Chapter 8 - THE BREAK-IN
With his trial approaching and his life in ruins, Marcus had nothing left to lose. He blamed Margaret and Leo for his destruction. If he couldn't have a career, neither could they.
It was 2:00 AM on a Sunday. The Azure Room was closed for the weekend.
Leo was alone in the kitchen. Margaret had given him his own set of keys so he could practice his knife skills and experiment with new recipes after hours. The dining room was pitch black; the only light came from the stainless steel glow of the prep station.
The glass of the back alley door shattered.
Leo froze, dropping his paring knife.
Marcus stepped through the broken door, his eyes wild and bloodshot. He was holding a heavy steel crowbar in one hand and a red plastic jerry can of gasoline in the other.
"You took everything from me, you little gutter rat," Marcus slurred, kicking a stack of clean sheet pans across the floor with a deafening crash. "I built this kitchen! I'm going to burn it to the ground with you inside it."
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Leo didn't run. For the first time in his life, he didn't lower his head. He picked up a heavy cast-iron skillet from the stove.
"You didn't build this kitchen, Marcus," Leo said, his voice steady. "You just polluted it."
