Chapter 40 Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Dimitri's POV
I stopped running when I was far enough from the store.
My chest was heaving, my heart was pounding, but the panic was slowly fading.
I leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath and calm down.
People were still glancing at me as they walked past. Their eyes lingered on the bandages wrapped around my head, some looked concerned, others looked suspicious.
I ignored them and started walking again, I had no destination in mind, I just needed to keep moving.
As I walked, I thought about what had just happened at the store.
The way my body moved without thinking, the speed, the precision, the instincts that kicked in automatically.
How did I know how to fight like that? How did I disarm three armed men in seconds?
Was I a soldier before? A fighter? Someone trained in combat?
And why did the sound of sirens terrify me so much? Why did my body scream at me to run from the police?
What kind of person was I?
The questions circled in my mind endlessly, making my head ache.
I walked for hours, exploring the area, trying to learn the streets and landmarks.
Then I saw a small restaurant on the corner of the street, it looked old and worn down, the paint was peeling already, the windows were dirty.
But it was the banner hanging outside that caught my attention.
"A Worker Needed Immediately."
Without thinking, I pushed open the door and entered.
The inside was just as worn as the outside. There were old tables, mismatched chairs, faded decorations, but it was clean and smelled like good food.
A young woman was wiping down tables, she looked up when I entered.
"We are closed," she said faintly.
"I saw the banner outside," I said quickly. "About needing a worker, I am interested."
She looked at me suspiciously, her eyes moving to my bandaged head.
"Are you sick?" She said.
"No," I said. "I just had a minor injury, I will take it off soon, I promise I am perfectly healthy and capable of working."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Wait here."
She disappeared into the back and came back with an old woman, the woman had gray hair tied in a bun, she had wrinkled skin and tired eyes.
"You want to work here?" The old woman asked, looking me up and down.
"Yes, ma'am," I said. "I need a job, I am a hard worker, I promise."
"What is your name?" She asked.
"Dimitri," I said.
Thank God I was told that.
"And what happened to your head?" She pointed at the bandages.
"I was in an accident," I said carefully. "But I am fine now, the wound is healing well."
The old woman studied me for a long moment, her eyes were sharp, and assessing.
She looked at my height, my build, and my face.
"You are handsome," she said suddenly. "Tall and fit. That will bring customers."
I blinked. "Thank you?"
"When can you start?" She asked.
"As soon as possible," I said. "But I need to ask you something first."
"What?"
"I do not have any money," I admitted. "I need a small loan, just enough for basic necessities, I will pay you back from my wages."
The old woman frowned. "I do not usually do loans."
"Please," I begged, rubbing my palms together. "I am desperate, I have nowhere to go, no money, nothing, I just need a chance."
She sighed heavily. "Fine, but it comes out of your first few paychecks."
"Thank you," I said, relief washing over me. "Also, do you know where I can get cheaper clothes? These are all I have." My voice lowered.
"There is a market two streets down," she said. "They sell secondhand clothes. They are very cheap."
"Thank you," I said again. "One more thing."
"What now?" She asked, sounding tired.
"Can I… sleep here?" I asked. "In the restaurant? I have nowhere else to go."
"Absolutely not," the old woman said immediately.
"Please," I said. "I am a decent guy, I do not smoke, I do not drink, I will keep the place clean and safe, and I can open the restaurant early in the morning."
The old woman looked at me for a long moment.
"You promise you are not dangerous?" She asked.
"I promise," I said.
"Fine," she said finally. "But the first sign of trouble and you are out."
"Thank you so much," I said. "You will not regret this."
She handed me some money and told me to come back tomorrow to start working, but first I needed to look more presentable.
I took the money and left immediately, I went to the market she mentioned and bought a few cheap shirts and pants.
Then I found a barbershop nearby.
"I need to cut my beard," I told the barber. "And change my hair."
The barber looked at my overgrown beard and long hair. "How do you want it?"
"Cut the beard completely," I said. "And dye my hair silver."
"Silver?" The barber repeated, surprised.
"Yes," I said, thinking about what Irina had said. She said I was in danger, and someone wanted me dead.
