The Criminal (Storms Book 2)

Chapter Two

Kylie stared out of the window of her apartment and sighed. The weather had been changing, and it was affecting her. She had always gotten depressed in the winter, and now even more so since her mother had gotten sick. She would usually be at the rehabilitation center with her mom right now, but the weather was bad, and she couldn't walk in the snow. It was the last snow of the year. It would spring in just a few days. She needed to get to Dino's tonight; the restaurant where she worked. She needed her check tonight so she could pay bills tomorrow. The rehabilitation center was not cheap, and she was draining her savings so her mom could stay there.

She was supposed to go to college in the fall, but that came and went. She applied and had gotten accepted at Penn State, but that was before her mom got sick. Cancer is a bitch.

Kylie got her clothes on and bundled up. It was snowing outside, but it wasn't terribly cold. Putting on her boots, and her hat she made her way for Dino's. It was good that she didn't live far from sixth street. She shivered from the change in temperature and felt her face begin to get cold from the snow. She sometimes hated working at Dino's; particularly at this time of year. The cold and the snow kept people in their house's. So that kept people out of restaurants, and that kept money out of Kylie's pocket. She did respect and enjoy Dino though. Even though he was her boss, he was always fair, and he wouldn't let Kylie go without. He knew she was having a hard time, so he loaned her five hundred dollars until she could get back on her feet. That wasn't long after her mother was diagnosed.

Her father was out of the picture. He left when she was five, but he did send child support checks up until Kylie turned eighteen. Kylie's mom always said that her father was bad news and that Kylie didn't need him anyway. She looked like her dad, and on certain days she missed him. She missed him when she felt like her world was falling apart, and she was going to lose everything. But, she hated him when she realized that he didn't care and that if he genuinely cared for her, he would be there.

Within ten minutes she made it to sixth street. Usually, Dino's would be open, but since it was slow at night, the restaurant had been closing at nine. Luckily she had a key and could sneak in and get her check and leave. No one would even know she was there.

The entire street seemed sluggish; except the strip club across the street. They always had business, and it made her slightly jealous.

"If only I had more confidence I would be a stripper." Kylie laughed to herself.

Coming to the back door, she fished the key out of her purse and opened the door as quietly as she could.

Kylie heard yelling the second she closed the door behind her. No one else was supposed to be here, and the door was locked. How did they get in? Kylie shook her head and tiptoed around the counter. All of the lights were off, and it made it hard to see. The yelling was coming from her boss Dino's office in the back room. She could hear footsteps and pounding. The door to Dino's office was cracked, and even though a smart person would have turned around and left Kylie wanted to get a peak. She very quietly peaked in the door.

There were four men in the room including Dino. Dino sat in his chair with a cut coming from his head. He had an enormous gash on his scalp, and it would inevitably need stitches. There were also two large men standing on the other side of Dino's desk with their hands in their pockets. They looked as if they were just here for manpower. The last man who Kylie now knew was the one yelling was gorgeous. He was the most attractive man she had ever laid her eyes on. He had jet black hair that was shaved on the sides and pushed back. He wore a white shirt that extenuated his muscles. He wasn't buff, but he was thin. He pushed his sleeves up, and she could see tattoos poking out. She could faintly see the outline of the symbols through his white shirt. Kylie wanted to drool, but the longer she stared at him, the more she recognized him.