“Asshole,” I mumbled, turning the car around. I drove out of the parking lot and headed down the road, still shaken. The light ahead turned red and I slowed down to a stop. As I waited for it to change, someone revved their engine behind me. I looked into my rearview mirror and my blood ran cold. Breaker was behind me, in the truck, and only inches from my bumper.
I swore under my breath, hoping that he wasn’t following me and just heading north. But, common sense told me that was not the case.
When the light finally changed, I began to drive forward, but didn’t head toward Dazzle, which was only a few blocks away. The last thing I needed was for him to learn where I worked. Instead, I continued forward, not exactly sure where I was headed. Frustratingly enough, he stayed behind me for the next five lights.
Shit, he must really be following me, I thought, deciding to take a right at the next light. As I put my blinker on and changed lanes, I noticed that he did the same. We both turned on the green arrow, and I looked back at him in my rearview mirror. I couldn’t see his face, because the windows were tinted, but something told me that he was enjoying this. Tightening my hands on the wheel, I sped up and took the next exit, this time turning left. He quickly followed.
“Dammit,” I snapped, my heart racing. I reached into my purse, which was sitting next to me on the seat, and grabbed my cell phone. Trying not to get into an accident, I quickly dialed Trevor.
“Hey, Kitten,” he answered, a smile in his voice. “I didn’t expect to hear from you until later.”
“Breaker is following me,” I said quickly.
He swore. “Talk to me.”
I told him about seeing Breaker at the gas station and how he’d tried talking to me. “Now he’s on my tail.”
“I’m going to kill that fucking asshole myself. Swear to God,” he growled. “Okay. Where are you?
I gave him my approximate location. “Should I drive to the nearest police station?” I asked, still seeing Breaker’s truck in my mirror.
“He’ll just drive away if you do that.”
“Isn’t that the point?” I exclaimed loudly.
“I want to confront the fucker. Let him know that nobody follows my girl.”
I’m not your girl, I thought, although I had to admit that part of me was giddy at the comment. “Seriously, I don’t want to be part of that. I just want him to go away and never see him again.”
“I know, but shitheads like Breaker won’t go away unless someone stands up to them. Look,” he said. “Why don’t you head on over to Griffin’s? You’re only ten minutes away. I’m in the parking lot, now. I’ll make sure that pile of shit never bothers you again. You feel me?”
I was feeling more frustrated than anything as I stopped at another light. This time, however, Breaker got into the right turning lane. “Wait a second,” I said, looking over at his truck. “He’s turning away. Thank God.”
Breaker rolled down his window and the menacing smile on his face gave me the chills. He blew me a kiss and then drove away, his tires squealing as he whipped around the corner.
“Asshole,” I mumbled, sighing in relief.
“What’s going on?”
“He’s gone.”
“Good. Now, meet me at Griffin’s. I’ll take you to lunch.”
Yuck, like I’d ever eat there.
“I can’t. My mom’s expecting me at the store. I’m surprised she hasn’t called me yet, complaining.”
He was quiet for a while, obviously mulling things over. “Okay. You get your ass at work and don’t worry your pretty little head about this jerkoff.”
“Thanks,” I said. “He scared the crap out of me.”
“Don’t let him, Kitten. In fact, he won’t be bothering anyone, soon.”
“Oh yeah? Why?”
“I can’t get into it. Just, go to work and I’ll see you later tonight.”
I bit my lower lip. “About that…”
“I’ve gotta go. There’s a call coming in. I might even meet you at Dazzle, later.” He chuckled. “Surprise your mother.”
“But-”
“Later, Babe,” he said and then hung up.
Sighing, I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat and headed to the shop, checking my rearview mirror, frequently. I couldn’t believe the last twenty-four hours, I’d had strange encounters with three very different guys. As far as I was concerned, every one of them was a threat. Even Trevor.
Chapter Nineteen
Raptor
“This Raptor?” asked the voice on the other end.
“Yeah.”
“You’ve got a package for me?”
I glanced at my saddle bag. “I do.”
“Meet me at your house. In twenty minutes,” he said and then hung up.
He knew where I lived. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Yeah, we were brothers, but he was still The Judge and something told me that blood meant nothing to him, unless he was getting paid to spill it.
Sighing, I got on my bike and tied a red and white bandana around my head. Then I headed home.
***
Adriana
“Oh good. You’re here,” said my mother, as I stepped into the busy shop. She was showing a young couple some diamond engagement rings. “I sent Gerald home, already. Could you help Mrs. Jacobs clean her jewelry?” She nodded toward the back of the shop, where and elderly woman was waiting. “Tim and I are both just too busy, at the moment.”
I looked across the room at Tim, who many said looked like Zac Efron’s twin brother. He was surrounded by three-teenaged girls who appeared to be interested in both the charm bracelets and the young guy behind the counter.
“Sure. No problem.”
“Hi, Adriana,” said Tim as I walked by him. He looked at me over his shoulder and gave me dimpled smile.
“Hi, Tim.”
