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I walked toward the front door of the boutique, my phone already to my ear. “Hello, Oliver.”
“I didn’t think I’d get you,” he said after a brief pause. “Usually when I call you let it go to voicemail. I leave a voicemail and then you call me back after the board meeting.”
A blast of cold air hit my cheeks and I huddled in on myself. “Usually that’s the way of it, yeah.”
“But you answered this time.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Momentary insanity.”
The old man chuckled. “Will you have another lapse in sanity and come to the next board meeting in a few weeks?”
“Doubtful,” I said. “I’m not on the board.”
“Not yet. But your father would want?—”
“Thanks for calling, Oliver. I’ll read the minutes when they’re available.”
I hung up and closed my eyes.
My throat tightened; my eyes filled with tears. I hastily turned my head and swiped at my cheeks. When I felt in control again, I turned toward the boutique. A silent gasp caught in my throat as I saw a man with pale skin pointing a gun at me.
He reeked of sweat and onions. “Give me your fucking purse!”
My limbs were frozen with terror.
“Do you want me to shoot you, bitch? Hand over the fucking purse!”
He lifted his aim to my head as I held out my purse with wobblily arms.
A gunshot sounded and my would-be attacker screamed as he pitched forward and slightly away from me, grabbing his shoulder and momentarily lowering the gun away from my face. In a rage, he swung his arm back toward me, pointing the pistol at my forehead. Before I could process what was happening, there was another gun shot. It went through his neck and he dropped to the ground, gurgling and gasping for air. In a few short seconds, he fell silent.
I looked in the direction of my savior. Willa was poised with both hands wrapped around her pistol. She lowered it slowly and looked at me. “Are you okay?”
My head was full of static as I glanced at the prostrate dead body on the ground, blood leaking from his wounds as he lay there.
The front door of the boutique blew open and Waverly and Charlie ran outside.
“What the fuck!” Waverly yelled.
Charlie was wearing a strapless leather dress and goosebumps erupted across her shoulders and chest. “Oh my God!”
“Hayden,” Willa barked. “Are you okay?”
My gaze found hers. Bile churned in my belly. “No. I’m not okay,” I said, right before I turned my head and puked.
Chapter 6
After I’d emptied the contents of my stomach, I stepped away from the mess at my feet.
“Both of you,” Willa commanded, “back inside. I’m calling the cops.”
Charlie and Waverly both ducked into the boutique, the front door slamming behind them. I burrowed my face into the collar of my jacket. My head felt heavy, but cloudy, like I couldn’t form a thought.
Willa’s voice filtered in and out as my gaze continued to stray from her to the body on the ground. I hastily turned around to avoid it altogether so I wouldn’t be sick again.
