Then I could get out of here. I could use my degree and finally start my life.
Cash slapped onto my palm, and I gritted my teeth from the sting. My narrowed eyes flicked up to the customer, and I bit down on my bottom lip so I didn’t curse him out like I was so desperate to do.
I tapped the button on the screen of my cash register and the bottom drawer popped open a second later. “Your number will be called shortly,” I told him, passing the receipt to him then slamming the drawer closed.
It was Sunday night and I had an early morning class, but that didn’t matter to the dick who wrote the schedules, which meant I was always on the shittiest shifts and left on my own most of the time. How the hell was I meant to man the register and package the food at the same time?
I rolled my eyes as the cook called my name. Us lowly front staff weren’t allowed in the back kitchen, not that I wanted to be there anyway.
“Kloey?” he called a second time. “Need you to take the trash out.”
I huffed out a breath as I threw the burger and fries into a bag and tossed it onto the counter for my rude as hell customer, then strode toward the back kitchen.
“Why can’t you take it out?” I asked, glancing toward the back doors that were kept open a few inches by a brick. It was pitch black out there.
“Because I’m cleaning the damn grill,” Keith barked back at me. He held a spatula in the air, his white apron looking more yellow with the amount of stains on it. “You want to leave on time tonight?” he asked, raising one of his bushy brows. He didn’t wait for my answer because he already knew I didn’t want to be here longer than I had to be. “Take the trash out, Kloey.”
“Fine.” I stepped into the kitchen and grabbed the yellow tie handles then dragged it behind me toward the doors. I hesitated a second, my stomach rolling at the thought of being out there alone.
You can do it, Klo, you’ve walked into worse situations.
I closed my eyes for a snap second then opened them back up, pushed my shoulders back, and took a step forward.
The heavy doors were a nightmare to open, and I almost got trapped between them, but at the last second, I yanked the trash through it, sighing in relief.
The sliver of light coming from the burger joint was just enough to show me the path to our trash cans, but I still had to step into the darkness to get over there.
I turned my head left and right, making sure I was on my own, but when a pair of eyes stared back at me, I halted. My muscles tensed, my brain going into overdrive as they didn’t look away from me.
My hands gripped the handles of the bag tighter, my stomach flipped, and for some strange reason, I didn’t want the eyes to look away from me.
Shuffling echoed in the otherwise silent space, and I realized whoever this was was moving. I glanced down, my eyes adjusting to the dark, and saw a bent leg with a foot against a door. The door that led to the gym that backed onto the burger joint.
I’d never been in there, but I’d walked past it enough to know it was mainly guys, and not your average gym. I’d even spied a cage in there when someone had been leaving the other week.
I opened my mouth, not sure what I was going to say, but before I got the chance, a gruff voice asked, “Need a hand with that?”
Blinking at him, I waited. Did I need a hand with it? Not really, but...I couldn’t voice that to him as he pushed off the door and sauntered over to me.
“I…” I swallowed as his musky scent wrapped around me, causing me to lean toward him as he reached down for the trash bag.
His hand touched mine, electricity shooting through me, rendering me incapable of anything but watching as his lips quirked and he took ahold of the bag completely.
He was so close I was sure if I breathed too heavily that our chests would touch. A cut above his dark eyes had me wanting to reach out, but I clenched my hands at my sides to stop myself.
He was hypnotizing me with one single look, and my body and brain were helpless to it.
His gaze flicked down to my chest and to my name badge, his lips now pulling into a full smile. “Kloey.” He whispered my name like it would save him from whatever haunted his life, and for the first time ever, I wanted another person to touch me.
I’d been man-handled most of my life, but not once had I asked for it. Not once had I liked it. Not once had I wanted to be in the moment with someone.
Until now.
The man in the darkness was reeling me in, promising me things with his eyes that he had no right to.
“I—“
“What's takin' so damn long, Kloey?” Keith shouted. I snapped my head around at his voice, causing the strangers’ hand to no longer be connected to mine.
“One minute,” I croaked out, but when I turned back, he was gone.
Fuck. He was gone.
Chapter Three
Nixon
I stood in the darkness, my hood over my head to conceal me, not that she would notice me anyway. I’d been watching her for weeks, but tonight after my fight, I’d finally made myself known.
I’d found out her name.
I’d touched her silky skin.
I’d looked straight into her eyes.
She had no idea that I knew her routine. No idea that I followed her home every night. That I’d followed her for weeks.
But there was
