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“Hell yes.” The words slipped out, and I nearly laughed as his eyes widened beyond the cannon stuck in my face. A giggle lodged in my throat and I doubled over, choking on a bout of hysterics.
This will not end well.
Already in a weird frame of mind, I disassociated from the entire situation, zooming back ass though I sat in the office, watching myself be threatened by a guy with dark hair and skin. Andy had given me a run down on how to memorize details in the event of a break in or hold up—the term had seemed so wild west that I laughed at him at the time. Now, my hysteria subsided into a cold dread, nothing seemed funny at all.
Remember all his details. Mark something on the wall that’s the assailant’s height. Eye color. Tatts. Shirt color. Shaved or not. Scars and markings. Everything helps.
“I’ll get your boxes,” I agreed, nodding like a bobblehead dog on a dashboard. I slipped my arms around the stack, trying to balance them all but they were way too heavy. “Ah, I’ll take a few to the door, okay?”
I bumped my hip twice to the unmarked button beneath the desk, praying I hit the silent alarm all the way, unwilling toglance down and see if I’d got it. I grabbed the top two boxes and lugged them across the desk, making my load seem heavier than it was, keeping my steps tight. “We wondered about this, you know. The delivery girl was so confused.”
“Don’t talk.” He motioned me toward the door.
I squeezed my eyes shut for an instant, and tried to remember how to breathe. More light steps, though I shouldn't have bothered. The gun pressed into my back as he cleared pots and displays with what sounded like his boot, the terracotta and ceramic vases splintering on the tiles.
My heart pounded in my head, filling it with a roar of white noise. My skin prickled cold. I reached the door and began to squat, wondering if this was a really bad idea. “I’ll just put them here. You can take them and I’ll get you the other one, okay?”
“Go outside.” My companion didn’t seem to be much for talking himself.
“Ah, that’s not a good idea. People will scream if they see you with a gun.”
I turned to face him in full, making sure not to stand in front of him so he was visible through the glass doors. Someone would have to be looking to see, but I prayed I’d done the right thing and someone—anyone—would be looking for exactly what I planned.
“No one will see. You go. I follow.” He smiled, displaying yellowed teeth.
“That simple, huh?” I swallowed, unable to keep the fear off my face any longer.
He smiled wider, gesturing with his gun. “Go now.”
I pivoted on my heel to face the glass doors and had my second shock in less than five minutes. Acton stood on the other side of the door, his weapon drawn while I stood between the two men. He moutheddown, and I dropped like a stone, my hands already covering my head as I dropped the boxes on thefloor. The door slammed open, narrowly missing me in its wide arc and a single shot fired.
Something heavy fell behind me, hitting the floor with a muted thud.
Someone.
Bile rose in my throat. It looked like Ella wasn’t the only one who would be vomiting in the shop today.
I stayed in my crouch, staying at the tiled floor that fluctuated beneath me until warm, familiar hands gripped my arms and wound around me. I pressed my lips to the front of Acton’s shirt, over his heart. A large hand clasped the back of my head, pulling me into his body in full.
“I’m so sorry, Floss. God, girl. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you or said anything at all. Christ, girl. Tell me you’re okay.” He bent in front of me, staring into my face while I hiccuped and tried not to throw up on him.
“You killed him.” There hadn't been a single sound behind me. Not a groan or anything. Acton was that damn good at his job and, fight or not, I was so glad he’d answered the call. Because the shop’s silent alarm, unlike the one in a normal shop, didn’t go off in the local police station. It alerted the Rangers office across the street.
“Did he hurt you?” Acton glared over my shoulder, the look in his eyes telling me he'd like to bring the dead man back to life and shoot him all over again.
“You killed someone.”
“It’s my job, Floss.” He checked me over while I stood still and let him. What was the point in moving? Voices and other bodies filled the shop but I didn’t take any notice. The only person who meant anything stood right in front of me. “I shouldn't have left you. Fuck.” He wrapped me in his arms and I let him, clenching my fists in his shirt as I began to shake. “You did good. Real good.”
“I wanted to punch him. And I wanted to wet myself. I dunno. I might have.”
Acton laughed and groped my ass. “Nope, all good.” His heart beat a little faster in his chest, a little louder and I knew it wasn’t only me who had been scared.
I tiled my head back, my heart in my throat as I looked at him. “I—”
He pressed two fingers to my mouth. “Fight me later, Floss. Right now I need to sit down and talk to you before this all flies out of your mind.”
“That’s not likely,” I spoke around his fingers. “And I’m not fighting with you. I love you.”
