack of bills tucked neatly beneath the edge of the ketchup bottle.
I grabbed the money and counted it quickly, just making sure the bills covered their check. There was enough for a 20 percent tip for me.
When I glanced toward the door, they were already out of sight. I rubbed a tired hand over my forehead and let out a long breath. Only an hour or so more, and I could go home and collapse into bed.
I wiped down their table, clearing the last of the plates and brushing away a few crumbs.
There was no reason to continue dwelling on the men, but I couldn’t forget the way that guy looked at me.
It left me feeling unsettled. However, it had been a long night, and being tired always made me overthink things.