Chapter 5
Chapter Five
“ A barbecue, hmm?” Blade asked that evening as they shared a pizza between customers.
He’d waltzed in with one and seated himself comfortably on a stool at her workbench. He’d also made several sales for her when he’d weighed in on customer selections. Having an attractive and dangerous-looking man tell you to get both because they both are perfect on you seemed to have more power than Sapphire’s opinion. She was having a great sales night. Plus, she got to spend time with Blade.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I understand. It’s intimidating meeting someone’s family,” Sapphire told him. She didn’t expect him to go with her. It was too soon. Sapphire had worried about asking him all day, but her sister would sense if Sapphire had chickened out.
Blade shook his head. “You’re good, but I’m not manipulatable. We both know I’m not intimidated by the thought of meeting your grandmother.”
“Oh, my grandmother is lovely. She’s like that kindergarten teacher who everyone loved in school. It’s my cousins you have to watch out for.”
“I can handle your cousins,” he assured her.
“Maybe regular cousins, but these two have their PhDs in belittling, bemoaning, and besmirching.”
“The trifecta of B’s, huh? I’ll take my risks.” Blade seemed amused by her description.
“Are you sure? You could wait a few years to see if we’re still together,” she suggested, giving him an out.
“Who else will be there other than these cousins from hell?” he asked, totally ignoring the escape route she’d offered.
“My parents, my grandmother, my aunt, Ellen, her husband, and Kinsley.”
“And the cousins from hell,” he added.
“Yes. A ton of family.”
“That usually happens at a family barbecue. I’ll tell you what. I’ll go with you to your barbecue if you come to the clubhouse for dinner next week,” Blade proposed.
“Um, that’s fine. I already know a lot of the Shadowridge Guardians and their Littles. That would be fun. The shop is closed on Sunday, and my short days are Monday through Wednesday.”
“Not a problem. There’s dinner at the clubhouse every night. There’s also breakfast and lunch. We all take shifts cooking and helping in the kitchen. Gabriel and Bear are usually in charge.”
“Oh, I remember meeting them.” Sapphire said, grabbing a pepperoni from the last slice.
“Yes, at The Hangout.”
The bell tinkled, and a man walked in. Sapphire had seen him before. He’d been hanging around the block lined with small specialty shops for a while—a couple of weeks, at least. He never had packages.
She chewed and swallowed quickly as she stood up. “Hi. Welcome to The Blue Door. What can I help you find today?”
“Just looking.”
“Of course. You’ll find everything is handcrafted and unique. Rings are at the counter. Necklace and earring sets are on the far wall.”
She had a bad feeling about the man and tried to talk herself out of it. People often judged her for her blue hair and tattoos. She didn’t want to assume this man was trouble just because he was hanging around and she’d never seen packages. Sapphire definitely didn’t run into all the people in the area. She could have missed him on the days he’d purchased something.
“I’ll know it when I see it,” the customer stated firmly and avoided eye contact.
He picked up and put down a lot of items, making her nervousness increase. What is it about this guy?
Suddenly, she noticed him slip a pair of earrings into his pocket. Hell no. That wasn’t happening in her store. “Sir, I need you to return the items you placed in your pocket and then leave.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mumbled and started toward the door.
Sapphire heard the soft grate of Blade’s stool on the flooring as he stood. She didn’t glance at the biker. She was perfectly capable of dealing with this jerk.
Moving around the shoplifter quickly, Sapphire physically blocked his way to the entrance and stated firmly, “You’re on camera. I will call the police. Let me have the jewelry.”
Blade’s boots resounded on the floor. She heard the snick of something being pulled from leather. The man looked back over his shoulder at Blade, who Sapphire could hear advancing, but she didn’t take her eyes off the thief.
“Return that jewelry now,” she stated firmly.
He glanced back at Blade one more time and thrust his hand into his pocket. After pulling out the earrings she’d seen him steal and several other items she’d missed completely, the man tossed them onto the countertop. He dodged around her, and Sapphire didn’t try to stop him. She did jump in front of the bristling man dressed in leather who rushed toward the door after him.
“Let him go.”
Blade stared at her. His brown eyes were narrowed and hard, transforming his face into something scary. Sapphire was amazed that she wasn’t frightened.
“Get out of the way, Little girl.”
“He’s gone, and we’re not chasing after him. If he got out of here with anything, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I keep the expensive jewelry behind the counter.” She didn’t look at the large knife in his hand, having already caught a glimpse of it. “Put that away and calm down.”
“I don’t think you get to tell me what to do,” he informed her in an ice-cold voice.
“My store. My rules.” She pointed to the camera. “I’d like to call the police and report that man, but they’re going to be more concerned about you and that machete .” Sapphire waved a hand toward the weapon in his hand without glancing at it.
“I don’t have a machete hidden in the front of my vest,” Blade reassured her. His voice lightened, and his malevolent facial expression eased.
“Thank goodness. Now put it back wherever it goes, please.” She looked at the display where he’d spent the most time and noted the holes where products were missing. When her gaze returned to Blade, the knife had disappeared.
“Call the police, Little girl.”
“My store. My rules,” she reminded him.
“Outside of this store—I have the last word,” he told her calmly. “And if you endanger yourself even in your shop, I stop being lenient.”
“Lenient?” Her blood started to boil until she saw the clump of jewelry on the counter. What would she have done if Blade hadn’t been with her? Within seconds, ice water ran through her veins. She shook with the emotional impact of the confrontation.
Blade stepped forward and wrapped himself around her. “You’re okay, Blue Eyes. I’ve got you.”
Sapphire buried her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around his waist. His warmth seeped into her frigid body. Slowly she thawed.
“Thank you for being here, Blade.”
“Daddy,” he corrected her gently.
