17. Eric
Chapter 17
Eric
C assidy had been dragged to help Ann and Patrice, modelling a new dress Ann was making. She’d been gone now for an hour, not that I’d been keeping a purposeful eye on the time. Every second felt like it ticked by due to our lack of customers passing through. It’d most likely take a few days until it picked up as usual. Just in case we had customers, however, we’d parked Cassidy’s rental car out the back.
Lori had finished with serving our only customer who’d stopped in for a coffee and was now suddenly fixated on trying her hardest to scrub off a stain on the counter that’d been there for years. I tried not to chuckle when frustrated, she blew a piece of her red hair that dangled away from her eyes.
I’d been chopping wood all morning and took a momentary break in the kitchen, taking a sip of my cup of joe and throwing back a breakfast sandwich. My muscles ached, satisfied by the workout so far. A cold sweat had spoilt my shirt and I intended on changing into the spare one in the truck once I was done with the day. Had it been just me, I wouldn’t have minded, but I didn’t want to get into the truck with Cassidy smelling like this.
The doorbell chimed as the door opened. Shadow’s hackles raised immediately, a growl vibrating through him. I furrowed my eyebrows dropping the sandwich and dusting my hands to leave the kitchen and inspect.
“Good morning,” Lori chirped as she threw the sponge to the side, obviously excited by the distraction.
Two men stood in the door, scoping out the café with displeasure. It was the obvious dynamics of the two I didn’t like. The gentleman who wore a ridiculously over-the-top, expensive garment almost sneered at our café as if it was a dive. His blonde curly hair was slicked back in gel and those green snake eyes missed nothing. Behind him loomed what could only be described as his bodyguard.
I’d met plenty of his type before. Little pompous pricks who felt entitled, and instinct told me this one was going to be a bigger pain in the ass than usual.
Ignoring Lori’s welcome, they refused to step further inside. I rounded the counter with Shadow by my side. When I stopped, he sat at my feet, staring up at the man who easily became disgruntled by our appearance.
“Wow,” the little pompous prick joked throwing a thumb my way. “They make them big out here, huh?” He titled his head back to the bodyguard, expecting him to laugh. But he didn’t. Instead, the older man sized me up as a threat. These two were trouble.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Are you here for breakfast?”
The man scoffed. “Here? God no. We’re looking for a woman.”
I expressed nothing on my face. “Yes. Less than half of our population here are women but I doubt any would have any business with you.”
He rolled his tongue around in his mouth, evidently annoyed by my tone. He pushed back his hair, as if in fear that a piece of the gel had slipped. “A specific woman. And you might want to be cautious as to how you speak to me.”
Shadow’s growl was low and menacing, reminding him that it was he who should watch his tone. Effortlessly, the bodyguard pushed back his coat to reveal a gun peeking out from the belt strapped at his pants. I snapped my gaze to the littler man. Who the fuck was this little prick?
“Eric, where do you want me to put this?” Lori sung out as she teased held up the rifle we kept behind the counter. A twitch provoked my lips, trying not to smile at my smart-ass little sister.
“Obviously we come in peace,” the man laughed, almost amused by the escalation of events. Something told me this brat was used to getting what he wanted and when he wanted it.
“Let me assure you, coming into someone else’s town and business with a gun and demand is not how it’s done. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” I growled out.
At the mention of his parents, a feverish anger washed over him, but then he revealed a deadly smile. “I’m after a woman, blonde curly hair, blue eyes…” he began detailing a description as his bodyguard pulled out his cell, displaying an image of Cassidy. Except not a recent photo. In the photo, she was holding a sparkler in hand with a cake the size of her height with twenty-one written all over it. She was in a bikini, laughing at nothing in particular. I noticed in that image the flashy surroundings and the way the others were dressed around her. Wealth. Prestige. Elite.
“Have you seen her?” the man asked again.
“No.” My expression was deadpan.
“Really? We might be under the impression she stopped here last?” The man-child seemed disbelieving.
I said nothing. The low irritable growl of Shadow’s pricked the air.
“We haven’t but is she dangerous or something?” Lori asked from behind the counter. I felt the skin over my muscle tighten. I couldn’t explain why I immediately wanted to kick this man out, but there was something about him, a dangerous and entitled kind of air. And I was grateful Lori played na?ve as well.
He laughed. “Dangerous? No. Spoilt? Definitely. We’re just playing a little cat and mouse, that’s all.” He charmed a smile as the bodyguard slid the cell back into his pocket.
He pulled out a slick card with a name, number, and a company logo plastered on it. He offered it to me but I simply eyed it. With a small grumble, Lori walked behind me, leant around my wide shoulders and plucked it out of his hand.
“Well, if we see her, we’ll let you know,” Lori said, flipping over the card to read it.
“Right,” he drawled, giving me an unimpressed look. “Well enjoy your day.” He turned and left as if he couldn’t get out of here any quicker.
Lori whistled behind him. Slowly, I feathered a hand through Shadow’s fur, easing the same tension that rippled through me. There was something not right about that man.
“He’s the CEO of Taylor Oils,” Lori said folding over the card. “Isn’t that one of the big ones? And why is he looking for Cassidy?”
“We’re not ratting her out” is all I said as I grabbed my coat with the intention to find her and make sure he didn’t first. I doubted he’d try any other places on the main street. This was the most central for most people passing through. But I didn’t like the threat walking through town either. People like him were not welcome here.
“Well of course not but,” Lori called out to me as I shuffled my coat on, “don’t you think you’re going out on a bit of a limb for a stranger?” I paused and looked over my shoulder. “I mean it was only a few days ago you were reluctant to even breathe the same air as her and hold her up in your cabin. Don’t you think it’s risky going up against something like this and for what?”
Not that I had to explain myself, but my sister was one of few who understood me. And her best interest would always lay in the safety of the town where our parents lived. As did mine. But nor was I going to hand Cassidy over like some bargaining chip. I was certain he had something to do with the reason she was running away in the first place. “Something wasn’t right about that man.”
Lori seemed to agree with a grimace. And she liked Cassidy, I could tell. But she was right; we didn’t know what kind of trouble she was caught up in either. “Where are you going now?” Lori asked.
“To make sure she’s safe and doesn’t leave Ann’s house without me.”
Lori’s arms folded over her chest, a mischievous sparkle twinkling in her eye. I ignored it, stepping out into the slow sprinkling snow and heading to Ann’s house with Shadow by my side. The two men had already driven off but I wasn’t leaving anything to chance.