Chapter 27 Old Man Jimmy's Shop
SOMA
We eventually reach, and I’m overwhelmed by the many options. It’s a gigantic leap from having only the same outfit to being forced to choose something new for each day.
Thankfully, I have Jade on my side. She’s worked long enough in the palace to know what’s fitting for royals. She selects items ranging from pants to jeans, dresses to gowns, robes to jackets, boots to heels, and many more.
When we are finally done, we have so many bags that Dante and some shop attendants have to assist Jade in carrying them to the trunk. Jade’s stomach rumbles as we start the ride back to the palace, and she hides her face in her palms. I tell Dante to take us to a good restaurant and ensure he joins us for lunch. We return to the car, all of us full, and I clear my throat.
“Can you take me somewhere?” I ask. “Old Man Jimmy’s shop. I’ll lead the way.”
Dante’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “My lady.”
“It’s okay. I just need to check on a friend.” I feel Jade’s gaze on me, but I continue. “We won’t be long.”
Silence stretches as Dante contemplates his decision, but Jade leans forward to say, “You heard the ladyship. Take us to Old Man Jimmy’s shop, or I’ll be sure to let the king know you disrespected the crown prince’s betrothed.”
That gets Dante to move. I don’t like being known as Brynne’s betrothed or being associated with him, but since it does the trick, I allow it. The car purrs under us, and we start the ride to Jimmy’s shop.
The car slows in front of the old liquor store without a single word of direction from me. I conceal my surprise as the engine shuts off.
Either Dante visits the store often, Jimmy has grown so popular, or they have conducted their own research about me and the people I used to associate with. It’s probably the latter.
The place looks even more run-down than I remember. The neon sign above the entrance flickers with a tired buzz, half the letters burnt out, so it just reads “OLI—STO.” The front windows are covered in grime and faded posters of beer brands, some curling at the edges from years of sun exposure.
“My lady?” Jade whispers beside me. Uncertainty lines her voice, and I don’t blame her. A normal-thinking wolf won’t be found here, dead or alive. “Are you sure we’re at the right place?”
Dante scoffs, and I pat her hand. “Yes. I’ll be out soon.” The second he reaches for the door, I add, “I need to go in alone. If I’m not out in five minutes, you can come in.”
“Five minutes is too long, my lady. Two minutes.”
“Three,” I say. I just need to know if Mason left safely.
If he’s still here, I can give him some money. He can start a new life far from Jimmy. Maybe he can apprentice under a real mechanic and set up his auto repair shop later.
“We’ll be waiting,” Jade tells me.
As I slip out of the car, I cast a look at her and see she’s holding her hands together as if in prayer. Being a lady’s maid must be tough. If I get into trouble, even if it’s through no fault of hers, she’ll be punished. Turning ahead, I hurry to the entrance.
A cracked plastic chair sits by the door of the store, its leg held together with duct tape. The pavement is chipped, littered with bottle caps and cigarette butts, and there’s a faint lingering stench of stale booze and sweat.
The door rattles open beneath my fingers, and I push my way inside. My eyes go to the counter, expecting to see Mason, but he’s nowhere to be found. It’s only now that I notice the quiet and unusual emptiness of the store. No matter the hour of the day, there’s always someone here.
A door creaks at the back, and Jimmy steps out wearing a faded cap and his signature scowl. Usually, his scowl would deepen at the sight of me, but today, it fades instantly. It’s obvious he has heard the news about my elevated status.
“You,” he says, his lips breaking into a grin. It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile at anything besides alcohol. Sliding behind the counter, he retrieves a towel from his back pocket, wipes his hand on it, and extracts a whiskey bottle from the bar at his back. Like the crass man he is, he takes a sip directly from the bottle. “What are you doing all the way out here alone, Soma?”
Without meaning to, I glance back. But the door is closed, blocking us from the outside world. Otherwise, Dante would have had him on his knees for calling me by my name. I’m quickly learning the royal protocols, but it feels good to still be regarded as Soma, a regular girl.
“Hi, Jimmy. Is Mason here?”
Jimmy snorts, his face taking on that cruel look I’m used to. “That punk. He left without a word. Not even a note.” Joy and dread mix in my chest. He did it. Good for him. Jimmy slams his fist on the tabletop, and I take a step back. “After everything I’ve done for that ungrateful bastard. Can you believe it?”
Yes, I can. Jimmy has never treated Mason as his child, only as cheap labor. But at least he never hit him.
“So you don’t know where he is?” I ask, hoping to get a clue. We didn’t end things on a friendly note. “No ideas?”
“None.” He straightens up, looking me dead in the eyes as he takes another swig from the bottle. “Mason is gone, and I suggest you forget about him. Enjoy your new life as a royal, and move on.”
A sad smile curls my lips, and I nod. There’s some truth to his words, but the most important thing for me is that Mason left Shadowspire without getting caught. If he returns, he’ll be killed. But I know he’s not that foolish.
“Thank you, Jimmy. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
After one last smile directed at him, I head to the door, but it opens before I grip the handle. Dante looks away as I step into the open. From the clenching of his hands at his sides, I know he heard the whole conversation.
Will he tell Lilith?
Even if he does, Mason is out of harm’s way now. I have only myself to worry about, and on the bright side, my new title protects me. Dante falls into step beside me, opening the back door before I stretch my hand to the car.
As soon as I’m seated, Jade says, “I tried to stop him, my lady. But he was adamant.”
“It’s fine.”
Satisfied with my reply, Jade nods, and we continue the rest of the ride back to the palace quiet.