Zheng waves me over as soon as I walk in the door. “Hey, follow me.” He catches the attention of one of the servers and calls out an, “I’ll be right back.”
She nods and Zheng leads me through a set of swinging doors and down a private hallway to an office. He knocks twice on the door before opening it.
“Aunt Sú, this is Isa.” A middle-aged Chinese woman with jet-black hair looks up from her desk. Her features are severe. Sharp nose, high cheekbones, slanted eyes and thin lips. But when she sees Zheng she smiles, and her entire face softens.
“You go to school with my nephew?” she asks me, a slight accent to her words.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ah, manners on this one,” she says to Zheng before turning back to me. “Do you have any work history?”
“I’ve worked in my Pack. But no, I don’t have any formal work experience. I’m a fast learner though,” I tell her.
She nods her head, leaning back in her seat to better assess me. “Did Zheng fill you in on the particulars? This is a dishwashing job. It’s not glamorous. You won’t be waitressing and you won’t be earning tips. From time to time you might buss tables if the girls up front need the help but for the most part, you’ll be in the back. You good with that?” She gives me a scrutinizing once-over.
“Sounds perfect,” I tell her.
“Okay, then. Zheng will get you an apron and show you to the back. If you keep up today, the job is yours. It’s minimum wage but you’ll get a dollar raise once you last six months. Schedule changes each week, but you’ll be guaranteed three shifts.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
Zheng leads the way back through the hallway and into the kitchens. I’m greeted by two cooks, both of which I can tell are human. They’re elbow-deep in work, so they only offer me a wave and a smile. I stiffen when I realize it’ll be just the three of us back here, but my shoulders relax when Zheng leads me further into where the washing station is.
It sits away from the cooks in a small corner. “Servers and busboys will stack dishes here.” He points to a low counter already piled high with dirty plates and glasses. “And then when you’re done with them, you put them here. Silverware and glasses all get put inside the automatic runner so they’re sanitized but you’ll wash plates and bowls by hand.”
“Sounds easy enough.” I give him a smile. “I think I got it.”
“Okay, and if you get stuck or need help, I’ll be up front.” He places a hand on my shoulder and I instantly lock up. Panic rushes into me and Zheng doesn’t miss my reaction. His hand immediately lifts and he takes two steps back.
“What just happened?”
I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out.
“Isa, you’re really pale.”
I wrap my arms around myself and look away. Josué was right. This was a horrible idea. What had I been thinking?
I worry my lower lip, struggling to give Zheng an explanation for my behavior when he says, “Something happened to you while you were gone?”
I meet his concerned gaze, knowing my own is glassy-eyed with unshed tears, and nod.
“Fuck.” He rubs the back of his neck. “That’s why your friend stepped in when I went to hug you today?”
Another nod. “I was attacked at the game.”
“Fuck.” He paces in front of me as he takes this all in and I brace myself for whatever he has to say next. “So you weren’t on vacation or something, You were recovering?”
“Yeah. I … I have a hard time being touched right now.”
“Isa you were gone for close to two weeks. What the hell happened that you needed that much time to heal?” I open my mouth and then close it before Zheng rushes on. “Actually, I don’t need to know. I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. If you decide you want to tell me at some point, you can, okay? I’m here, for whatever you need.” My heart melts at his confession. I knew Zheng was a good guy. “But…” A shake of his head as he expels a harsh breath. “Okay. No unwanted contact. I can manage that.”
“Thank you.”
“Is that why your friend is here in town? To help you out with whatever you’re dealing with?”
“Yeah. I don’t have a Pack so ... J is pretty much all I’ve got.”
“I’ll help, too. Whatever you need. I know he can’t be with you twenty-four seven. When you’re here, I’ve got your back. Okay?”
I take a leap and reach out, grasping his hand in mine and giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it. “You’re a really great guy, Zheng. Thank you.”
33 Rafael
She’s not eating. I don’t know why I care but the girl never eats. Not at school anyway. Her cheekbones are sharper. Her clothes fit looser. And she’s always wearing that weird-ass sword on her back. I haven’t seen it up close. At first I didn’t think anything of it. A lot of kids carry weapons at Hellbound High. But not shifters. We are weapons.
Something is up and I have no fucking clue what.
I know my boys notice. They give her the same concerned glances I do when they think I’m not looking.
The urge to force her to tell me what’s wrong is strong, but she’s still with that fucker, Josué. And worse, she’s hanging out more with Liu. One of them is always with her. She’s never alone. Not in her classes. Not at lunch. Hell, even when I spot her going to take a piss, one of these assholes is always right outside the door.
I’m tempted to find
