Code Red (Book#2 of The Runaway Club)

17. Culinary Faux-Pas

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I walked past the security and out the Krystal's resident penthouse. Without a pause in the breakneck pace I had set for myself, I walked around the high-rise building to reach the service entrance at the back. The workers unloading the vans stopped to stare as I strode past them.

Of course, I understood their curiosity as I was dressed the way I was.

I opened a vacant service elevator and pressed the floor Aaron's penthouse was located. The elevator was large and smelt strongly of spices and other food items that were transported through it on a daily basis. My eyes caught on my reflection on the stainless steel that surrounded me.

I gently wiped away my smudged lipstick. Even as the stain disappeared, my fingertips lingered on my swollen lips. I knew must forget what happened in his room. But my heart was beating fast again, as if reminded of him. His heat that imprinted on my skin, his taste that branded itself on my tongue and his eyes that bore past all the bravado I had put up.

I shook my head to clear my muddled thoughts.

It was the last time, Dominica. The last time you will ever slip up like that.

It was dangerous to slip up like that in my line of work, I told myself. Especially involving emotions. I could get killed sooner than I can blink.

The service elevator opened and I walked out. The kitchen in Krystals' penthouse was bustling with activity to notice me casually walking past them, searching for a certain someone. A movement passed by my peripherals and I followed it into a pantry. I opened the heavy doors to slip inside the cold storage room. Cristofano turned around to meet me, dressed in an assistant chef's uniform.

"Found all of them?"

My eyes fell on the several large meat bags which had the silhouette of human corpses rather than the steaks they were labeled as. Daniel and Tobias dressed similar to the delivery men were lining fresh meat inside the make-do body bags to reduce suspicion.

"All eight of them." He nodded and turned to the men to gesture them to a nearby service cart. "Didn't tell a word but all of them had La Cosa Nostra's tattoos. Pretty self-explanatory, if you ask me Boss."

"And their weapons?"

"Already moved them downstairs in the vegetable dispatch."

"Alright, load them up. We don't have time to waste." I waved as Daniel placed the last bag.

"Here."

Tobias tossed me a waitress' uniform and I quickly pulled it over my black dress. It helped that it was a black pencil skirt and white blouse as it went with my black heels and red lips. I pulled my hair up in a pony before I escorted the men out of the pantry. We were so close to the service elevator when we were stopped by one of the chefs.

"Hey why are you taking those batches away?"

All of us stopped on our tracks. I turned around to meet the bewildered junior chef standing by the entrance of a busy kitchen.

"It is being returned, chef." Cristofano answered in a matter of fact tone. "Mr. Krystals asked for Kobe but these are just the regular ones. I was going to get it returned."

"Huh, I thought we were pretty clear in our initial order." His eyes fell on Tobias noticing his delivery uniform.

"Must be a mix-up, sir. We'll fix it right away."

"Okay, I'll let the head chef know."

He turned around and head back inside. I eyed Cristofano and the others to hurry up. And within a few minutes we were wheeling the bags past the other delivery personnel but none bat an eyelid at us. I spotted our van parked out in the front. Cristofano and Tobias quickly loaded the bags inside as Daniel started the van and three bags of Kobe beef was replaced on the service cart. I took the cart from Tobias and walked towards a group of delivery men standing in the front waiting for the next delivery van.