The Four Mafia Men and Their Prize by M C

47 Amore Mia Aurora POV Beep. Beep Beep Beep. Beep.

“Okay, okay, I'm up!” | say begrudgingly into my pillow, throwing my arm over to my little nightstand and trying to blindly find that blaring, annoying alarm that dared to disturb my slumber.

Another day in bright and sunny Valley Summers. It’s in the middle of freaking nowhere and honestly | loved it. It was peaceful. The people here were sweet and minded their own business.

This area is called Sulfur Valley because it used to be a mining area. There are like ten small little towns in a literal valley surrounded by the Rockies and a dense forest. It tookabout four days to drive to this area and the directions just stopped once | entered the first town. So | decided to stay.

Thomas had given$25,000 in cash and there was a bank account with a debit card that had like $100,000 in it. | made sure to use cash for everything. | spent my first month going Trom town to town, staying in different locations, constantly looking over my back, waiting each day in the solace of a single room for my demons to return and takeback to their gilded cage.

After the first month, I relaxed and decided to settle into a town. My little stuapartment was fully furnished with a queen-sized bed, dresser, small sofa and even a nice sized TV mounted to the wall. There was a bathroom with a simple shower and cute little kitchenette with a two-burner gas stove, a refrigerator, and even a dishwasher. It was only $600 a month and | paid for a year upfront in cash. It was over the garage and had it's own entrance. My landlords were an older gay couple who had a lovely two-story Victorian style weatherboard house right one the edge of the town. They completely renovated the hand decided to build a spare apartment. They were a sweet and salty pair, Mr. Carson, the salty one, and Mr. Kent, the sweet one. It was simple and perfect.

About two months ago, | was feeling rather lonely. | had spent most of my days helping Mr. Kent in the garden or walking into the town square. | even volunteered at the local school library just to pass the time. But | wanted to do something meaningful. | had gone over to the next town over called Vales Fallow to check out the hardware shop there when | cacross a sweet little restaurant that had a “Grand Opening” sign for one week from then and a Help Wanted sign in the window. | knew what | wanted to do.

So long story short, | called the number on the sign and began talking to Mrs. Katherine, the owner of Amore Mia and | went in for an interview, or rather a taste test because | offered to be her chef. | made my signature burgers and well, | was hired on the spot.

We are open six days a week from eleven in the morning to ten at night. The first two weeks were slow, but then word got around and business was booming. Luckily | had help in the kitchen with a college age kid Liam. | taught him srecipes and we spent our down tcoming up with new crazy ideas and tested it on each other and then customers if Mrs. Katherine approved of the dish. Liam was a good kid and a quick learner, funny as hell too. | really enjoyed this new life.

| looked at the clock and it was nine in the morning. | got up, did my morning routine, made a much-needed cup of heaven juice, also known as coffee, and got dressed for the day.

| had woken up early this morning from a nightmare and eventually fell back asleep which has causedto feel even more tired. The last few months my nightmares have returned. | used to get this snightmare every night as a kid 1/3 47 - Amore Mia hut when | went to high school and college, they shinwi tadini awas. | would mayhe get a version of it once or twice a year. But since | left that cage, | have been getting it evers myth and it was exhausting.

You would think | would be dreaming about the demon gods that tookand | did dream of them often, sadly, but They were worse than nightmares. They were fantasy dreams that let my care aching. I'd take the scary shadow man with the husky vile voice any day over dreaming about being venged by flusse delectable levinthans.

A small sliver of me, and | mean a microscopic masochistic part asand at sort of maybe missed them. They were nice eye candy and even though they hurtand causedso much pain and turmoil, they still took care of me. They showedthe attention and affection | secretly craved for a domlong. But as | tell myself each day, itis better to be free.

“Good morning Samantha” Mr. Kent greetedand waved still wearing his gardening gloves when | made my way to The driveway.

