Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Riley
So far we’ve had a ton of customers coming into the coffee shop. Most of them work here in town and have told me how excited they are that I’ve opened the shop. I love hearing that from them.
“Hey, Riley, there’s a delivery for you. Are you expecting more things for the shop?” Oliver asks as he brings a box over to me.
“No, I’ve gotten all my deliveries for the week,” I say.
“Would you mind if I open it? We can’t be too careful,” he says.
“I don’t mind.”
“I’ll be right outside.”
“Does he think it’s something dangerous?” Daphne asks me.
“I don’t know, but he looks concerned. I hate that they’re all worried because of my bad decisions.”
“Hey! This is in no way your fault. So don’t you give that another thought. Playboy is a psychopath and you were unlucky enough to get caught by him. So fuck him.”
I love Daphne, even if she thought I was at fault? She’d never blame me. And even though she says not to, I still feel bad. Finally, Oliver comes back in. His face is bright red.
“Um,” he says as he hands me a box that looks like it’s from a high-end lingerie shop.
I laugh and take the box from him to open it. It looks like a lace two piece, not something I’d wear, but it’s pretty. Weird part is there’s no card. But maybe Fionn wanted to be here when I got it? I mean who else would send me something like this?
Fionn comes walking in as I’m closing the box. I open my mouth to thank him, but the look on his face is telling me something’s wrong.
“This isn’t from you, is it?” I say softly.
“No, love. It’s not. Oliver told me what it was. Do you know who it could be from? I’m wondering if Playboy would do this.”
“But I never even slept with him. Fuck, I never even kissed him. He tried on the second date and I got grossed out. I couldn’t imagine kissing him.” I can feel my anxiety growing.
Fionn holds me. “I promise he won’t touch you.”
“A-are you sure it’s him?”
“We don’t know for sure. But if I had to make a guess? He would be my number one suspect.”
“I’m sorry I brought this into your life.”
“This isn’t your fault. None of it is because of you, he’s doing this and he’ll be taken care of.
I have some things I need to talk to you about tonight.
It’s something I can’t tell Daphne. But I can tell you.
I know you hate keeping things from her and I’m sorry for that.
But this is important,” he whispers to me.
I hate keeping things from Daphne. But if it means that much to Fionn, how can I say no to that?
“Maybe one day I can tell her?”
“Maybe.” He nods.
Fionn
I know that Riley doesn’t like secrets, I can see it on her face. But I didn’t get permission to tell Daphne. Only Riley. The only problem is that the shifters planned on telling her at the family barbecue and Daphne will be there. I text my zio and the others.
Fionn: So I forgot about something. If you all come out at the barbecue, Daphne will find out too…
Zio Giacomo: Shit
Zeus: I didn’t think about that. But since she’s Riley’s best friend and now a permanent part of Lake Renegade, we could possibly let her in too
Enea: I’ll have Sebastiano and Francesco look into Daphne and we’ll get back to you
Fionn: Okay, thank you
Well, at least it’s not a hard no. I was on my way to the station when Oliver called to ask me if I sent a package to Riley.
When I said no, he suggested I swing by the coffee shop and see what came in.
Whoever sent it didn’t include a card. But my gut says it’s Playboy.
Scrapper will be here in a day, and then hopefully we can take care of this without anyone getting hurt.
I grab the box and take it to the side. But when I pick it up, I notice that it’s a little heavy for just lingerie. So I shake the box and it makes a weird rattling noise.
“It didn’t do that when I looked through it.” Riley frowns.
I open it up again and feel the sides. I find a flap in one side and open it. A lighter and a single bullet falls out. Fuck me. I hear Riley gasp and Oliver swears.
Fionn: Hey Sal, I’m not going to come in today. Riley got a weird package and I don’t want to leave her. But I need to get you the package
Salvatore: What kind of package? I can come by and pick it up so we can trace it
Fionn: That would be great. I don’t want to say what it is. You’ll see when you get here
Salvatore: Do I need to make this official?
Fionn: Maybe. I’ll leave that up to you when you see it
Salvatore: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes
Fionn: Thank you
“Salvatore’s coming to get this,” I say to them as I grab a napkin and pick up the lighter and bullet, throwing them back in the box. I’m convinced this is Playboy and I’m going to make sure he fucking pays for threatening my Riley.
Riley
What the fuck is happening? I can’t stop my body from shaking, Fionn comes over to me and holds me. I bury my face in his chest and hold onto him. What if Playboy hurts Fionn? I couldn’t live with that.
