Page 10 of Surrender

"Your first night?"

"Yes, sir."

He nods. Satisfied with the answer. "Vodka tonic."

Before I can leave, he reaches out and ghosts a finger over the apex of my hip. He turns then, and it happens so fast that I almost convince myself it didn't actually happen.

Patrons aren't allowed to touch the staff, and the staff is not allowed to fraternize or take part in any of the... activities... here.

I turn and make a hasty retreat to give Ben the order.

He pours it quickly and I grab the vodka tonic from Ben and rush back to Volkov's table.

He doesn't make a move to drink it at all. Instead, he continues to stare, intimidating the hell out of me.

I clear my throat. "Will there be anything else, sir?" My voice is high and tight and I'm doing my best not to cry.

"No, Zaya. Not right now."

I should walk away. I should leave. I shouldn't engage this man. But I can't help myself. If I don't ask, it'll drive me crazy for the rest of the night, and I don't exactly have a phone to look it up myself.

"Zaya?" I ask, my voice small.

Blue eyes lock on mine. I get the feeling this guy doesn't like to be questioned. "Little rabbit."

I swallow the fear those two little words give me. I feel like a little rabbit, running scared.

Chapter seven

Serenity

The rest of the night goes by without any drama. Ivanov watches me but doesn't say anything else to me. Declan, Daniel, and Harrison, all watch me, too, without comment. I serve the tables assigned to me, chat with Benji, and collect my tips.

The customers start to fade away and just before three AM it's almost empty. I'm exhausted. My feet hurt, my calves hurt, and I haven't eaten anything all day except the sandwich Daniel made me. But I'd survived my first shift, and I prayed it was good enough to get me a second one.

I head to the front, not wanting Declan to wait for me. He'd been nice enough to offer me a guest bedroom, so I have to make it up to him. I'm not sure where he was, but before I reach the front foyer, he's walking beside me.

Declan motions to the front door and I step out into the freezing night air. Sitting at the curb is a black car with a man standing next to it. He opens the back door as Declan approaches. I'm stuck still on the sidewalk, unable to move myself forward.

Declan said he would drive me to his house. Not that he would have a driver waiting for him. For some reason, I know I need to get into the back of the car, especially when Declan motions for me to go in first, but I can't physically get my body to move.

He sighs gently before coming back for me and placing a hand on my lower back. The touch, the warmth, the gentle shove unstick my feet for me.

"Serenity, this is Joseph, my driver. Joseph, this is Miss Serenity."

The older man dips his head towards me. "Evening, Miss Serenity."

The simple greeting is welcome. I know how to do this.

"Good evening, Joseph."

I slide into the back seat and to the farthest away from Declan, trying to take up as little room as possible. I've already majorly inconvenienced him.

***

I wake with a full-body start. It's dark. I don't know where I am. My skin prickles with adrenaline. I'm not safe. I whip my head side-to-side, trying to understand where I am, but my eyesight is blurry, and it's dark. I'm panting. The breath I'm sucking in is not enough. My heart is pounding so hard my neck and my forehead ache and my ears whoosh, which means I can hear a man's voice, but I don't know who he is and I don't know what he's saying.

I blink rapidly and see movement. I scramble away from the dark, blurry vision of a man.

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