Sin

If I were a murderer, I wouldn't let the cops find the bodies of those bastards. I turned, my hair falling over my shoulder. They weren't in sight, and I started to slow down, catching my breath.

My legs felt weak from running all morning, and I sighed, my hand reaching for the nearest wall on the street. I leaned, my hand coming to my chest. I was exhausted, but who wouldn't be? I have just spent half a day of my life running away from those thugs. And congrats to me, I could no longer go back home since they somehow tracked me down. Bastards.

I had just started to squat when I heard the unmistakable voice of James, the loan shark leader.

Fuck.

Dragging all the exhausted, barely moving body parts that comprised of me, I started to run, my lips parting. These people had no chill, I swear.

"Pay up, you little twat! Or put one of your kidneys to use. Goddammit!"

I accelerated, ignoring the loose strands of my hair that kept falling in front of my face. I could hear him catching up, and I started to frantically look for other options. I couldn't keep running around Vegas because of a debt that wasn't even mine, for goodness sake. Of all things to inherit, it had to be a pricking debt.

I continued to run, James and the other two keeping me running with how close their heavy footsteps were behind me. They can't catch me. I still have band-aids from the last time they did.

I pushed myself to run when my eyes caught the friendly sign of the new burger place. Hell. They needed to accommodate me because...

I turned around. James was hot on my heels. I turned back, and with a final stretch of my muscles, I reached for the door and swung it open.

James' nails clawed at the base of my neck and held on to my shirt, pulling me back.

I yelped, then pulled the baggy shirt over my head. He didn't anticipate it, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide. Now left with only a vest dampened by sweat, I ran inside the restaurant.

I closed the door, then went to the floor, my hair falling in front of my face, my body completely stretched and exhausted. I sighed, my hand coming to my face, my body weak.

Hell, I couldn't live like this anymore. I couldn't do this anymore.

I closed my eyes, my body lightly trembling. Why did Dad have to borrow money from James? Of all people, that bastard, James.

I sighed, then turned. They seemed to have given up, at least for today. I knew they would come back. They always did. The debt had grown larger and larger over the years, and even though I had managed to pay up the initial money with the stuff I had picked around, it still wasn't near enough.

"Are you... here for the job?"

I looked up, my eyes wide. A man was standing above me, his brows drawn curiously.

"What?"

His eyes squinted as he slowly pointed at a sign right on the door. "We are looking for a waiter who's also good at flipping burgers if needed."

I swallowed, then turned to the sign. Waiter needed. Flip burgers, six hours a day. No work on Mondays and Fridays. Eighty dollars an hour.

My eyes widened as I saw the pay. Eighty dollars an hour?

I straightened up, my fatigue immediately deserting me.

"Where do I apply?"

He took my appearance in, then gave a small smile. I was used to being looked at like that, but I didn't get out of being the accused so many times by being easily shamed.

"Well, you can go in. You are the tenth applicant."

I swallowed. "Is there going to be an interview? Do I need-"

"No," he said. "You only need to answer a few questions."

I nodded, pushing my hair away. "I am ready."

He nodded. "Great. Come with me."

I followed behind him, my hands tucked into the pockets of my large pair of joggers. We got to the door, and he opened it. There were two men all dressed in black suits sitting, their eyes fixed on me. I immediately felt small, my chest tightening around my heart.

But that pay, damn. I couldn't back out.

I slowly walked in, then greeted, my hair falling again.

"Have a seat. Close the door, Dan."

The door closed, and I saw myself to the seat facing them. There was another door to my right, and it was only half closed. I could see the shadow of a person, and I swallowed, then looked away.

"Name?" the man to the right asked. His voice was dark and so deep, like he had hit puberty at five.

I swallowed. "Uhm... Annalise Jones."

They gave a small sigh, before the first one continued to speak. "If I told you my name, who would you tell it to?"

My brows furrowed. "What?"

"Let's say I tell you my name. Who would you tell my name to?"

Wass this some sort of joke? What did it have to do with burgers?

"No one."

"Why? Are you not worried about your safety?"

I shrugged. "Quite honestly, for that pay, I would zip it even if my dad sold the house and ran away with my best friend. Safety second, money first. This is a capitalist economy, and I don't even want to know your name."

They fell silent, and I heard a small chuckle from the inner room. I turned, just as a man passed by, then closed the door. I didn't see his face, but I only got to see the black inner jacket over a crisp white shirt. His hand spurted a wine glass and a massive gold watch.

Hell, that would solve all my problems.

I swallowed hard as my compulsive stealing habits kicked in. I cleared my throat, then shook my head. First this job. Then that watch. I can pay for it gradually, right? As long as I don't have to be chased around like a thief.

I sighed. How ironic.

The men turned to each other, and I saw one pull out his phone. He read something, then looked up to me.

"Congratulations. You are hired."

My eyes widened. "Wait, are you for real? You didn't ask me if I could flip burgers."

"You want us to interview another client then?"

I immediately stood up, shaking my head. Fuck burgers.

"Thank you so much. I will do my very best!"