“Don’t worry, baby. You’re safe,” he whispers to me as he tightens his arms around me.
We get some customers as we wait for Salvatore to get to the shop.
Keeping a smile plastered on my face is getting harder and harder.
I know that I won’t get answers when Salvatore gets here.
And I also know that Playboy is not stable.
But is he really crazy enough to send me a lighter and a bullet? A fucking bullet. Who does that?
Finally, Salvatore comes in, and Daphne offers to make his coffee while Fionn and I go into my office to show him the box.
“I’m going to need your prints in case we have to go to court. That way we can say it’s not yours,” he says to me.
“Okay. Should I come down to the station?”
“Yeah, that would be easier.”
“I’ll ask Daphne if she can take care of the shop so I can come down now.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to wait to process all this stuff. I’ll meet you both at the station.”
I leave to go and talk to Daphne.
“Of course I got this. Let’s get this bastard,” Daphne says as she hugs me. “I love you.”
I hug her tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well it’s a good thing you’re stuck with me, then.” She chuckles.
Fionn, Oliver and I head to the sheriff’s station.
“I’ll get my guys started processing the box and what’s inside. It’ll take a few days to get the results for fingerprints. We’ll try to trace the bullet too,” Salvatore says as he hands the box to one of his deputies. “And I’m guessing you don’t want to start just yet?”
“If I can wait a week, that would be great. I just need to be with Riley,” Fionn says as Salvatore nods.
“You’re position will be here waiting for you. I would be doing the same thing.”
“I appreciate that. Do you think it’s Playboy?”
“I do.” He nods.
Fionn sighs as a woman comes to join us. I remember her from the barbecue, but I can’t remember her name. I think she can see the confusion on my face.
“I’m Lila. You can come with me. Deputy Wilson will get your fingerprints done and there’s some paperwork we need you to fill out.” She smiles at me.
Fionn grabs me and kisses me before I head off with Lila.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” she says as she squeezes my hand. “You’re in good hands, Hugh is great and if you want, I can stay too.”
“I’d like that, thank you. And thank you both for doing this. I don’t understand what I did for this guy to do this.”
“Sometimes they can get fixated on one person and this is what happens. But like Lila said, you’ll be okay.
We’re going to have you fill out these papers and then you’ll write down what you found in the box.
That way we have it all on file in case something else happens,” Hugh explains to me as he does my fingerprinting.
“Thank you. I wish I hadn’t met Playboy.” I sigh.
“Do you remember when you met him for the first time?” Salvatore asks.
I have to think for a second. “I think it’s been a month? I met him about two weeks before I went to Ireland. So maybe a little over a month.”
“Okay. If he’s been here maybe a month to a month and a half, he can only be here for another month and a half. Because I’m doubting he has a visa to be here.”
“He didn’t strike me as the type to do things the right way. Why does this feel like you’re all used to situations like this?” I say as I look around at each of them.
They’re all unusually quiet and I sigh at them.
“We might have had to deal with some things before,” Salvatore says.
“Maybe a little.” Lila adds.
Oliver snorts as Hugh punches him in the arm.
“Ow.”
“That didn’t hurt.” He rolls his eyes.
“Of course it did, you hurt my feelings,” Oliver says with a straight face.
I start to giggle as I watch them. Fionn comes over and holds me from behind as I lean back on him.
Is it possible to love someone this fast?
I’m not sure if it is, but if this isn’t love, then it’s something big.
Just having his with me makes me feel safer.
And I like that, especially with what’s going on.
“You’re all children,” Nelson, Salvatore’s chief deputy, says as he joins us.
I got to meet Nelson and his family. He told me how he ran against Salvatore for sheriff of Lake Renegade and lost. But the time he spent here while he was campaigning made him realize he wanted to stay, even if he lost. So he applied for the chief deputy position and Salvatore agreed to have him on his team.
I love how this family has come together.
There’s a big part of it that’s blood related.
But the rest are ones that have been welcomed into the family. That includes me and Daphne.
“I know Fionn has said this to you, but I don’t think you should go anywhere alone. You have Oliver and after today, Giacomo may want to put a second bodyguard with you,” Salvatore tells me.
“Is that really necessary? It seems a little excessive.”
“You can argue that with him if you’d like.” He laughs.
I think about it for a minute. Giacomo Bastianini is a huge guy and while he seems fairly easy going? I’m not sure he’s used to people ignoring what he says. So I make faces at Salvatore instead of answering.
After I fill out all the paperwork and we’re getting ready to go back to the coffee shop, we hear dispatch calling on the radio. And my heart drops.