Monet and the Mobster

Chapter One-

"Rosco, get in the truck." I tell the two-year-old rottweiler for the third time. "Oh my god, you will stay home in your cage" At the word cage he jumped into the truck. "Thank you." I sigh, climbing into the truck myself, we head to the store. I have a service dog vest on Rosco, he can go everywhere with me and no one will question it because he's really my protector if anyone threatens me, I just have to say the command and he will get into his stance.

For the first two years, I moved every three months, mostly staying in dingy hotels and paying only with cash. Everyone made my nervous, especially when I saw the news only two months after my parents were murdered.

"Behind me is quiet little town where a couple were brutally murdered just a couple months ago. The Fredricks were known by their neighbors as the quiet family, especially after their oldest daughter passed away from a misdiagnosis of a hole in her heart. Upon finding their bodies, the police did not find Nicole Fredricks, their younger daughter. They believe she was kidnapped by whoever killed her parents, the police need to be notified if you see her, so they can put her in protective custody. This is her school picture."

Let me tell you, that was the second scariest moment in my life, I had no idea what to do but put my hood up, pay for my meal and get the hell out of dodge. I stayed on the down low as much as I could.

At the beginning of the year, I decided I wanted to stop running and belong somewhere again. I love cool weather and decided the northeast is a good place, a mixer of cold and the ocean. I picked Maine, I have a nice two-bedroom house and I work as a waitress at a restaurant in the city. It's kind of scary because I can't take Rosco to work with me or have a gun on my person. I haven't heard of much gang activity up here, I should be good. Next month is the anniversary of my parent's death, and then December is the anniversary of my sisters death.

"Oh god, he's so hot." Asha moans, as she dries a cup. "Yeah, so why don't you go talk to him." She groans this time. "He's a businessman, way too serious. I'd like to touch him though." I laugh, shaking my head. I haven't been looking, I need to get my life straight before trying to figure out a relationship.

"Whatever you say." I shake my head, picking up a rag and start wiping down the tables. "Monet, can you close? Freddy called out and you're the only other person I can think of who can cook." But I've been here since eight o'clock this morning. "Uh, I'll have to go home and let my dog out." Chad nods. "Yeah, I'll give you an hour break to handle everything." I nod. Great fifteen minutes home, twenty-five minutes for Rosco to use the bathroom, fifteen minutes back and five minutes to breath.

"At least you know how to shut the kitchen down. I remember one guy walked out because nobody showed him anything and just expected him to know it." Asha wasn't helping with my stress level. I hated being out after six, once it gets dark, the creeps come out and there's no telling what'll happen. I know I said I didn't hear much gang activity here, but I haven't been out passed six before.

"Oh, Monet, you have a two-bedroom house, right?" Asha asks after her shift ends. "Yeah." "I can't afford my rent on my own and they are evicting me. Could I rent your room?" "Uh, I'll think about it. Rosco doesn't like people unless I'm with him." "Oh, I love pups, we will be like two pees in a pod. I'll text you later." I raise an eyebrow not really sure she understood what I said.

I get back to the restaurant at seven o'clock and the dinner rush is in. The cook that left when I got here didn't screw the lids on the spice's and the lid came off in the spicy pasta. "Shit." "Hey, we need the spicy shrimp pasta, the guy is getting hangry." Nadine says, walking into the kitchen. "They are going to be waiting, Ted fucked me over." I growl. "Um, I can't tell them it'll be another fifteen to twenty-minute wait, he scares me." "Nadine, I have sixteen tickets and a pot of that pasta with a whole bottle of chilly powder in it, I can't serve it. Tell Chad to handle it." I tell her, extremely aggravated.