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I opened my mouth then shut it again. I didn’t think I could form words.
He knew everything.
“Fuck the girl,” Tooth said. “Punch the bitch in the mouth. That’ll get her talking.”
Sunglasses stared at me with those dark reflective lenses. I could see my face in them, pale and pulled into a mask of fear.
“You want that?” he asked. “My friend here will gladly hurt you, girl. You owe Owain some shit or something? You loyal to him?”
“No,” I said. “I’m not.”
“Then take me to where those damn boxes are.” Sunglasses stood. “Come on now. Don’t make this hard.”
I nodded and stepped toward the back. “Okay. Okay. Just… don’t hurt me.”
Sunglasses spread his hands. “If I don’t have to, I won’t.”
“I might,” Tooth said. “He don’t speak for me.”
Sunglasses grinned but didn’t contradict him.
I turned and ran. Sunglasses came after me, but I didn’t have far to go, and he had to come around the counter still. I reached the back room and threw the door shut, slamming the lock home. Sunglasses rammed against the door.
“Open up you fucking bitch,” he said. “You’re making a god damn mistake, you fucking bitch.”
He slammed against it hard again and again. The door flexed, but the hinges held.
I ran to the box and threw it open. I dug inside down past the wrapped shirts until I felt something hard and plastic.
The phone.
I ripped it out and powered it up. I paced back and forth, trying to stop a scream.
I could rush out the back door. It was right there. But a voice in the back of my head said I needed to stay until I talked to Owain. I had to make sure it was safe to leave.
The phone turned on. Sunglasses rammed into the door and a screw popped out of the wall. It hit the tile floor and bounced toward my shoe.
I kicked it and screamed in frustration.
The phone had one number in it. There wasn’t even a name attached. Sunglasses hit the door again and another screw popped. It looked like the door might burst open at any second.
“Leigh?” Owain answered on the first ring like he was waiting for my call.
“Men, in the store. Trying to break down the door.”
“Slow down.”
“Two guys. With like denim jackets. Like motorcycle guys. One had sunglasses. They know you, Owain. They’re trying to break down the back door.”
“Are you in there? Right now?”
“I’m still here.”
“Get out the back. Run. Go.”
But the door burst open with a loud bang. I screamed and threw the phone. It hit Sunglasses in the chest as he stumbled into the room. He let out a grunt and a growl of anger as he came at me. I tried to get past him, running for the back door, but he caught me and threw me up against a shelving unit. It teetered and fell into the rack next to it. Shirts and packing equipment scattered onto the floor.
I lashed out with my fists and nails. I caught skin along his face and he shouted with rage. I felt something hard slam into my gut and doubled over, all the air shoved from my lungs. I wanted to throw up but all I could do was groan and gasp as Sunglasses grabbed my hair and pulled me back up.
“Should’ve made this easy, bitch,” he said.
I smelled smoke drift in from the other room.
“Asshole.”
“Where’s the pills?”
“What pills?”
He hit my stomach again. I coughed and moaned. He yanked me up again.
“Don’t make me hurt that pretty face,” he said, thumb running down my eye and along my cheek. “I don’t want to cut you bitch, but I will. Where are the pills?”
More smoke, thick and black, billowed into the room. Tooth cackled as he came in.
“This place is going up,” he said. “Fuck you should see it out there. These shirts really burn.”
“God damn, Lenny,” Sunglasses said. “You can’t do shit without burning something.”
“I just loves me some fire.” Tooth grinned at me.
“Last chance,” Sunglasses said. “Where are the pills?”
I opened my mouth to tell him as more smoke rolled past. I breathed it in and started to cough as the caustic black stuff wrecked my lungs and throat. Sunglasses grunted and pushed me down, turning to Tooth.
“Go put that out you dumb fuck,” he said. “If this whole block goes up, we’re fucked?”
“Aw, come on.”
“Go put it out.”
“Asshole.” Tooth shook his head then plunged back into the smoke.
Sunglasses bent and hauled me up to my feet.
“Pills now.” His fist cocked back. “Or I break your pretty nose.”
A gunshot reverberated through the room. It was a burst of explosive force from the front. Sunglasses released me, body turning around. He stumbled backwards, toward the back door, hand reaching for something in his belt.
Owain flew into the room, smoke curling around him. He dropped to one knee and fired twice, the shots like explosions. I covered my ears as bullet holes bloomed in Sunglasses’ chest. He staggered back then slumped down to the ground as red pooled around his legs.
