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It takes me a second to get what she's saying, but when the realization hits, I have to grind my teeth together to stop from losing my shit. "Are you telling me that you worked the overnight shift, and now you're working the morning shift, too? They can't fucking do that, Teagan. You need rest."
"What I need," she sighs, uncharacteristically vulnerable in her tiredness, "is money, so I'm not trying to complain about the extra shift."
"When was the last time you ate, baby?"
"Yesterday?" She shrugs, not seeming to care.
"Alright, let's go," I say, standing up.
"Excuse me?"
"You're taking a break. Come with me."
"I can't just leave in the middle of my shift."
"Sure you can. Fuck everyone else."
Teagan shakes her head. "No, I just can't do that, Tobias. I can't do anything that would lose me this serving job."
I shrug, not caring. "Then tell me where your manager's office is, and I'll get the permission for you. You need to eat, Teagan. You look exhausted."
She looks even more uncomfortable. "I can't. It's the rush hour."
I look around at the empty booths. In this place, there is never a fucking rush hour. No one is rushing to get to this diner. "What rush, Teagan? Clock out and come with me. This is ridiculous."
Teagan bites her bottom lip, clearly considering it. "Fine. Just follow me."
"That's a good girl."
The look she gives me over her shoulder is a mixture of surprise and something else, her cheeks flushing. I watch her take off her apron, folding it up neatly, more than ready to get her the hell out of here. My blood boils just thinking of how long she's been on her feet and how hungry she must be.
I see her exchange a few words with an older waitress, who nods, and then Teagan is headed my way. She's almost at my side when another figure emerges from the back. It's one I rarely see because I expect he's sitting on his fat ass in the back while everyone else runs the diner—Teagan's manager. He's wide and paunchy, and when he sees Teagan without her apron, he flushes red.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Teagan?" He fumes, uncaring that it's in the middle of the dining room. "You've got four hours at least before you can even dream about leaving."
Oh, this poor, stupid bastard. He has no idea who I am, and he has no idea what Teagan means to me. And I don't care about the consequences. Not at all.
"Hey," I say, walking over to him. His head barely reaches my chest, and I tower over him easily. "Do you know who I am?"
"I don't give a damn who you are," he blusters. "Do you know who I am?"
Crossing my arms, I look down my nose at him. "No, and I couldn’t care a single fuck less. This woman is leaving. Right now. I'm taking her to a nice restaurant to get something to eat, and she'll be back in a few hours."
He scoffs. "You don't make the rules here. She works for me, and I say when she's allowed to leave." He raises one finger and waves it in my direction, and it’s a miracle I don’t tear him limb from limb. "You’re messing with things you don’t understand, big guy, so I suggest you step off."
I look back at Teagan, who looks absolutely mortified, and it just pisses me off more. It's this dickhead that's forcing me to make a scene, and he really seems to think he's going to step up to me. I don't care to kick his ass, and the only reason I'm holding back is Teagan. But the next thing he says erases any desire to hold back.
The manager turns his head to look at my girl. "And you know, Teagan, we need you on your feet and serving. I don't want you falling asleep on the job. If you can't handle it, then maybe you should find another job."
My blood boils, and the rage is hot and fast as it consumes me. Teagan's jaw drops, and the hurt and confusion in her eyes make me want to commit murder. "There is no way in hell you're going to talk to her like that."
He opens his mouth like he's going to actually say something else, but I grab him by the collar and hoist him off the ground before he even knows what's happening.
"Listen up, motherfucker," I say, loud and clear, so everyone can hear. "If this young lady ever gets fired because of you, if I hear you've ever treated her poorly, or if she gets so much as a paper cut while she's working for you, I will personally track you down and beat you within an inch of your fucking life. Do you understand?"
I shake him, his face already turning purple, and his stubby, short little legs kicking.
"Do you fucking understand?" I force the words between my teeth. It makes no difference to me one way or the other if I strangle this fucker right now, but I don’t know that Teagan will ever look at me the same if I do. There’s a thin line between defending a woman’s honor and murdering a man in front of her.
