Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [11]
Power was shifting. Even now, whispers of his father’s strength grew and traveled. Instigating doubt. Inviting challenge. Three assassination attempts in the last eighteen months. All failures. The most recent he’d dispatched himself.
He stamped out his cigarette against the headboard. His father’s time wasn’t at an end. Not yet.
Not until I’m ready.
Soon enough he’d step in. Terminate his father’s reign. It was the cycle of things. Natural for the younger to supplant the elder. The strong to dispatch the weak. He knew it. His father knew it. In time, Markko would wage war against his father’s rule. Restore the fear of the Bolvek name.
But not yet. First, he had a score to settle. He’d have the bitch responsible for Ivan’s death. With patience and skill, he’d reduce her to little more than a mindless animal. Only then would he allow her to die.
An eye for an eye, bitch.
Chapter Five
“Chai latte for Michelle!” Beth secured the lid and pushed the to go cup across the bar.
“Take a break.”
Rolling her shoulders, Beth glanced over the bar at Angie. “I’m fine.” She flashed a smile to back up her statement. Mornings were always hectic and to top it off they were short staffed and one of their espresso machines was on the fritz. In less than thirty minutes, the lunch crowd would start rolling in.
“I didn’t ask if you were fine. You’ve been on your feet all morning, so take a break.”
Beth glanced around the café there was definitely a lull. A break now would probably be a good idea. “Alright. You win. I’ll bus the empty tables and grab a snack.”
She pulled a bin from under the counter, then moved around the bar, intending to slide past Angie. Angie, as usual, was two steps ahead. She stepped directly into Beth’s path, a warning glare cutting through her glasses.
“Take. A. Break.” Angie got two well-manicured hands on the side of the tub and gave a fierce yank. “I’ll take care of this.” When Beth didn’t immediately let go, Angie’s eyes flashed and her lips went white and thin, her fingers curling like claws into the tub. The message was clear: lose the tub or lose your hands.
Beth had realized within the first week of working for Angie that it was best to pick her battles. This one had loser written all over it. “Okay, okay.” She let Angie yank the tub away from her. “There are a couple of open tables outside. I’ll be back in fifteen.” Beth untied her apron as she walked toward the kitchen.
“You’ll be back in five.” Angie helpfully supplied. “The sky’s going to let loose any minute.”
“What?” Beth craned her neck around the corner to glance out the back window. A huge storm was rapidly devouring the sky behind the café while the sun still streaming through the front windows was completely deceiving.
Beth swallowed several creative curses, grabbed her keys out of her locker and rushed for the back door. “I left the top down on my Jeep. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Angie’s shout of “Take your time” barely registered as she hit the sidewalk at a run.
***
Braden was several blocks from the café when the first fat raindrop hit the pavement in front of him. Cursing, he shoved his paper between his teeth, freeing up a hand to open the umbrella he’d grabbed on the way out of his loft. The air was heavy with the crisp, fresh scent that permeates the atmosphere just before a good soaker. With any luck he’d make it to Angie’s before it really let loose.
Braden spared a quick glance for any traffic before stepping into the street rather than waiting for the light. Halfway through the intersection his attention snapped to a woman in the parking lot across from him. It took less than a heartbeat to recognize her.
Braden watched for a moment as Beth struggled with the soft top of her Jeep. This opportunity was too good to pass up. He had stopped into the café a couple of times in the last few days, and mysteriously, he always seemed to miss Beth. He suspected Angie was running interference. It was hardly a deterrent—his curiosity grew every time Angie tried to shut him out. Coupled with the hyperactive