“You look lovely today. Hey,” he squinted. “Is that a new necklace? It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s not new. By the way, you’re looking pretty swanky yourself. Tell whoever’s dressing you that they have amazing taste.”
He winked. “I certainly will.” As usual, he was dressed to the nines in a black tailored suit. His boyfriend, Juan, worked at Macy’s, and had excellent taste in fashion. From what I understood, he selected all of Tim’s clothes and wouldn’t let him step out of the house without approving his clothing choices.
I hung up my coat on the hook, behind the counter, and began helping Mrs. Jacobs. When her jewelry was cleaned, she asked to look at some earrings that were in the case.
“These are so lovely,” she said, trying on a set of pearl ones. “I keep looking at them, every time I visit your shop.” She sighed. “I should just get them.”
“I would. They’re beautiful, and they’re not lab-created,” I told her. “Thus the price. You’re going to pay for quality and Vanda goes to great lengths to make sure that we sell the finest pearl earrings in Iowa.”
“Yes, I believe it. I do know that you get what you pay for, too. I’ve learned that over the years.”
I nodded.
“The price is reasonable. I keep waiting for them to go down, though.”
“We had a sale last week,” I whispered, leaning forward. “Twenty-percent off. If you want the earrings, I’ll do what I can to get you that same deal. I know the owner and I’m pretty sure she’ll okay it.”
She smiled. “If you can do that, I’ll take them, for sure.”
I winked. “Let’s wrap them up so you can take them home.”
“Thank you, Adriana. I’m going to tell your boss that you’re a ‘keeper’.”
I laughed. “Thank you. Hopefully, she’ll believe you.”
“You two are having fun over here,” said Vanda, walking over to us after ringing up her couple. “I like that.”
“A happy customer is a return customer,” said Mrs. Jacobs. “And you know, I keep coming back.”
“And we are thrilled that you do,” she replied and then looked down at the earrings. “Ah, you
’re getting them. The ones you’ve been eyeing for weeks. I just marked them down, too. Perfect timing.”
My eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I took twenty-percent off last night.”
“So, I’m getting forty-percent off of the original price?” raved Mrs. Jacobs, grinning. “My goodness. This is really my day!”
My mother’s eyebrows shot up and she looked at me.
I laughed nervously. “I promised her twenty-percent off the current price. Sorry, I didn’t know you’d already lowered it.”
I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn’t too happy with me, but she faked it for Mrs. Jacobs. “It’s quite alright.” She winked at the older woman. “I guess this is your lucky day, isn’t it? Well, I don’t know who deserves it more than you. I really do appreciate all of the business you’ve given me, Mrs. Jacobs. All of us do.”
“Call me, Mary.”
“Mary. Thank you, Mary,” she replied.
The phone in the store rang and Tim answered it.
“Adriana, it’s for you,” he said, putting the caller on hold.
“I’m with a customer,” I said. “Can you take a message?”
“It’s okay. I’ll ring her up,” said my mother. “Take your call.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Enjoy your earrings, Mary. They look lovely on your ears.”
She touched her ears. “Thank you, Adriana.”
Smiling, I walked over and grabbed the phone.
“Hello?”
The caller didn’t say anything.
“Hello? This is Adriana. Can I help you?”
I heard the distinct sound of a lighter being flicked. Then someone inhaled what I could only imagine to be a cigarette. Then they blew it out.
“Hello?” I said, getting frustrated. “I’m going to hang up if you’ve got nothing to say to me.”
The sound of man’s deep laughter made my blood turn cold.
I gripped the phone tightly. “Who is this?”
The person hung up.
My hand was shaking when I placed the phone back on the receiver. I knew who it was. I could tell by his coarse, evil laughter.
Breaker.
“Who was that?” asked Tim, looking concerned.
I forced a smile. “Wrong number.”
“That’s strange because the man actually asked for you.”
“Huh,” I said, moving around the counter and toward the front of the shop.
“Where you going?” called my mom.
I didn’t reply. I walked to the front door and glanced outside, terrified of what I’d find.
“Is there something wrong?” asked Jim
“I don’t know,” I said, looking around the parking lot. There were six cars, including mine, but no menacing black truck. I relaxed a little.
Jim stood up. “You’re worrying me, Adriana,” he said, looking out the window himself. “Is there something we should know?”
He was like a hawk. He noticed everything and trusted nobody, outside of my mother and me. He even had a hard time trusting Tim and Gerald. It made him an excellent security guard. “No,” I replied, turning to him. “Everything is fine. Really.”
At least I hoped.
Vanda approached us. “What’s wrong?” she whispered frantically. “Why didn’t you answer me?”
“I’m sorry and nothing is wrong, Mom.”
She didn’t look like she believed me. “Who was on the phone? Tim said you looked like you’d seen a ghost.”
I managed a smiled. “Oh, well that was just a crank call. Some punk kid. Where is Mrs. Jacobs?” I asked looking behind her.
“Bathroom. I think she’s used it more than me,” said Vanda, chuckling.
“That’s what happens when you get old,” said Jim, who was pushing fifty himself. “Leaky faucets and rusty pipes.”
