“I did it!” I laugh, my chest light with happiness. “I actually hit the damn target!”
Beau chuckles lightly. "I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you, baby girl.”
Jackson, still looking at me with that proud grin, wraps his arms around my shoulders, sandwiching me between both of them. “That was hot,” he says, his voice low.
I smile, feeling giddy from their praise. The adrenaline still pulses through me. This is honestly something I never thought I would do. With my fear of guns, I thought I could go the rest of my life without touching one, much less shooting a target.
Until…
My phone starts ringing. The shrill noise of my ringtone cuts through the excitement in the air. I pull it out of my back pocket and instantly freeze. Dayla’s name flashes across the display. An immediate wave of anxiety washes over me.
“Oh, shit, it’s her first day alone, and she's already calling.” I mutter.
I swipe to answer, and as soon as the call connects, Dayla’s frantic voice fills the air, coming through in a jumbled mess of words.
“Aria! Aria, oh my God, I don’t know what to do! Someone threw a brick through one of the front windows! It’s shattered everywhere. There’s glass everywhere on the floor. And…and it kind of looks like there’s a note attached to it!” She’s talking so fast that I'm only catching every few words she says.
My heart is running wild right now. All I understood is that the window in the shop is broken. “Wait, slow down.” I finally jump in. She needs to calm down enough to clearly explain what’s happening. “Where were you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…it’s so much and I don't want to lose my job on the first day. I don’t even know if I should touch the note or leave it alone.” She’s breathing hard now. Her panic bleeding through the phone. “I’m scared, Aria! What if whoever threw it comes back? I…I just don’t know what to do right now, and I was so scared to call you to let you know what happened.”
“Okay, listen to me. Is the note still on the brick? Can you see it? Don’t touch anything, just…just stay behind the counter and breathe. We’re on the way, okay?” I say while trying to steady my breathing. I need to keep my voice calm because I think she might be freaking out enough for the both of us.
“Yeah, the note’s still there. It’s like taped or something. Just please hurry.”
“Stay put, Dayla. We're leaving now and will get there as soon as we can. Don’t touch the glass. Don’t try to clean anything up and don’t call anyone else right now.” I say, my voice leaving no room for argument. “I want to see what's going on first, and then we will call the cops. Okay?”
I can hear her taking deep breaths through the phone. I can't blame her for being rattled. If I were in the store when that happened, I would have the same reaction as her. “Okay, please hurry.”
“Hang tight. We're coming.” I hang up the phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I lower it to my side.
I turn to my men, eyes locking with theirs, and the intensity of the situation sinks in. “We have to go. Now." The words feel like a punch to the gut, but there is no time to waste.
Jackson’s already moving. “We’re on it.” He says, his voice controlled.
Beau doesn’t need to be told twice. “Grab your gun and let’s go.”
The moment is over…the fun and the playful teasing are all gone. Now it’s just the reality of what’s happening. This has to be the person who sent that message to the guys the other day. This is their way of getting our attention.
Chapter 7
Aria
We pull up next to the bookstore with a screeching halt, the tires of the car burning rubber against the pavement. We all sling our doors open, and jump out of the car before it can even settle, running toward the storefront without a second thought.
As soon as I step onto the sidewalk, I see it. One of the front windows of glass scattered around the edges. My stomach turns with anger as I feel it hit me like a tidal wave. The same person who’s been threatening my men, who knows too much about Beau and Jackson’s past in Florida, has finally crossed the line.
My fists clench at my sides, and I can feel my jaw tightening. “I worked my ass off for this store,” I mutter, barely recognizing the harshness of my voice. “They have no right to do this.” My blood starts to boil as I look at the shattered glass. “A text message, fine. We can handle that. But this? This is another level.”
Beau’s hand rests briefly on my shoulder, his voice steady, but laced with something dark, something primal. “We’ll get your window fixed, baby. People like this don’t care about how their actions will make you feel, only how much it scares you.”
As I stand here, my fingers itching for action, I can’t help but think of the weapons I have strapped to me. I’m loaded to the max with everything Beau got me the other day. If I had been the one here today, they wouldn’t have gotten away with this. I wouldn’t have hesitated to put an end to this threat. I’m almost positive, with the way I am feeling, that I could hit the bullseye every single time with no help.
I shake my head, trying to push the thought away. It’s not helpful right now. Focus, Aria. Focus on the situation at hand and what happened today.
We push through the door, and immediately I spot Dayla. She’s sitting behind the register, and her hands are gripping the counter like she’s trying to hold herself together. As soon as she sees us, her face lights up with relief. She comes from around the counter and runs toward me, throwing her arms around my body.
“I’m honestly so sorry, Aria. I didn’t—” Her voice is cracking so badly she can barelyget words out.
