Owned by the King of the City

The diner smelled like coffee, grease, and the kind of exhaustion that came from people working too many hours for too little money. Nyla Carter wiped down the same table for the third time, even though it was already clean. Her mind wasn’t on the table. It was on the bills waiting on her kitchen counter. Rent. Electric. Her son Jayden’s school trip she still hadn’t paid for. Nyla sighed quietly and pushed a loose curl away from her face. Across the diner, her coworker Jasmine leaned over the counter watching the door like she was waiting for something interesting to happen. “Girl,” Jasmine whispered, “if one more person orders water and sits here for two hours, I’m quitting tonight.” Nyla laughed softly. “You say that every shift.” “And one day I’m gonna mean it.” The bell above the door suddenly rang. Both women looked up. A black truck had just pulled up outside. It was the kind of truck that looked like it belonged in front of a luxury building downtown, not parked outside a tired little diner. The man stepping out of it didn’t look like he belonged there either. He was tall. Broad shoulders filled out his black hoodie like it had been tailored just for him. A gold watch flashed under the lights when he opened the door. But it wasn’t the clothes that made the diner go quiet. It was the way he walked in like the entire place belonged to him. Calm. Confident. Unbothered. Jasmine grabbed Nyla’s arm. “Do you know who that is?” she whispered. Nyla shook her head. “No.” Jasmine’s eyes widened. “That’s Malik Reynolds.” The name meant nothing to Nyla, but judging by the way everyone suddenly avoided eye contact with him, it clearly meant something to everyone else. Malik walked to a booth in the back and sat down without saying a word. Jasmine immediately shoved a menu into Nyla’s hand. “You go take him.” “Why me?” Nyla asked. “Because I’m not trying to embarrass myself,” Jasmine muttered. Nyla rolled her eyes but walked over anyway. To her, he was just another customer. When she reached the table, Malik looked up. His eyes were dark and sharp, the kind that made people nervous. Nyla placed the menu on the table. “You ordering something or just enjoying the view?” she asked. For a moment, he didn’t answer. Instead, he studied her like she was the most interesting thing in the room. Finally, a slow smirk touched his lips. “You always greet customers like that?” he asked. “Only the ones who look like they’re about to waste my time.” Malik chuckled quietly. “You’re not impressed.” “Should I be?” His smirk widened slightly. “You don’t know who I am.” “Nope.” That seemed to amuse him. “What’s your name?” he asked. “That’s not on the menu.” Malik leaned back in the booth, clearly entertained. Then his expression changed slightly. “You got a kid,” he said calmly. Nyla froze. “What?” “I’ve seen you at the daycare on Eighth Street.” Her stomach tightened. “I don’t deal with men who think knowing where my child goes to school is supposed to impress me,” she said sharply. Malik didn’t look offended. If anything, he looked more interested. “Good,” he said. “I don’t like women who scare easy.” The tension between them thickened. Then Malik reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick stack of cash. He placed it on the table. Nyla stared at it. “You didn’t order anything,” she said. “I know.” “Then why are you tipping me?” Malik stood up slowly. “Because I’m coming back.” He stepped closer to her. Close enough that she could smell his cologne. Expensive. Dangerous. “You won’t be working here much longer,” he said quietly. Nyla crossed her arms. “Watch me.” Malik studied her face for a moment. “Oh, you will,” he said calmly. “Just not for them.” Then he walked out. The bell above the door rang again as he left. The diner exploded into whispers. Jasmine rushed over immediately. “Girl,” she whispered, “do you know who you were just talking to like that?” Nyla looked down at the money still sitting on the table. Her heart was beating faster than she wanted to admit. “Apparently someone important.” Jasmine shook her head. “No,” she said. “Not important.” “Dangerous.” Nyla glanced toward the door where Malik had disappeared. Something told her Jasmine was right. Men like Malik Reynolds didn’t enter someone’s life quietly. And somehow… she had a feeling he wasn’t done with her yet.