He nodded nonchalantly, like my best was the least of his concerns. "Dan will tell you everything you need to know, and you can start whenever."

I immediately nodded, then walked out, my excitement bubbling inside me. Dan was outside, and he smiled.

"So we are taking the sign down am I right?"

I broke into a smile. "Yes! Definitely. Please."

He smiled at my enthusiasm, then turned to the door. I watched him slowly remove it, then put it in the trash can.

"What do I need to do?"

He shrugged, then led me to the kitchen. "Everything is brought in early in the morning. You only need to serve."

I nodded. Eighty dollars an hour to just serve? Hell.

"Serve and go home. Anything else isn't your business. That part is important."

His smile took on a darker undertone, and I nodded, realizing it. Something was up with this restaurant. Guess who would try to find it?

Definitely not me.

"When do I start?"

"You can start whenever. You will calculate your pay, and I will give you cash by the end of the day. I hope that is fine with you."

"Thank you. I will start immediately."

Dan patted my shoulder, then slowly turned away, leaving me there.

I walked to the back where I took the edge off with a drink. There was no one else, and apparently, the day was fine for them right now. I had to go home. I gave a small sigh. Home.

I didn't have much of that, and I couldn't even remember the last time I did. Dad had died, and everything had spiralled downhill so fast, I found myself stealing petty stuff to make a living.

My stomach gave a loud growl, and I looked up to Dan, who gave me a smile. He seemed like the kindest of the lot, and I immediately looked away. He was pretty cute, too.

"You seem to have been jogging. We happen to have a few leftovers."

My ears immediately perked up, and without waiting for a response from me, he walked to the large freezer. The last sip of orange juice I had taken fell off my lips in small drips as I took in the heaven in front of me.

Burgers, sausages, noodles, pasta, literally anything anyone, especially someone as desperate as me would want. I looked up to Dan, my eyes wide, and he smiled again.

"You can have everything. I would have thrown it away."

"Are you for real? This is not a prank, is it?"

He chuckled. "I am for real. Go ahead."

I didn't need a second invitation, and I jumped on it. He helped me with large plastic bags to put the food in and then offered to pop a burger in the oven for me.

I waited, my stomach growling hard, my chest heaving as every second seemed to drag on. His eyes fixed on me, but he said nothing, and I chose to ignore it. If he wasn't saying anything, I wouldn't either. I have already learned that the secret to this restaurant was silence. Utter silence.

Just as Dan removed the burger from the oven, the door opened. He turned and peeked through the small window that offered a view of the inside of the restaurant.

I saw his eyes harden before he turned to me. "You need to leave."

I raised a brow, but quickly accepted, sensing the urgency in his tone. I grabbed the burger in a brown paper bag, and he led me to the small door that led directly outside from the kitchen.

Without so much as a goodbye, he closed the door, leaving me outside with lots of food and a long distance to walk.

I had started to walk when the door opened again, and he jogged to me. "You are underdressed," he said, peeling off his jacket. He wrapped it on my shoulder, then took a step back and smiled at me. "Take a cab. There is some change in there."

I nodded, surprised by his kindness. It was essentially the best anyone had treated me in what seemed like forever.

I forced a smile, my chest tightening. He only smiled again, then ran back, closing the door once more. For a while, I just stood there, my eyes filling with tears. I didn't realize how much I had needed the smallest gesture of kindness till I was offered one. It felt beautiful, and it gave me a bit of faith in humanity and myself.

Slowly, I started to walk till I finally got a cab. I carefully put the food in the back seat, then sat in front. My hands rested on the window, and I rested my bead on it, the evening breeze sifting through my hair. I closed my eyes, a breath escaping my lips, my chest lightly heaving. Things were okay right now, and I couldn't be more grateful.

The house was dark and lonely, and it looked like no one had been there in months. I dropped the food on the floor close to the rusty freezer that my former neighbor had given to me before moving out. Most of the appliances had actually been from her. The cooker, the iron, even the cute soap case hanging in the tiny bathroom.

There was no electricity, again, and I simply filled the fridge. Maybe there will be tomorrow. For now, I had a burger, more than enough cash, and a job. I ate the burger in silence, then took a slow bath. With nothing but my towel wrapped around me, I went to bed, happy to finally end the day on a full stomach.

I wished the day had started as peacefully as last night had ended, but I guess I have been way too lucky these past few days. The shattering sound of glass woke me up from my sleep, and I sat up, my eyes wide, my hands reaching to tighten my towel.

I ran to the window, but that was a costly mistake. A fist landed on my face, causing me to reel back into the glass. I gasped in pain, my eyes filling.

"You little wench!" came the gruff voice. "You thought we wouldn't find you, eh? You thought you could do whatever."

I swallowed, pulling back, my thigh grazing a piece of broken glass. "James, I swear, I will-"

"Heard that story before, bitch. I ain't leaving without your kidney."

I swallowed, turning around for some sort of weapon. There was none in the meagerly furnished house, and I found myself cornered in the wall, the big man learning to my height.

My eyes met his, and my lips parted, my hand holding on to my towel tight. Slowly, his eyes dropped to my hand, and he smiled.