If I was going to survive, I needed to hide, I needed to look different.
"And leave the hair long," I added. "Just style it."
The barber nodded and got to work.
First, he carefully removed the bandages from my head. When I looked at the wound in the mirror, I was shocked.
It was completely healed, just a faint scar remained. It was barely noticeable.
How was that possible? The healer said it would take weeks to heal.
But I did not question it, I was just grateful.
Then, he shaved off my beard, dyed my hair into a bright silver color, and finally he styled it so it fell elegantly over my shoulders.
When he was done, I looked in the mirror and barely recognized myself.
The man staring back looked completely different, clean, sharp, and almost dangerous in a mysterious way.
"Perfect," I said, feeling proud of myself.
I went back to the restaurant immediately and the old woman gasped when she saw me.
"Is that really you?" She asked.
"Yes, ma'am," I said.
"You look like a completely different person," she said, staring at me. "You look like a model."
I smiled. "Can I start working now?"
"Tomorrow morning," she said. "Be up by six."
"I will," I promised.
That night I slept in the back room of the restaurant, it was small and cramped but it was warm and safe.
The next morning, I woke up early, cleaned the restaurant thoroughly, and opened for business right on time.
The old woman arrived an hour later and was pleased to see everything ready.
"Good boy," she said.
The first few customers trickled in slowly, but then something strange happened.
More people started coming in. Young women, students, office workers, all of them seemed to find excuses to come to the restaurant. The woman had complained that she barely has customers come around but now, things seemed to have changed.
"Is that the new worker?" I heard one girl whisper to her friend.
"He is so handsome!" Another girl giggled.
Within minutes, word had spread. The small restaurant that was once struggling was now bustling with customers.
The old woman was thrilled. Her income skyrocketed within hours that she could barely keep up with the orders.
"You are a blessing," she told me that afternoon. "This restaurant has never been so busy."
"I am happy to help," I said.
Hours passed, I worked hard and saved every tip I got from grateful customers.
That evening, the restaurant was packed. I was working doubles shifts.
Then suddenly, I heard the screech of tires outside.
Multiple cars zoomed up and parked aggressively in front of the restaurant.
The doors flew open and dangerous looking men barged in. They wore expensive suits, had cold eyes, and moved like predators.
The old woman suddenly froze when she saw them.
Before I could react, they started breaking things, they flipped tables, smashed chairs, and threw plates against the walls.
Customers screamed and ran out of the restaurant in panic.
"Stop!" The old woman cried out. "Please stop! I will pay! I promise I will pay!"
Pay? Pay what?
I stepped forward, stopping one of them. "What is going on?"
He shoved my hands and continued kicking tables.
"Stay back, Dimitri," the old woman said quickly, grabbing my arm.
But I pulled away. "Who are these people?"
"They are loan sharks," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I owe them money."
Loan sharks?
I stepped forward again. "You need to leave, you are scaring everyone."
The old woman grabbed me harder. "No, Dimitri, do not interfere, they will hurt you."
But I could not just stand there and watch.
I walked towards the men. "Leave this place, now."
The man who seemed to be leading the group turned to look at me, he was tall, muscular and had a scar across his face.
"Well, well," he said, smiling wickedly. "Who do we have here?"
The old woman tried to interfere, but he shoved her aside roughly. She stumbled and almost fell.
I moved quickly to help her up, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Is this your son?" He asked, looking at the old woman.
"No!" The old woman said quickly, stepping in front of me with her arms spread wide protectively. "He is just a worker, he has nothing to do with this."
"Move aside, old woman," he said, pushing her away again and this time she fell
, hitting her back on the floor.
I bent down to help her up, but before I could, someone grabbed me by the collar and yanked me backwards.
It was the leader. His grip was quite strong.
"Hey you," he said, his face inches from mine. "You are coming with us."
"What?" I said, confusion etched on my face.
"You are coming with us," he repeated. "Until your grandmother can pay off her debts, you will stay with us as collateral."
"What?!" I said louder. "She is not my grandmother, I just work here."
“Save that for the boss.” He said coldly, dragging me towards the door.