Chapter 2

Tamara

I'd already discovered that one could get upstairs without having to walk in through the diner, so I wasn't exactly surprised that whoever it was hadn't entered from the diner's doors. What I found really strange was the fact that the other door the person should have entered into the building had been locked all day. I was sure of it. It was only ever open whenever Mike was upstairs and he'd been out the whole day. I'd seen him walk in a few hours before closing time and even then he'd come in through the diner's doors. It meant that the other door had never for once been opened today.

So how did the person gotten in?

My eyes bulged when I remembered the back door I'd found wide open. It was then that realization dawned on me. Mike was likely in trouble. I stepped away from the door like it had suddenly caught fire, my heart immediately racing. My first instinct was to run. I'd suspected that Mike was into some kind of shady business but there had been no way to know for sure. For all I knew, he'd double crossed someone and they had snuck in to get their pound of flesh? Why should I get involved?

Despite the thoughts running through my head, I knew for fact that there was no way I was leaving Mike all by himself with a possible threat. I massaged my temple, feeling a migraine build as I tried to hurriedly think of a way out. Calling the cops was definitely out of the action. It was way too late and there was no way they were going to get here in time if they even decided to take me seriously. I bit down on my lower lip, staring at the door.

What if this was all in my head?

Maybe whoever it was wasn't actually harmful like I'd immediately concluded. There was only one way to know for sure. Taking in a deep steadying breath, I practically tiptoed back to the door, thanking the heavens when I discovered the door wasn't actually closed. There was just the tiniest bit of space between the door and the doorframe. Holding my breath, I pushed at the door with the tip of my pointer finger, widening it just the slightest bit.

My heart began crashing against my rib cage the second I made sense of what I was seeing. Mike was in front of his desk standing right next to some guy wearing a black hoodie. My eyebrows squeezed as I realized Mike was actually pleading with the hooded guy, unshed tears making his eyes appear glossy. Before I even knew what was going on, the hooded guy had taken a gun out of the front pocket of his jeans and put a bullet through Mike's head. I squinted my eyes, trying to catch the last word Mike had managed to get out of his lips.

Leon.

I stared with a frightened expression on my face, my eyes widening slightly as Mike's body fell to the ground with a loud thud, blood instantly pooling beneath him. If I hadn't already been holding my breath, I would definitely have held my breath in that moment. I knew how this would have played out if it had been a horror movie. I'd be next in line after Mike. Luckily, this was no horror movie and I was definitely not going to be next in line. I refused to make a single sound.

I'd just taken a step back when the hooded guy turned his head in my direction. I immediately winced after hearing the loud gasp that I instinctively let out. I wasn't sure if I was wincing because I had not expected to be caught like a deer in headlights or if I was wincing because I was sure he could see every detail of my face. It was a good thing I didn't have much time to look into it. We stared at each other for only a heartbeat before I did the wisest thing to do in that situation.

Run.

I let my legs carry me as fast as they probably could, even skipping stairs where necessary. One second I was on the run, with the hooded guy right on my tail, the next I had succeeded in slipping past the back door, not caring in that moment whether or not the diner was locked or if it was unsafe to leave it open. All I cared for in that moment was my safety, as I rightly should. I knew better than to turn back but for some reason, I still did.

My heart lodged in my throat when I realized just how close he was to me. I increased my pace, taking a bend I knew wasn't exactly safe but was definitely going to make me lose him. Luckily, there was no one on the narrow lane. Rather than stop or slow down my pace, I kept on running until I had gotten to my tiny apartment. I unlocked the door with shaky hands, hurriedly pushing the door open and instantly closing it behind me, turning to push the dead bolt.

It took me a few minutes to catch my breath as I tossed my bag onto the small bean bag lying in a corner of the room and walked to my fridge to get myself a cold cup of water. I couldn't help but reminisce on everything that had happened in the past few hours. It all felt surreal. I pondered on the one word Mike had managed out of his lips before he'd died. Leon. Is that the name of the hooded guy? I took a seat on a well worn wooden chair, trying to figure out the way forward. Mike was dead. The diner was definitely going to close down since I was sure there was no one who could step up to run it. It also didn't help that Mike had no family.

Fortunately, I'd just been paid a few days ago so I didn't have to really bother about losing money for all the work I'd already put in. My mind drifted to Teddy. I wondered if I should say anything to him about what I'd seen. Probably not yet. It was just a few minutes past midnight and Teddy was probably sound asleep. I shouldn't disturb him. I still wasn't sure who Mike's killer was exactly but I was certain he wasn't someone I ever wanted to cross paths with. I should probably just move. I mean it wouldn't be so difficult, right?

Technically, I didn't have a job any longer and Jasper and I hadn't exactly been the most involved in each other's lives. No Ji one would miss me. Before I could pursue my line of thought any further, a knock sounded on my door. I felt my entire body freeze before I realized I knew that firm rapid knock anywhere. Rising to my feet, I walked to the door, checking the peephole to make sure it was actually Jasper.

Twisting the doorknob, I pulled the door wide open to let Jasper in. He slipped in and walked past me, turning to watch as I shut the door and secured the bolt. I released a deep breath, praying for strength to deal with my brother. Heaven knew he was a huge pain in my ass. I turned around, noting the worried look on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked tentatively. I should've known he'd only decided to show up because things weren't going smoothly. His next words confirmed my fear.

"I'm in deep trouble."