The Morretti Brothers Book 2

Book 2: Burner

“Can I get a skinny soy mocha with chocolate flakes, not sprinkles?” Anna mentally groans. She has worked at this Coffee Bean for almost four years, and it has made her a coffee snob.

Why do you need it skinny if you’re already asking for soy? Also, the fat and sugar you saved by making it skinny you just added back on with the chocolate flakes. If I pour this coffee over your head instead of handing it to you, will you even flipping notice?!?!

Taking a calming breath, Anna completes the order and hands the girl in her activewear her coffee. ~That is another thing, why the hell are you wearing activewear when you aren't at the gym? You are not even on the way to the gym!~ It is obvious because her matching friend just waved to her, and now she is coming to the counter and—

“Hi, can I get a skinny caramel almond latte?”

Why do I put myself through this? Anna thinks to herself.

Sadly, she doesn’t even need the money. Anna works here for the social interaction. If she has her way, her head won’t leave her computer. When she insisted on moving across the country for college, her parents made her promise to get a job. They weren't happy about the move, but there aren’t any colleges near home.

Home for Anna is Las Vegas, Nevada. She was born and raised on the Vegas Strip. Anastasia Carmichael. Yep, Carmichael; her parents own and operate Carmichael Grand Hotel and Casino.

Anna’s parents love people and gambling, so a hotel and casino was the obvious choice. Anna, she likes the security side. She is a nerd. When Anna got into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, there was no way she could turn it down. Anna found her roommates on Craigslist, which freaked her mom out even more, but Lucy and Elliot Sanchez are the greatest roommates around. The two are twins, born and raised in Massachusetts. They are kind, fun-loving people who work with Anna at the Coffee Bean.

“Annie!” Elliot’s voice cuts through her thoughts. “I got class. I’ll see you at home, yeah?” Elliot calls from the door.

“Yeah!” Anna calls back. Elliot and Lucy both go to Northeastern University. They keep Anna the social butterfly her parents wish her to be. There is hardly a night where they aren’t dragging her to a party, gathering, or some other type of function.

With Elliot gone this afternoon, that means Anna needs to clear tables as well as make coffee…joy! She looks out at the sea of people. Friday afternoons are always busy. Anna moves to clear a couple of the empty tables and comes across a phone someone has left behind. She slips the phone into her apron pocket to take it to the counter and continues cleaning. Another string of customers arrive, and between clearing tables and making coffee, Anna forgets all about the phone until she is closing up.

The lost phone is a brand-new iPhone, top of the range. Anna presses the home button, and the phone unlocks. The owner clearly is incredibly stupid: one, to have lost their phone, and two, to have no passcode. The call history and text history are empty, and the phone only has one contact. It strikes Anna as weird unless the phone belongs to one of the elderly customers who is still learning.

Sighing, she composes a message to the only contact listed as M.

Anastasia places the phone on the counter with a note in case she is not the first in tomorrow. She heads to the back of the cafe to grab her stuff. When she comes back, the phone is lit up and buzzing.

A minute passes, and for some reason, Anna is still staring at the phone. She is just about to put it down when it buzzes again. What she sees causes her to drop the phone back onto the counter. It is a picture of the Coffee Bean—Anna’s workplace. The closed sign is hanging on the door, and… you can see Anna inside; the red hair proves it is definitely her.

Her curiosity gets the better of her, and instead of leaving the phone at the cafe, Anna takes it with her, scrunching up the note and pushing the phone into her back pocket. Anna turns off the lights of the Coffee Bean on her way out. Conscious of the phone in her back pocket, Anna hurries home.