"Too bad. If your money was a little lesser, I would have accepted that payment."

"I will get you the money," I said, my voice cracking. The way he was leaning to me brought back broken fragments of a memory I would rather forget, and I could barely hold on to the towel with the way my hands were trembling.

"When?" he asked. "I can smell cash in here."

I swallowed, my eyes turning to the jacket Dan had given me. There was still a few hundred dollars in there, but I couldn't afford to lose it.

I turned back to him, but he was staring at the jacket now, too, his smile wicked. "You got yourself some fool, didn't you?"

He stood, and I lay there, my jaws clenching, tears filling my eyes. I didn't put up a protest as he emptied the jacket, then let go of it to the floor.

"I will be coming back tonight," he said, then let his eyes roam down my body. "Would be nice if I catch you outside. Even nicer if you are in a towel."

I blinked, a tear running down my cheeks, my hands trembling. He walked out, leaving the door wide open.

Everything hurt. I sat up, my lips quivering, my body lightly shaking. My hands wrapped around my knees, the images flashing before my eyes. The yells, the voices. I closed my eyes tight, then grabbed a piece of glass.

I couldn't do it. If I could, I would have that night. But I couldn't. I still can't. I let go of the glass, then stood slowly and headed for the bath. I couldn't even cry anymore. My chest felt tight, but my eyes simply won't admit the tears. My body felt the pain, but my eyes, they only grew colder.

I took a bath and washed off the blood on my thighs. I grabbed a hoodie and black leggings, then walked out of the house without even bothering to clean up.

It took me an hour and half to get to the restaurant. It was open, and the burger delivery was outside. Dan was standing outside, overseeing as they loaded the burgers inside the restaurant.

"You are here," he said, turning to me.

I tried my best to smile, and I hoped I didn't end up looking constipated.

"Yes. Sorry I am late."

His eyes squinted at me, but before he could say a thing, I walked past him and went into the restaurant. It was sparkling clean, and I grabbed the apron that was hung on the wall. I wore it on my hoodie, then started to arrange the burgers inside the food show glasses.

Dan soon came behind me, his footsteps light.

"Annalise. Am I right?"

I stopped, then nodded without looking at him.

"Is something wrong?"

I swallowed, then shook my head. "I just have a really great life, that's all."

He snickered. "Don't we all?" He grabbed one of the long stools, then sat on it, this time in front of me. "Wanna talk?"

I stopped cleaning, then straightened, a small sigh escaping me. "You want to hear the boring story of how I was born?"

He laughed. "Why not?"

I gave a sigh. "Is it not busy by this time of the day?"

He shrugged. "It will get busy soon."

I nodded, then sat too, careful not to graze my injured thigh. He was fun to talk to, rather loose in contrast to the men who had interviewed me.

His full name was actually Daniel, and he did prefer it, but everyone called him Dan, and he couldn't force them. He then proceeded to shorten my name to Anna, which honestly was everyone's first instinct once they heard my name.

We were still talking when a black Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the restaurant. My eyes widened as I took in the car from the glass of the restaurant. It was truly magnificent and looked like it could buy my existence.

Dan smiled. "Our first customer. He comes every morning."

I turned to him, shaking my head a little. "But, he looks-"

"He just enjoys the burger," he said simply and a little dismissively too.

I nodded, then stood up and got ready to serve this uncanny customer.

Dan walked to the door and opened it, and I saw him give a small bow of his head. A man dressed in all black walked in, then took off the dark sunglasses he was wearing. Without a word, he surveyed the restaurant, then picked the table close to the glass windows.

I watched him as he walked up to me.

"Two burgers, and the special."

I was about to ask what the special was, but from the look in his eyes, it seemed everyone who worked here knew exactly what the special was. I looked up to Dan, and he gave me a subtle nod, while he still held the door open. It didn't seem like the most important person of the day was here yet.

"Coming right up!" I said, then started to turn.

I stopped, however, as the strong scent of pine and a light mix of patchouli filled the restaurant. I slowly turned back to the door. A man walked in, dressed in a pristine black suit. He wasn't wearing the outer coat, however, and his sleeves were rolled upwards, a massive gold watch sitting on his right hand.

My jaw dropped as I looked beyond the well-built body that the white shirt did nothing to hide, especially since three buttons were open, leaving so much to imagination.

I looked up to his eyes. He had his eyes focused on Dan, but I could see the dark blue color of his eyes. They were icy, cold, and held a darkness I wasn't sure I wanted to explore. His jawline was sharp, almost like the edge of my work table, and it fit perfectly with the heavily defined pale pink lips.

I felt my breath hitch even more, my eyes unable to leave the man. He looked so beautiful, yet at least twice my age. Nothing about him showed that, and he held royalty in the way he walked.

"Anna?" Dan suddenly said, causing me to break out of my reverie.

I turned to him, my chest heaving. "Y.. yes?"

The man didn't even bother looking at me, and he slowly walked down to the table the other man had picked out.

"The burger?" Dan said, closing the door.

I nodded, mentally scolding myself, before I ran to get the order ready.