Chapter 9
SHYANNE
“Okay, okay, okay.” Dusty gave me a placating smile, like a benevolent father giving in to his bratty daughter’s request. “I’ll bring the offer up to eight-sixty-five, and I’ll throw in a discounted audio system upgrade for your employees.
” He lifted an eyebrow. “A ten percent discount, mind you. On top of those stipulations, I’ll also tack on a dinner.
You and me, a couple glasses of wine, some soft music? It’s a great way to celebrate a sale.”
For the dozenth time, I made a mental note to take a shower when I got home. Dusty had always been a flirt. From the moment he stepped into my shop a year ago and offered to buy it, he’d done more flirting than haggling. The guy couldn’t take a hint.
Carlo said Dusty employed the shotgun theory of flirting and dating.
He used the exact same plays on dozens of women, hoping that one of them would fall for it.
Aim in a general area and pull the trigger.
The blast radius was big enough that if you pulled the trigger enough times, you’d eventually have to hit something.
“You still aren’t hearing me,” I snapped.
“You’re offering me half of what my place is worth.
Hell, if you sold all my stuff and the real estate, you’d get more than you’re trying to pawn off on me, and that doesn’t take into account the revenue you’d add.
Plus, holy shit, you’re really trying to say ten percent off a radio install for a bunch of guys getting laid off is somehow sweetening the pot?
I could get a better offer from Ebenezer fucking Scrooge.
Come on, Dusty,” I added, crossing my arms and tapping my foot.
“Do better. Open up those purse strings a bit.”
Dusty wasn’t flustered at all. It made me think he was one of those types who loved haggling and bargaining. He probably got a hard-on when he strolled down the stalls of a flea market, and orgasmed when he saved five dollars on a used leather jacket.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and pulled out his phone. Frowning, I craned my neck to see what he was doing. From my limited angle, it appeared he had his calculator app out. While he tapped away, I spared a glance at the shop.
The light inside was low and sparse, most likely nothing but exit and security lighting.
I didn’t see any flash of movement outside, no streaking, lizard-like beast rising into the air on wings.
No shadowy form of a man hustling through the shadows.
Nothing. The only thing I did see was the steady sweeping motion of a flashlight. An icicle of terror shot through me.
Jackson would never have been sloppy or careless enough to use a flashlight for this. There was someone else inside. Security? Staff? Cleaning crew? My insides twisted. So far no alarm had been raised.
“Shy? Are you listening?” Dusty said.
Flinching, I tore my gaze from the shop, doing my best to put it out of my mind. There was nothing I could do about it. Jackson would simply have to figure it out. Hopefully, he had the skills to evade whoever the hell was in there.
“Huh?” I said. “Sorry?”
Dusty frowned at me, then glanced over his shoulder at the shop. A new surge of fear rocked me. I needed to keep him outside. Jackson might have a slim shot of evading one person in that shop, but two? No chance.
“I…uh…I saw some lights in there. Is there anyone inside?” I asked, hoping I sounded confused rather than terrified.
“Oh, that’s just Davey. My overnight security guy. Lives two blocks down. Does security work at a bank, but picks up extra work for me when we’ve got a lot of cars at once. I’ve got several nice rides in there right now, and I want them to stay there, you know?”
I let out a strained laugh. “Maybe, uh, maybe I should think about doing the same thing.”
Again, that condescending smile appeared. “Shy, you and I both know you don’t have the money for that. Speaking of.” He held up his phone. “Did some calculations.”
Regaining my composure, I nodded. “And what did you come up with?”
“I can add another hundred thousand,” he said. “That’s the best I can do.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Now, if you did officially agree to a date with me?” He shrugged, bobbing his head back and forth. “Maybe I could slide another hundred in there. All depends on how things go.”
The unspoken part of that offer was easy to glean. Would I put out or not? The flirting was completely inappropriate and annoying, but I was a big girl and could tolerate this bullshit long enough to finish this mission. That being said, it was now growing increasingly uncomfortable and disgusting.
“How things go?” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “And what the fuck does that mean, Dusty?” I already knew what it meant, but I had to keep him occupied.
He jammed his phone into his pocket. “I think you know what it means, Shy. We’re trying to come to an understanding here.
