“Hey, Evie, that state police dude is back again.” Chump breaks me from my thoughts.
“Call Law,” Loco says to Rusty, who steps through the back door to make the call. Loco moves to stand next to me from where he was helping me hang some patterns and materials for customers to preview my works-in-progress. This visit is unexpected, and the fact that Chump didn’t stop him concerns me.
Looking through the shop window, I see Detective Grimsley walking to the front door. Something about his movements causes me to step back. Loco gets closer in front of me as if he feels something off, too. Grimsley enters the store, looking at Chump before focusing on me and Loco.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I push Lucian’s icon on my phone, which Mal set up as a shortcut. I slip the device into my jacket pocket, which lies on the counter.
November finally decided to abandon the fall weather, and this morning was our first snowfall, so I have the thick black jacket with me. Slipping it on, I act as if we are getting ready to leave.
“We were just leaving, Detective Grimsley. How may we help you?”
“Oh, I thought you said you still have an hour of work,” Chump comments, revealing that to the detective. Loco just shakes his head in exasperation.
“I need you to come to the station for some further questioning about your attack.”
He glances at Chump before pulling a weird-looking gun from his pocket and shooting Loco. Rusty comes running from the back, and he’s taken down, too, but Grimsley doesn’t shoot Chump; he hits him in the head with it. Not once did Chump try to stop what was happening, which makes me wonder if he’s in on this or just wants me taken. He certainly doesn’t care for me.
When Grimsley points the weapon at me, I hold up my hands. It’s then that I realize it’s a tranquilizer gun and not a real one, but I don’t want anything to hurt my baby, so I comply.
“Detective, I’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt me,” I say loud enough for Lucian to hear.
“Let’s go. I don’t have time for this bullshit.” We step out onto the sidewalk, and there stands Justin. The detective says, “I told you to wait for me at the motel.”
“I don’t trust you. You could take her to him before me, and I need her still.”
“It’s too late for that. You know he said he wants her first. He has his revenge plan in mind. You can’t get what you want from her now; she’s engaged to Judge.”
“No.” Justin pulls a gun, and this time it’s a real one. I cry out, attempting to pull away from the detective when I hear the explosion of the weapon. Screaming, I begin to fall to the ground as the man drops back. My other arm is then jerked, and I’m twisted around to look at Justin’s furious face.
“Don’t do this, Justin. Judge will kill you.” I use Lucian’s road name in the hope it intimidates him.
“Too late. When everything is said and done, you’ll marry me. I need your inheritance to get out of debt with the Albanians.”
“Nothing is going to save you. You shot a cop.” I wave my hand to the body of Grimsley, who’s dead on the ground, having been shot in the head. I had no clue Justin was this dangerous.
He yanks me toward him.
“Let’s go, Evelise. You had no idea what I was capable of, but now you do.” He drags me to his car. I fight him, and he punches me in the face so hard I see stars.
Judge
* * *
The phone rings in my ear. I promised Evie I would do this to help her feel better. She’s been very emotional the last couple of days, and when she realized that Thanksgiving was only a week away, she cried. It would be her first holiday without her family, and I know how important family is to her, so I’m going to do everything I can to make her feel better.
“What the fuck do you want?” Torch growls by way of greeting.
“Time to come home.”
“No.”
“Torch, bring her home now. Evie wants her home for the holiday, and it’s time.”
“Is the asshole captured?”
“Well, no.”
“Then no. I still think there’s something more going on here.”
