Lee looked behind him, like he’d completely forgotten Neil was there. “Oh! I’m sorry. I believe you two were somewhere around ‘salty son of a bitch,’” he said in amusement.
I really didn’t like Lee.
Neil pushed past him. God bless the man, his pricklier-than-a-cactus personality was turning out to be beneficial for once. He stood sideways to look at Lee. “We’re capable of insulting each other without assistance.”
But before any of us could speak again, there was a shot.
Cracking glass.
And the front window of the Emporium exploded.
Chapter Ten
I HITthe floor hard enough to have the wind knocked from my lungs.
Neil had his body draped over my own, his head lowered beside mine.
Another shot splintered the air.
“Holy shit!” Max screamed from somewhere.
“Stay down!” Neil bellowed in response.
A third round sounded louder. Closer. Like it’d ricocheted off the pillar beside the register. Neil tensed above me. A fourth hit the distinct sound of hard plastic and gadgetry. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized the security camera near the door had been shot.
Then… I heard nothing.
Nothing but ringing and blood pumping in my ears.
Neil raised his head, looking down at me with an intensity I’m not sure I’d ever seen before. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.”
He sat back on his knees and looked over his shoulder. I sat up on my elbows. The front window was gone, broken and shattered into a hundred thousand little pieces across the floor and nearby displays. New York City ambience drifted into the shop.
Well… at least it wasn’t raining this time.
Neil got to his feet and held a hand out. “Call 911,” he said as he helped me stand.
“I already am!” Max’s scared voice said from somewhere behind the counter.
“Winter, then,” Neil told me before stepping away.
“Wait! Neil!” I grabbed his arm. “It’s dangerous.”
He pulled his pistol from his holster. “Sebastian,” he said in a quiet, unreasonably calm tone. “Call Calvin.”
I blinked a few times and nodded. I reached into my pocket for my phone, chose Calvin in the contacts, and put it to my ear.
Neil was walking to the front door. Lee got off the floor, said something to him, and followed close behind. Ex-Army did what ex-Army wanted, I supposed.
Calvin didn’t answer and I got his voicemail.
“Shit. Shit.” I hung up and tried Quinn next. I started moving down aisles and checking behind displays. “Dillon? Come here, buddy,” I called as the line rang.
“Hel—”
“Quinn!” I shouted, cutting her off. “I need to talk to Calvin!”
