Chapter 6 - The Silver Under the Mug
With firm, unyielding efficiency, Dora pulled a long strip of heavy-duty silver duct tape from the roll, tearing it with a sharp rip of her teeth, and wound it tightly around Leonardo’s arm over the bar towels and gauze. She repeated the process twice, anchoring the makeshift bandage with industrial-strength precision until the injury was immobilized and sealed.
Leonardo sat back against the red vinyl seat, panting slightly, his face pale but his eyes locked on her hands. He watched the way she worked—no hesitation, no trembling, no fan-girl awe, just raw, mechanical competence.
Dora snapped the metal first-aid box shut, wiped her hands on a clean rag, and finally poured a mug of hot, black coffee from the pot she had left on the counter, carrying it over and setting it down heavily on the table in front of him.
"Drink it," she said flatly. "You're in shock."
Leonardo looked down at the steaming mug of black coffee, then up at Dora. He slowly reached out with his uninjured right hand, wrapped his fingers around the ceramic handle, and took a slow, deliberate sip. The bitter, chicory-heavy brew burned his throat, grounding him.
He reached inside the inner pocket of his ruined suit jacket, withdrew a thick leather money clip, and thumbed off five crisp, uncirculated one-hundred-dollar bills. He slid them smoothly across the laminate table, tucking them neatly beneath the base of the coffee mug.
"Keep the change," Leonardo said quietly.
Dora looked down at the five hundred dollars—more than she made in two weeks of grueling double shifts at minimum wage. She didn't touch the money immediately. She looked from the cash up into Leonardo’s piercing dark eyes.
"This doesn't buy my silence," Dora warned. "It just buys the cleaning supplies for the floor."
Leonardo let out a faint, humorless smile, sliding out of the booth with Dante stepping in to support his weight.
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"I wouldn't expect anything less, sweetheart," Leonardo murmured.
With Dante and the second guard shielding him, Leonardo turned and walked out into the stormy night, the heavy glass door swinging shut behind them as the neon pink sign flickered overhead.