“You’re not old,” replied Mom. “And I’m sure your pipes are working just fine.”
His face turned red and he smiled. “Easy for you to say. You look like Adriana’s sister, not mother.”
“Flattery will get you ten-percent over-cost on something for your own mother,” she replied, grinning. “Come Mother’s Day.”
He laughed. “I’ll hold you to it.”
Vanda chuckled.
“I’m going into the back for a quick cup of coffee. Would either of you ladies like me to grab you any?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “I’m fine.”
“No, thank you, Jim,” said Vanda. “I’ve had enough cups myself, today.”
“Let me know if you change your mind,” he said, walking away.
Vanda watched him leave and then turned to me. “Oh,” she said, reaching over to my necklace. She lifted up the sapphire. “You wore your father’s necklace. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”
I looked down. “I guess that I couldn’t stop thinking about Dad, this morning.”
Her eyes grew moist and she smiled. “He was such a good man.”
“He was. The best.”
She looked outside again and then back to my necklace. “I must admit, it makes me a little nervous – you wearing it out in the open. It’s very expensive and not exactly… subtle.”
“I know. I probably shouldn’t have,” I admitted. “It’s just… I wanted to feel close to him today.”
“I understand,” she replied, glancing down at her wedding band that she refused to remove, even though he’d been gone for the last seven years. “I wouldn’t dream of taking this off.”
“I’m sure if you did, though, Dad would be okay with it.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would I ever take it off?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know… I mean, you’re only forty-seven. You might fall in love again.”
“I’ve been in love. I don’t need to replace your father.”
“Don’t you get lonely?” I asked.
She patted me on the shoulder and turned to walk away. “I have you, Adriana. I’m never lonely.”
“I know, but-”
“Let it rest,” she interrupted. “We’ve been through this conversation before. I’m content with my life.”
I sighed. We had been through it before and she was always so stubborn. I knew that if she opened her eyes, she’d see that Jim had a thing for her. But, that was Vanda. She was so obstinate.
The phone rang again and I jumped. This time, fortunately, it was for Tim.
Chapter Twenty
Raptor
When I arrived home, I left my bike in the driveway, unlocked the door, and went inside. When I reached the kitchen, a man was waiting for me at the table. He was dressed in a long, black leather overcoat and wore gloves.
“You Raptor?” he asked pointing his nine millimeter at me.
“Yeah, who the fuck are you?”
He put the gun down on the table. “You’re smart. Figure it out.”
“Jesus Christ, how the fuck did you get in here?” I snapped, not too happy that he’d made himself at home and was drinking one of my beers.
The Judge, who had dark hair and light blue eyes smirked. “Back door. Used the key hidden under the pot with the dead Begonias. Did anyone ever tell you to water your flowers?”
I frowned. “I didn’t hide a spare key, there.”
“Then you’d better figure out who did.”
Brandy.
It had to be her. It was even her flower pot.
“I need to change my fucking locks,” I said, staring at him, trying to find some kind of resemblance. From what I could, there wasn’t anything other than maybe the eye color.
“That mine?” he asked, nodding to the package in my arm.
“Yeah.” I handed it to him. “It’s all there.”
He opened it up and pulled out the folder, with Breaker’s information. “I don’t need this,” he said, tossing it aside. Then he pulled out the bundles of money and counted them. “Looks like it’s all here,” he said before standing up.
“So, when are you going to do it?”
“Do what?” he asked, walking toward the kitchen door.
“Kill the fucker?”
He stopped abruptly and then turned around to face me. His smile was cold. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Murder is a crime, Kid. You should know that.”
“I’m not your fucking, ‘kid’,” I said, not appreciating his condescending bullshit.
“Relax, Brother,” he said, smirking again. “Didn’t your daddy ever teach you the importance of self-control?”
“My old man’s idea of self-control was waiting until seven a.m. for his first shot of whiskey.” I said. “From what I hear, your old man wasn’t much better, Jordan.”
I thought he’d be pissed, but instead, he surprised me. “See, that’s where you’re wrong,” he replied, removing one of his gloves. He lifted his right hand and even I had to wince at the scars. “He demanded self-control. As you can see, I learned it early on.”
“That’s from acid, isn’t it?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “Looks like ‘Dear Old Ma’ sure knew how to pick ‘em.”
I smirked. “No shit. Have you met her?”
“No,” he said, putting the glove back on. “And I really don’t care to.”
“I haven’t seen her in years, myself.”
“Lucky you,” he said, walking out of the kitchen.
I followed him. “What happens now?”
“I leave,” he said, turning around. There was a look of mirth in his eyes. “Why?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Did you want to ask me anything?”
“About what?”
“We’re brothers. Thought you’d be curious.”
“It’s only blood, Kid,” he said, heading down the steps. “Don’t get hung up on it.”
I didn’t know what else to say. It was obvious that he wasn’t interested in shooting the shit, but that didn’t stop me from being curious. “See you around?”
He grunted. “In my occupation, you’d better hope that you don’t.”
I stared at him.
He grinned and then left.
I pulled out my cell phone. “He’s paid,” I told Slammer.
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