Unraveled

Chapter Three

Unedited.

Grumbling underneath her breath at the unreasonable amount of food on the beaten wood and the state of the table, Duke swiped it clean, swiftly picking up the silverware and tossing them in the cart. The heavy scent of pizza and burgers lingered in the air, beer an underlying stench.

Dressed in black trousers and a worn down red long sleeve, Duke had tied her thick mane back, although a spiral of small curls escape near her face. Annoying as shit. She could never understand how people did not comprehend common courtesy, don't leave a fucking mess, it looks like you were raised in a pig sty. Lips drawn in a thin line, she moved on to the table, dutifully working.

Silver eyes peeked through dark lashes as a rambunctious group of men laughed their way into the bar and grill. Brows furrowed. Business men did not usually appear in the greasy joint. There were only two that were laughing like it was their last days, the rest either wore a blank face or smiled. Muscles tensed as she met the gaze of a blonde man. She felt like a deer caught in headlights, rare for the brazen human. Magnesium flickered back down to concentrate on her work, Ilya's birthday was nearing and she wanted to get him anything he wanted.

A whisper of a smile kissed her lips, the thought of her little brother cheered her up. For a street rat, working was most distasteful, but it had to be done, especially when she was not the only one she was providing for.

Duke completely oblivious to the animalistic stare she receiving from a certain man, blonde hair gelled back in a professional manner. His black jacket of his suit strained against harden, bunched muscle as he bent his arms upward, clasping scarred hands. Brown eyes swirled with untold secrets, scanning the lithe woman as she cleansed the table across the room of it's food debris.

"Ms. Duchess." She worked her jaw when she heard that voice. A too shrill voice for a man that had given her an annoying nickname.

"Yes, Mr. Logan." Thick brows rose as the small man sauntered towards her.

"Your shift is over, you can go home now." Silver glanced at the clock on the wall and was astounded that the rat of a man was right.

"Oh, of course." Blinking at the brown haired man, she trudged past him, towards the back to gather her belongings. The lament tile floor creaked as her ratty boots clomped across it, her weight was not that much, not a lot of fat laid on her body, mostly muscle. Of course that did weight a bit but she barely pushed one fifty.

Heading past Mr. Logan's cozy office and into the small closet providing as a stand in for the employees lockers, Duke swiped up her bag, the familiar reassurance that she felt when it slapped against the small of her back made some of the tension flow from her muscles. Undoing her hair tie, she let the black locks flow down.

"Ms. Duch – "

"Please call me Duke."

"Ms. Duke," just Duke. "Here is your check for the month, you are a hard worker, I appreciate it."

"Thank you, sir." She murmured quietly. Tanned, worked hands greedily reached for the envelope holding her hard earned cash.

Tucking away the envelope in her back pocket, she smiled at the man, nodding him a good day before strutting out like a proud peacock. Digging out a carton of cigarettes, she fished out a cancer stick and lit it while shuffling slowly out of the building, too preoccupied with her smoke to actually make fast progress in her journey downtown.