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My first thought was this is perfect, but then I remembered, Beau was in the back. Alone. If something happened to me this dirtbag would probably hurt my baby just because he could. I turned the lock and stepped back quickly, which was smart because the jerk was inside my shop in seconds.
“What do you want?” I asked, this time more forcefully.
He took two steps forward and I lifted the gun, forcing him to put his hands in the air with a greasy smile. “Hey, lady, I just want to talk.”
“You threatened me and my shop. Start talking or I’ll be telling the police a different story when they get here.” And because I’d always wanted to, I pulled back the slide and put a bullet in the chamber. “Start talking Craig Jefferson.”
“I’m looking for a friend.”
I scoffed. “I’m sure we don’t travel in the same circles.”
“Maybe not but I need to find him.”
“I already told you, I don’t know your friend.”
“Think. Hard.” His expression turned hard, menacing.
I slid my finger to the trigger and curled it around it. Wordlessly. The threat was clear. “I gave you my answer. Take it and leave.”
“Damn!” Craig licked his lips and gave my body a long, thorough perusal. “Now I see why Cross is keeping you all to himself.”
I laughed. “If Cross is guilty of anything, it’s being too stubborn to realize that dirtbags like you don’t even register on my radar.” I laughed again because I figured being bat-shit crazy on top of armed was even scarier. Right?
“You don’t scare easy f
or a dirty hippie. That’s okay, I can make you real scared.”
“It’s really scared, but that’s not the point. I get it, you’re a bad scary guy. The thing is, I don’t care. I could shoot you right now and not even your mother would care. But I’d care, so please don’t make me shoot you.”
“You’ve got a kid back there.” His spine straightened and I aimed the gun higher in response, making him smile.
“Which is the only thing making me think that killing you right now is a good option.” And that was the honest truth.
The wooden chimes sounded on the door, drawing my attention and Craig’s so I pulled my finger from the trigger and lowered the gun. Half way because the thing about being from a rich east coast family was…hunting. Detective Haynes walked in with his irritating partner. And Cross. “Did I have an appointment scheduled?”
“Is that thing legal?” Dodds barked out.
“Of course it is, but seeing as I didn’t invite you into my shop, which is closed by the way, maybe you want to tell me why you’re here?”
“We have news.” Detective Haynes stepped forward so he was face to face with Craig. “But first I need to know what I just walked in on.”
“Easy. Mr. Craig Jefferson here kicked my door and then he threatened me, so I grabbed my legal handgun and let him in where he started questioning me about a friend of his, who I’m sure I don’t know.”
“This friend have a name?” Dodds again, so eager to play with the grownups.
I looked to Craig and then all eyes were on him. “Vigo.”
“Thought so,” Cross said from the back, eyeing Haynes with a hard expression before he walked over to me.
Detective Haynes sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, his tired eyes on me. “We believe Vigo was the one who shot up your shop.”
“Vigo who?” I asked. “I’m sure I’d remember someone with a name that unique.”
“Vigo Rizzoli,” Dodds shouted. “Where were you last week from late Thursday night to early Friday morning?”
So something had happened to this guy, Vigo. I could answer their questions but Dodds was a jerk and I had a feeling the man with his hand resting on my back might know what happened to the guy who’d nearly killed Jana. “Sounds like I should consult my attorney before answering that question. If that’s all gentleman, the shop is closed today for a reason.”
Haynes sighed again and glared at his partner. “We do have questions, Ms. Vanderbilt.”
