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I couldn’t fire a fucking gun in the middle of the neighborhood without attracting a lot more attention than I wanted.
With two gaping holes in my storefront, the block was already hot enough.
Still on high alert, I retreated back to the workroom - my best vantage point - to pull my phone from the pocket of the sweats I’d tossed on. My eyes stayed focus around me, seeking out movement as I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder to keep my hands free.
“Hello?”
I frowned at the sound of the male voice on the other end of the line until he repeated himself, and recognition struck me.
“Cree? Why are you answering Alicia’s phone? Did something happen to her?”
“Some of her homegirls and five too many margaritas happened to her,” he chuckled. “She is knocked the fuck out, but when the phone woke me up and I saw it was you, I figured I should answer. Are you okay?”
“I...I don’t know,” I admitted. “Somebody broke into the shop. Then ran when I confronted them.”
“Confronted?? Did you shoot anybody?”
“No!” I rolled my eyes. “I wanted to, but I knew better, and now I… don’t know what to do. I didn’t have a plan for something like this. Ishould’vehad a plan for something like this,” I said, even though that last part was more for myself than him.
“Call the police.”
“What would I do that for?”
“So that if whoever it was comes back, you’ll have an explanation for shooting them.”
“They can’t come back for me if I’m not here.”
“But you will be there, because this is your life now, remember? You can’t just jet anymore,” Cree said, his tone stern, but still gentle. “Stuff like this happens to anybody, all the time. You gonna pull your roots up and run away?”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re welcome,” he chuckled in response. “Call the police, so they can file the little report, and I’m gonna talk to Willow about making sure all your documentation is in order for your gun. You’re a regular citizen, Tempest, so that should be reflected in your response to this.”
“Oh, so I should expect the police to beat my ass and accusemeof breaking in then?”
Cree busted out with a full laugh this time. “Nah, not in theHeights. I hear you though. I get it. I don’tthinkyou’re gonna run into that there.”
I pushed out a sigh, denying the urge to make an unfair quip about him being a cop - he’d quit the force in Vegas because he was disgusted with them, so it would be a low blow to take it there.
Especially when he was trying to help.
Especially when… He wasn’t wrong.
“Fine. I’ll call,” I conceded.
“Good. As soon as Alicia is conscious, I’ll update her on what’s going on.”
I thanked Cree and we said brief goodbyes, so I could getMHPDon the line. It was a small operation, so I was impressed by how fast they arrived.
I still couldn’t wait for them to leave.
I was tired, and anxious, and annoyed, and… Just not at all in a good space. All I wanted was for them to stop asking questions, stop poking around, stopbeing hereso I could crawl back into my bed and pretend the world didn’t exist for a few hours.
Of course that was wishful thinking.
There was no way I’d be able to relax now.
“Tempest!”
