Found Read online

  Lauren nearly groaned. On the way over she’d been thinking about all the bills which had accumulated while she’d been gone. Her one consolation had been that the electric bill at the Sweet Spot—which was always pretty big—should be next to nothing since she’d been gone so long. Now Lorenzo was telling her he’d been running the lights and air conditioners for hours every single day, ensuring that her electric bill would be as big as always without any profits to help pay it.

  “Why did you do that?” she asked, shaking her head. “Why open the shop when we had nothing to sell?”

  “Well because…” Lorenzo looked hurt. “You didn’t want everyone to think we went out of business, did you?”

  “No, but you could have put up a sign saying we were on vacation or something like that,” Lauren pointed out. Sighing she walked briskly back to the kitchen area and flipped on the lights. “I mean, not that I don’t appreciate the effort but the electric bill is going to be sky high and—” She stopped short as the room came into view. “What the hell is this?”

  Every available space, including the stainless steel counters and the island in the middle of the kitchen, was covered in trash. Empty beer cans, some still leaking beer, half-empty pizza boxes, bottles, bags, and cigarette butts were everywhere. Even worse, everything was coated in a fine layer of white. It looked like someone had gotten into her bin of cake flour and flung it everywhere. One of her two professional grade convection ovens, which had cost an arm and a leg and which she was still paying off, was standing open. When Lauren walked closer, leaving footprints in the flour, she saw that hardened cheese was dripping from all its racks.

  “What happened?” She turned to Lorenzo, feeling bewildered and betrayed. “Were we robbed or…or vandalized or something?”

  “Oh this?” He shrugged uncomfortably. “Nah, nothing like that. I just had a few buddies over the other night. They wanted to see where I worked, you know? We had a few beers and one of their girlfriends wanted to see how the ovens worked. So we reheated a pizza in that one.” He pointed to the open convention oven. “Came out real nice too—crispy.”

  “And the flour?” Lauren demanded. “What happened there?”

  Lorenzo had the grace to look slightly sheepish. “Uh, well that was kind of an accident. Some of the guys had too much to drink and started fooling around. Sorry.”

  “Sorry?” Lauren turned on him. “You used my shop as your own personal party pad while I was gone and trashed it and all you can say is ‘sorry?’”

  “Hey, don’t get so touchy.” Lorenzo frowned. “I said it was an accident. Besides, I’ll help clean it up in a little while. You get started if you want and I’ll man the front. I’ll help you once the morning rush dies down.”

  “There is no ‘morning rush’ when we don’t have anything to sell,” Lauren pointed out through gritted teeth. “And forget ‘helping’ me clean up your mess—I’m sure you’re as good at cleaning as you are at everything else.”

  “Hey.” Lorenzo’s blond eyebrows drew low on his forehead. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I want you out. Right now.” Lauren pointed in the direction of the front door. “But first give me your key. You’re fired.”

  “Hey now, babe, you don’t really mean that.” Giving her his most ingratiating smile, Lorenzo put an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, we’re a team, aren’t we?”

  “Get off me!” Lauren shrugged his arm off and faced him. “I’m not kidding, Lorenzo, I knew you were a flake but I didn’t think you’d do something like this. I want you gone.”

  His smile turned into a sulky scowl immediately. “Fine, I’ll go. Just pay me my salary and I’m out of here.”

  “Your salary?” Lauren couldn’t believe his nerve.

  “Sure, for all the time I worked while you were off.”

  Lauren looked at him incredulously. “First of all, stop talking like I took some time off for a cruise or something. I was abducted, Lorenzo. Abducted, got that? I was kept naked in a metal cell and nearly raped several times. I was imprisoned. I was maimed. I was cloned for God’s sake! And after all that I come home and find this.” She pointed at the kitchen. “And you have the nerve to ask me for money? For keeping the shop open when there was no product to sell? Not to mention that you trashed the place while you were at it. I can’t believe you!”

  He frowned mulishly. “Facts are facts. You never told me not to come in for my shift. I was just doing my job and I ought to be paid for it.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” Lauren shook her head. “Get out. Just get out.”

  He took a step forward, looming over her. “I’m not going without my money.”

  Lauren crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. “I don’t think so, Lorenzo—I’ve dealt with a whole lot scarier than you lately. I don’t give a crap what you say or do, you’re not getting a cent. And if you don’t leave now I’m calling the police and filing charges against you for the damage you did to my shop.”

  Lorenzo’s normally handsome but vacuous face turned suddenly ugly. “Listen here, bitch. You’re gonna pay me now and pay me good or I’ll make whatever happened to you when you were snatched look like a walk in the park.” He started toward Lauren, his eyes narrowed menacingly.

  She stood her ground, her hands curled into fists. After everything she’d been through, she didn’t intend to let a brainless, arrogant bastard like her former assistant intimidate her. “You can try it,” she said, glaring at him. “But I guarantee you’ll regret it.”

  “You certainly will.”

  Suddenly Xairn was standing behind her ex-assistant. His eyes were a steady red-on-black and every muscle in his huge body was tight with anger. His hands were balled into fists bigger than Lorenzo’s head and he looked ready to use them.

  “What?” Lorenzo turned to see who was speaking. He looked up…and up…and up. “What the hell?” he demanded, staring at Xairn.

  “Did he hurt you?” Xairn looked at Lauren, ignoring him. “I heard you scream.”

  Lauren shook her head. “He scared me but I’m okay.”

  “Hey man, I just threatened her a little,” Lorenzo put in. “I mean, I put in my time—I should get paid, right?”

  “Did you do this?” Xairn nodded at the mess.

  “Well, yeah. But—”

  “Then I will be more than happy to pay you. Both for the damage you’ve done to Lauren’s place of business and for scaring and threatening her.”

  “No need to get all upset,” Lorenzo protested. “And who are you, anyway?”

  “I am Lauren’s.” Xairn took a step toward him.

  Lorenzo, very unwisely Lauren thought, held his ground. “Lauren’s what? Her boyfriend? What?”

  “Just Lauren’s. I am hers and she is mine.” Xairn glared down at the smaller man. “And you are leaving, now.”

  Still Lorenzo didn’t take the hint. “Dude, what the fuck is wrong with your eyes?” he asked, still staring at Xairn. “I mean, that’s seriously messed up, you know? Are those some kind of contact lenses?”

  A low, rumbling sound filled the room and Lauren realized after a moment that it was Xairn—he was growling. There was murder in his red-on-black eyes as he took another step towards Lorenzo.

  The small hairs on the back of Lauren’s neck stood up. If she didn’t do something quickly, she was going to have a lot more than flour and beer cans to clean up. “Lorenzo, please just leave,” she pleaded. “Go now while you still can.”

  Lorenzo took one more look at Xairn’s large, menacing frame and finally wised up. “Fine, I’ll go,” he said, edging around Xairn and heading for the door. “You can pay me later.” He started to walk out the door.

  “Stop,” Xairn roared. The single word seemed to vibrate in the air and Lauren felt her arms break into goosebumps.

  Lorenzo froze where he was, one leg raised to take the next step. He looked bizarrely like a kid playing statues.

  “Come here,” Xairn