We both need something. You need money and bad.
I need to expand my operations with the least investment possible.
You’ve only got so much to sweeten the pot with.
” He gave me a sly grin. “One of the things you can sweeten it with is pretty goddamn sweet if you ask me.”
His eyes traveled up and down my body with lascivious desire. My gorge rose at the back of my throat. The mere thought of this man rubbing his greasy hands on my body repulsed me. Just imagining his cock anywhere near me, much less inside me, nearly made me vomit on his feet.
While I fought to retain control of my stomach contents, my phone vibrated. Relief flooded through me as I read the text.
Jackson: It’s done. I’m out.
Jackson: Are you okay?
I turned on my heel. “All right. We’re done here.”
“What?” Dusty barked. “Where are you going?”
“Gotta go. No deal, I guess.”
When he spoke next, there was a darker, angrier tone to his voice than I’d ever heard before.
“Now wait one goddamn second.” He moved around me and stepped in front of me. “You aren’t going anywhere. We haven’t finished our business.”
“Dusty, you’re a cheapskate. I should have known better than to come here. We’re done. Can you get out of the way?”
He grabbed my arm, fingers digging into my bicep. I hissed in pain and tried to yank it away, but he tightened his grip and pressed hard on the nerve beneath. Electric jolts of pain shot down to my fingers.
“I don’t think so,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
“Did you come all this way to fuck with my head, huh? Shaking that tight little ass at me, trying to get me all riled up. You know most guys don’t like ladies with small tits and abs, right?
Big fucking tree trunk legs? Biceps like a guy?
Nah, most guys want soft and sexy. You should be happy I’m showing any interest at all. ”
“You really know how to sweet-talk a girl, Dusty,” I said, snarling at him and finally yanking my arm away. “Go fuck yourself.”
I clipped him with my shoulder as I passed him, shoving him out of the way.
Dusty stumbled and almost fell. As much as I didn’t want to show weakness, I couldn’t help but pick up my pace as I headed for my car.
Fear clawed at the back of my mind. I’d never seen Dusty as an actual physical threat.
He’d always been nothing more than a prickish horndog with delusions of being a ladies’ man.
Now, I saw him for what he truly was. A predator.
I’d been too blinded by his ridiculous appearance to realize it until now.
Just as I grabbed the door handle, fingers dug into my shoulder and spun me around. With vicious and surprising force, Dusty shoved me against the car. My head swung back and thudded against the Jeep, making my vision blur for a moment.
“Here’s what we’re gonna do,” Dusty hissed, his face inches from mine.
“You’re gonna sign over your shop for the extremely generous offer I made, then you and I are gonna go to my place, and I can show you what a woman is really good for.
And if you do a very good job, maybe I won’t shove my dick in your mouth after I fuck you in the ass.
You’ve always been a snotty and uppity bitch.
Someone should have knocked you down peg or two before—”
I slammed my fist into his stomach, forcing every ounce of air from his lungs. His eyes bulged, and his face turned beet-red. Clutching his stomach, he sank to his knees on the asphalt.
“Motherfucker,” I spat.
My rage was like a swirling storm. The words he’d said to me bounced through my head, growing in volume and gaining power.
How many other women had he tried that shit with?
How many women had he forced himself on or coerced into bed?
Women who might not have been as strong as I was?
He was a nasty prick and deserved what he was about to get.
“You…you…” he gasped out.
I ground my teeth together. “Hey, limpdick? You wanna see what my tree trunk legs can do?”
I decided not to kick him in the face. Broken teeth might be enough for him to call the cops on me for assault. As justified as my actions were, it would have been hard to argue when he looked like shit while I was unscathed.
My foot slammed into his crotch, crashing into his cock and balls.
Dusty’s face turned even redder. He collapsed to his side, his hands moving from his stomach to his crotch.
Stepping back, I watched in horror and satisfaction as he opened his mouth and vomited all over himself.
Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I finally turned back to my car.
“Don’t come to my shop again,” I said over my shoulder as I got in. “Don’t call, don’t text, don’t write. If I see you again, I won’t just kick you in the balls, I’ll fucking cut them off.”
I locked the door, then quickly sent Jackson a text to let him know all was good.