“Good morning Mr. Kent! Have a great day!” | greeted back. Samantha Comad was the n| went by now, at least that is what my license and bank account says.

| made it to the next village in under ten minutes and opened up the back door to watt flaming on the lights as | headed to the office to put my things. It was just ten in the morning now. I loved the retulithe morning. We usually can’t get anyone until closer to noon so there was plenty of tto prep for the dinner menewed the menu for mans and reviewed the current inventory. | had started prepping veggies when Liam sauntered in uhmu ten forry-five. The had a bright red hickey on his neck. | guess | know what he got up to making him late tutay we spent the next twenty minutes prepping and catching up on the gossip. Liam's girlfriend was a wealth of wape. She had apparently seen these really good-looking men passing through the Valley and staying in one of the towns the last few days on spotential business venture. A few of her friends were supposedy mllowing these iment and moved to seduce them but they didn’t even give them attention. They were very upset that bee dunsti even sance | didn’t live here for long, but | even knew that Liam's girlfriend Leal and her hendes were the Little did | know that those smen were on the prowl for a specific unmentioned gun.

“Good morning my tavorite people” Mrs. Katherine sang out as she walked into the kitchen from the front of the buildings.

“Good morning win. Tucherine” | sang back. She cand took a cut strawberry from the choppm; buds and popped it in her mouth and nodded with satisfaction.

“What are you planning on making for Chef Choice today dear? All of your creations are simply wonderful.” Vim..

Katherine was always se complementary. She was such a cute lady, Wh..

“Can we make the maid burger today Sam” Please? Liam begged. He even gavehis puppy dog eyes. Ever since | taught him my serren van meerpe, he has been wanting to make my burgers non-stop.

How could | deny that face.” It’s begin two weeks since we did burgers. We were becoming known to have out- of-the- box menu items but every twe did burger, it was always a big hit. “Okay. Why not?” | said smiling. “Is that okay Mrs. Katherine?” | looked at my Hou who was still popping strawberries in her mouth. She nodded quickly, stuffing at few more of those sweet treats in her minuth before walking to her office.

Soon enough we began to have customem and the lunch hour went by quickly..

2/3 47- Amore Mia Then Jesse (one of the waiters) and Tabitha, the hostess with a bad attitude, walked in. Jesse is gay and fresh out of high school. Tabitha is like a wannabe barbie. She just makesuncomfortable. She is beautiful, don’t getwrong. she is tall and skinny with a nice set of tits, but her princess attitude makeswant to slap her.

“Oh my god!” Jesse comes in and sits on the bar stool we have by one of the plating counters, and he is fanning himself. “We got snew customers. Ten beautiful chunks of meat that are going to makedie a very happy man tonight when | go home. Why do they have to be so gorgeous and clearly straight?” Jesse is always so tic but he’s a good kid. Liam and | chuckled.

| “They are perfect” Tabitha piped up. “I think the big blonde one with tattoos was looking at me. | mean, can you blhim. He probably needs a real woman to warm his bed tonight.” She was so smug and full of herself. “Go for it” Liam chimed in and rolled his eyes. We both did and continued with our usual routine.

Jesse left and soon cback with the orders. Three Chef Choices, a Quail Entrée with Roasted Vegetables. Four grilled Chicken plates, a Shrimp Alfredo with veggies, and a season fish platter.

“Alright Liam, lets get to work!” An hour later, all the food was plated and served, no new customers cin and Liam and | were cleaning up the kitchen and continuing to prep for dinner.

Tabitha walks in with a scowl on her face. “Table eight has requested to speak to you. Mrs. Katherine told Jesse to fetch you when they were done eating and they just asked for you. Something about wanting to pay you a complement.” She rolled her eyes and started picking her fingers in annoyance. It wasn’t anything new to meet the customers.

| did it all the there but something in the pit of my stomach was flipping now, like a thousand sleeping butterflies all woke up suddenly and wanted to flood my intestines.

| shook off the feeling and told Liam | would be back shortly, walking out the door with the Queen Bee, stopping in my tracks as | neared the table, my heart leaped into my throat and stars began dancing in my eyes.

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