Page 153 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

Langston:How’s it look in there?

I glanced around again.

Cole:Everyone looks scared shitless.

Continuing down the street, I made for the nearest restaurant, hoping to gather some intel and find a good spot to scope out the rest of town. Langston replied a few moments later.

Langston:From the time stamps on videos Zayde found, it looks like we’re about forty-five minutes from when Kyle’s team usually comes through to collect. You should start seeing them soon. Everyone’s in place. We even have a few inside the city limits watching for them.

Stepping into the restaurant, a server greeted me with the most forced smile I’d ever seen in my life and pointed toward the dining area. “Have a seat anywhere you’d like. We’ll bring you a menu.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, and headed toward a window table while sending Langston one more message.

Cole:I’m in the diner on Market Street, overlooking the main business area. Gonna see if I can get anything out of the workers here while I wait.

Langston:Got it. I’m at the grocery store down the street.

My table was toward the back, a booth that gave me a good view of the door and the street outside, but it was tucked away enough that I wouldn’t be easily seen unless someone was looking for me.A moment after I seated myself, the mousy server hurried over and placed a laminated menu on the table before me.

“Here you go.”

She didn’t meet my eyes and kept throwing glances out the windows toward the sidewalk outside. She was a human, and I could literally smell the fear on her—my enhanced senses told me all I needed to know. Everyone in this town was terrified. Tax day was not a pleasant affair.

“Thank you,” I said warmly as I took the menu.

“Uh, can I get you a drink? Coffee or something?” she asked hesitantly.

Did she think I was one of Kyle’s guys? Was that why she was so nervous? Our plan was to get info, and the best way to do that, to my mind, was to be kind and warm. Build rapport.

“That would be amazing,” I said, smiling up at her. “Cream and sugar. Lots of sugar. I have a bit of a sweet tooth. My name’s Cole, by the way.”

Her eyes flicked up from her notepad, a hesitant smile forming on her lips. “Coffee, cream, and extra sugar. You got it.”

She returned a few minutes later with my coffee and accouterments, placing them in front of me. “There you go,” she said, more natural and less jittery.

“Amazing.” I smiled as I poured cream into my mug.

“Did you want to order lunch or anything?” she asked, tugging her notepad back out of her apron.

A quick glance at my watch showed we were running low on time. I’d need to hurry things along a bit more than I wanted.

“Miss, can I ask you a quick question?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Uh, is it about the special? I really wouldn’t recommend it. Between you and me, the fish is close to going over?—”

“No, not about food. About Kyle Alexander.”

The notepad nearly slipped from her fingers. She managed to keep hold of it, but barely. She took a hesitant step back, a look of fear washing across her face.

“Are you one of his?—”

“No,” I said softly but firmly. “Absolutely not. You couldn’t pay me enough to work for that prick.”

She flinched and glanced around, as though someone would hear me talk ill of Kyle and she’d somehow get in trouble for it. I was the only customer, and the only other people who seemed to be in the building were a couple of cooks. I could hear them talking in the kitchen, their conversation muffled by the swinging door that separated it from the dining area.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” I added. “I’m not here to do anything bad. Not to you.”

“We can’t talk about this,” she hissed, taking another step back.

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