“Daddy. I should call the police now.”
With the assailant gone, no damage done, and no injuries, the police suggested she come to the station when convenient and file a report. Blade was not pleased with that response, but Sapphire understood completely.
“It’s Friday night. There are many more serious things the police need to handle. The danger has passed,” she reminded him.
“Tomorrow morning, you file a report.”
“It will have to wait until Monday or Sunday if I can file a report on the weekend,” Sapphire told him as she put the jewelry back on the displays. She made a note to check the display for empty spaces if someone ever came in the store who seemed suspicious. That quick glance could help her keep track of possible shoplifting. Unless she got hit by a stampede of customers, Sapphire tried to fill bare spots with new merchandise immediately.
His look made her explain. “I have Kinsley tomorrow morning. It’s the last day my sister will need me.”
“She works on a Saturday?” Blade asked.
“She rotates weekends with the other staff at her business. Of course, this is her weekend. Her husband will come pick Kinsley up when he gets in from his business trip that morning. Me taking care of Kinsley at The Blue Door was a necessity caused by a bunch of obligations that all happened just as the regular babysitter had a baby. Next week, everything goes back to normal.”
“I don’t have to work on Saturdays. I’ll come to handle the shop for you and watch Kinsley.”
“You don’t need to do that. I will let you hold down the fort while I grab some pictures of that guy off my security camera and send a message to the other shops about him,” Sapphire requested and backed a step away from him. Blade’s arms tightened around her.
“Are you okay now?” Blade asked, studying her face.
Sapphire’s shoulders eased back down into place as her stress diminished. He honestly cared about her and would do anything to help. She nodded to reassure him.
“Yeah. I’ve had to deal with shoplifters before. That guy seemed extra… I don’t know what. It bothers me that he’s been hanging around the shops in the area. I guess casing the joint. If he was smart, he would have bailed the minute he saw I wasn’t alone.”
“Who knows what was happening with him? Now, however, you are aware that he’s bad news. If you see him, lock the door and call the police. Then call me.”
“I can’t disturb you. You’re working,” she said, not wanting him to think he was stuck with someone who needed rescuing all the time. “I’ve had my shop open for a while. I can handle pretty much anything that comes my way.”
“I have no doubt that’s true. It will make me feel better if you’ll promise to call me for backup—just so I don’t worry,” he told her gently. “Daddies need to make sure their Littles are safe. Otherwise, we get upset. You don’t want me in the hospital with ulcers, right?”
“That’s a far jump from needing to protect me to being medically bedridden,” she said, unable to keep herself from laughing at the mental image of Blade with knives hidden in his hospital gown.
“I don’t want to know what popped into your brain, do I?”
When she shook her head, he continued, “I don’t doubt that you can take care of your shop. You are talented and hardworking. I simply want to make sure you’re okay. Can you promise to call me if there’s a problem?”
“As soon as I can,” she agreed.
“Thank you, Sapphire. Now, go grab the photos and send your alerts. I’ll try not to scare all your customers away.”
Working quickly in the back, Sapphire grabbed screenshots and forwarded them to her phone both as pictures and files she could share. She pulled up her email and messaged the shopkeepers in her area, along with the pictures. She didn’t have everyone’s contact information but asked the other owners to share the word with others.
The sound of feminine laughter drifted to her from the shop and Sapphire stopped to listen for a moment. Hearing the low tones of Blade’s voice, she figured everything was okay. Quickly, she created a concise report for the police that she would drop by the station tomorrow when she had a chance. Having everything put together made her feel better. She wouldn’t let that shoplifter get by with hurting small businesses.
Sapphire walked into the shop and froze at the sight of four women practically drooling over the biker behind the counter. He had already packed up three of the orders, and the women held onto bulging bags. Blade grinned her way when he caught sight of her.
“And this is the artist who created the beautiful pieces you’re taking home tonight,” he shared, waving an arm in Sapphire’s direction.
“You are so talented. I love your work,” one woman gushed. “Would it be too much to ask that you pose for a picture with us? And then maybe you could take a picture of us with Blade? He’s amazing at suggesting jewelry that complements each of us.”
There was no doubt in Sapphire’s mind that they would delete one picture much quicker than the other. Sapphire looked at Blade to make sure he was okay with that, and when he gave a brief nod, she answered, “Of course. I’m so glad you discovered some pieces that you love.”
Her eyes widened at the amount on the cash register as she walked forward to join the group. Blade adeptly charged the woman’s credit card before placing the boxes into a large shopping bag. With the business complete, they snapped a few photos.
As the women prepared to leave, a brunette asked, “Blade? When do you work in the store? I may need to come back for some gifts.”
“I’m afraid I’m not a regular employee. I come in to help Sapphire when inspiration strikes her and she needs some time in the back to create. Feel free to check in often. I might be here,” Blade assured them.
“Will do, Blade. Thanks for your help,” one called as the women headed reluctantly toward the door.
“What did you do? Juggle knives to impress them?” Sapphire asked in fascination as she looked around the store at all the empty spaces on the racks.
“No juggling necessary. Turns out, I’m good at helping women find pretty things,” he said with a grin.
“I think you just sold a month’s worth of jewelry in an hour. I should have shoplifters in more often.”
“Don’t even say that,” he warned, sobering instantly.
“You’re right. That was in bad taste. It’s ten minutes until closing. How about if I clean up quickly and we can get out of here? Would you like to come home with me and visit Silver? He misses you.”
“Only if I can spend time with you as well, Blue Eyes.”
“I’d like that.” Silver would understand that she wanted his attention focused on her. To Sapphire’s surprise, she wasn’t nervous. She hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone before. Being alone with him sounded incredible. Hopefully, she could convince him to stay.