Page 14 of Until Waverly

“He’s got a gun,” I yelled, warning the other nurses on the floor who would lockdown the floor while simultaneously notifying security.

“Fucking bitch,” he growled, pushing me so hard I slammed into the wall, knocking the wind out of me. I tumbled to the floor, struggling to catch my breath as pain shot up from my right ankle and hip. Stars filled my vision as I tried to pull air into my lungs and stop my diaphragm from spasming.

“Gun...” I wheezed. “Gun.”

He pushed at the door, then hit the button over to the right. Nothing happened. He turned, addressing at the other nurses now huddled by the desk while reaching toward the back of his pants. Fear lodged in my throat. I already knew I was about to witness him kill people. I could feel it in my bones.

“Open the fucking door!” he ordered.

Pushing myself off the floor, I ignored my pain. “That’s not going to happen now.” The slow motion stopped and I could finally breathe, though it hurt. I pointed to the flashing light above the double doors as the announcement was made over the loudspeaker to shelter in place. He kicks at the heavy doors again. “Until an all clear is given, those doors will remain locked.” Ignoring the shakiness of my voice, I held my ground, even though I felt like I was going to fucking pass out.

Chapter4

Jackson

“Looks like another packed house for the lunch rush,” the server said as she came into the kitchen to grab table four’s food. The chaos of the kitchen always settled me, and after the year I’d had, the distraction was welcomed.

“Great,” I replied, plating up another order. Sasha stood watch, close to us. The man was a godsend. He’d taken me under his wing and kept me on the straight and narrow, even after Waverly disappeared. I’d always be grateful to him because he could have chosen Mack, someone he worked with for years, over me.

But he hadn’t.

“Looks like tables seven, ten, and fifteen will order soon too,” another of the servers said before taking off with the waiting plates for their table.

“We need to break down for dinner soon,” Sasha said. “Customers…”

I laughed.

He bellyached about the lateness of lunch sometimes, worried we’d never have the kitchen ready for dinner. Every day, right on time, the kitchen switched menus, flowing seamlessly into dinner with no incidences. Sasha ran Flame’s kitchen like a well-oiled machine.

Today would be no different.

I exhaled and rolled my neck before getting back to work. Being at Flame cooking full-time allowed me to occupy my mind and not think about Waverly. For eight to ten hours a day, the incessant questions about what had gone wrong and trying to unravel the events the day of her party, to pick the moment I’d done anything to hurt her or at least cause her to never call me back, drove me to the brink.

Waverly was special. Precious. The minute our eyes locked outside Mack’s home, I knew she was it for me.

I’d heard about love at first sight before from my parents. The way their attraction burned incandescently, consuming them to the point of never wanting to leave each other’s side even in death—I yearned for that kind of love. I craved it. The minute Waverly’s hand touched mine, BOOM. No matter what else might have happened in my life, Waverly would always be the one.

I had zero doubts where she was concerned.

Until she disappeared.

After replaying our time together at the party and the subsequent few weeks of phone calls while she’d been away at school—seeing her only when our schedules permitted—I couldn’t figure out what changed. Had someone threatened her?

“Hey, Jackson,” Mindy, our hostess, said, standing at the door of the kitchen. “Your sister is looking for you. You might want to talk to her.”

Seeing Ireland at work was almost second nature now. Since having little Mackinley, she spent more time with Mack at the restaurant than at the shop with our brothers. I figured it was a first-time mom thing. Pretty soon she’d get the itch to get greasy again and would be back to turning wrenches and smelling like a dirty engine. For now, having her near afforded me time to spend with my nephew. Today was no different.

“Sasha?” I glanced at my boss.

“Go. Ireland never asks for you specifically.” No, she didn’t.

I clapped the man on the shoulder then followed Mindy. The tension radiating off the girl struck me as weird.Flamewas such a laid-back place. Sure, Mack ran a tight ship. He acquired the best when it came to talent and food, so he expected the best when it came to performance. This situation, it seemed, was different. As part of the protocol of the restaurant, we weren’t allowed to have our cell phones on. All devices past the employee room were to be turned off.

Could something have happened, and I didn’t know?

“Did she say what she wanted?” The first niggle of something not being right hit, and my gut knotted. Instantly my thoughts went to my brothers and my nephew. Had there been an accident at the shop? Was Mackinley sick? Surely, Ireland would have left a message if it was the latter or had Mack tell me.

“No.” The tightness in Mindy’s voice did nothing to settle the way my heart rate continued to rise as I crossed the restaurant to wherever my sister waited for me. “She just said to grab you.”

---