His Revenge

Chapter 10 - Scarlett

Scarlett P.O.V

Maddox and I rush through the backdoors of Ebony's Restaurant, Zara's. Named in honor of her maternal grandmother, who'd passed away her senior year in high school. The place had been a dream for both of them, but more so for young Ebony.

She'd wanted to see her grandmother's recipes loved and enjoyed in a place all their own by everyone, just as she and her family had for decades. And it wasn't until five years ago that their dream came to fruition.

She and her husband Chance had sunk their entire life savings into the place, despite warnings from friends, family, and hell, sometimes even strangers on the street. Those first few years had come with a share of problems, but their relentless drive and faith had seen them through setback after setback, and now Zara's seemed to be finally flourishing.

That is if the full house and line up the block were anything to go by. And if not, the clean plates and contented smiles were.

Mrs. Zara would be proud. Ebony had poured her heart and soul into achieving her goal. And now she's done it. What more could she ask for?

As we enter the kitchen, the place is a whirlwind of activity. Shouted orders fly across the room as the food's prepped, cooked, plated, then handed off to the wait staff.

Over and over again, they repeat the process working seamlessly together like a well-oiled machine as they go about their tasks with one common objective, feeding the hungry patrons in the next room.

And right at the center of it is Ebony, looking like the boss; she is in her black power suit and high heels with her honey-blonde dreads pulled back into a high ponytail.

At first, she doesn't see us approaching, her attention divided between her cell phone in one hand and the tablet in the other, but a nudge from her head chef, Mike, alerts her of our presence. Setting the devices aside, she quickly crosses over to us.

"Thank god you're finally here!" She says, wrapping her arms around us for a quick hug.

"Why? What's going on?" I ask.

She hadn't really mentioned it over the phone, only asked if we could spare a few hours. To which we'd agreed.

"We're a little understaffed tonight since a few people called in sick, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but it's packed tonight." She rushes out in a single breath. "And I've called in reinforcements, but it'll be a while before they arrive."

"Well, we're happy to help until they get here. Just tell us where you need us."

Her dark brown eyes light up, barely concealing her excitement at the offer. "Really?"

I nod before she looks over at Maddox, waiting for his confirmation.

"Yes." He says, smiling. "Whatever you need."

"Okay." She beams. "Maddox, you're at the bar, and Scarlett," she grabs a tray full of food and shoves it into my arms. "I need ya to wait tables."

"Okay," I mouth, straightening the previously jostled pasta dishes.

Before I can finish, Ebony places her hands on my shoulders and guides me through the door and into the main room. "That goes to table nine an-"

"Oh God," I stop short a few feet from the doorway, staring over the heads of the crowd at the booth by the window where Luciano sits alone. Even though I can only see his side profile, I am positive it's him.

"What?! What is it?!" Ebony demands as I hurry back into the kitchen, following closely on my heels.

"What is he doing here?" I mutter more so to myself than her, setting the tray down on a nearby counter.