"Oh." He frowned, but then replied, "Shannon Broudou."
I didn't need to commit that name to memory. It was already seared in, permanently, but I had lied to him. I very much had an agenda, and if I ever met her, there was no way I was going to go the other way. For the first time in a long time, I knew that was a confrontation that I didn't want to avoid. That was one that I wanted. She had hurt my family.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
That night set a pattern for the rest of my break. I ran in the mornings for Coach Grath and worked at Manny's in the evenings. I didn't run as much as I had that first time, but when I reported my time and distance the next day, he blinked. It wasn't much of a reaction, but as I started to get to know my coach over the next week, I realized that had been a huge reaction for him. He pushed me to beat my times each day until I told him that I was on my feet the rest of the day at my job. So, then he told me to beat my times on the days I didn't work, which I planned to do anyways. I was already salivating for my next day off.
"Hey, baby girl."
Heather broke my reverie, and I jerked the dishwasher head so it sprayed all over me. "Ah!" I dropped it and jumped back. As it twisted from the cord, it sprayed her in the window and she yelped. "Turn it off, turn it off!"
I scrambled for the faucet and rotated it to the side. The water stopped, but the damage was done. Both of us were wet from head to toe. Great. I had to work in these clothes for the rest of the night, seven hours left to go.
Laughing, Heather jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll grab you some clothes. This will suck when the rush comes."
"Thanks."
Lily glanced in, and she grinned from ear to ear. "It's a good look. Those Roussou guys will enjoy it."
My eyes went wide. Roussou?
Heather froze for a moment. "Oh, uh…" Then she turned to me. There was a warning there.
Oh no. A deep knot formed in my gut. This couldn't be good.
Lily cocked her head to the side. Her long black hair had been pulled high into a ponytail, and she caught the end over one shoulder. She twirled it in one hand as her smile dimmed an inch. "Joke, guys. That was a joke."
Heather twisted around. Her shoulders stiffened before she whipped back to me and her wet hair slapped Lily in the face. With white knuckles, she gripped the window's edge and leaned close. "Brett and Budd are here. You don't leave this room, not one foot out there, you hear?"
Everything had gone numb at her reaction. If Heather was this scared…I gulped. I didn't want to finish that thought.
"Text your boy. Make up some lie. He cannot come here tonight."
"I—"
"They'll jump him, Sam," she hissed. "They'll do worse to you if they find out who you are." The warning heated up in her eyes. "I won't let them hurt you, but they must know you're here. They wouldn't have come if they didn't."
"Okay." Lily forced out a laugh. "You guys are making me nervous. I was just joking before. I know you didn't get wet on purpose. What's going on?"
Heather's hand shot to her arm. She latched on with a death grip. "You stay with those guys all night. You smile, you serve, you make them happy, but you don't say a word to them about Sam, the Kades, or anything that has anything to do with them."
Lily's eyes went wide and she took a step back. "You guys are really starting to freak me out. Wait; is this because of the school pranks and stuff? I didn't think it was that bad.
"Just do what I say." Then she paused, frowning. "Where'd they sit?"
"In the back section. Anne already got their drinks."
"Take over her section."
"What about Gia? She's supposed to come in at 5:00 today."
A spew of curses came from Heather as she glared out at the diner. "I'll call her. I know she'll say something. I'll have Rosa come in for her instead." She turned and fixed us with a steely gaze. She meant business. "We good on the plan?"
Both of us nodded. My hand itched to salute her.
"Good. I'm going to run home quick. Be back in five."
When she dashed out, Lily looked back at me. "Is it really that bad?"
I took a deep breath as I gripped the rinse head in my hands. "Let's just say those guys hate Mason and if they hate him…" My eyebrows went up as she finished the sentence in her head.
She gasped. "You think they'd hurt you?"
I deadpanned, "Heather doesn't freak out for no reason."
She paled. "Oh, dear."
Oh dear, indeed.
I grimaced. Tonight was not going to be fun.
And it wasn't.