He thought about the gun in the safe. He could shoot Ramos and take off with the money. He’d get out from under Manetto once and for all. But… he’d most likely end up dead if he went that route, and he wasn’t quite that desperate yet. But he was getting close.
“I’ll come with you,” Ramos told him.
“Uh… Ramos,” I said. “You should probably know that he has a gun in the safe… and he might be tempted to use it.”
Ramos’s brows rose, and he turned back to Aaron. The shock on Aaron’s face quickly turned to fear. “I would never do that.”
Ramos grunted and grabbed Aaron by the shirt. He shoved him around the counter and marched him into the back of the store. As they disappeared through the door, I decided to stay right where I was. Ramos had everything under control, and I had no desire to interfere with that. Besides, someone needed to mind the store.
I stepped toward one of the shelves and glanced over the supplements. They ranged from body building and weight loss to increasing your sex drive. Another shelf sported women’s ultra-super supplements that included essential wellness oils and antioxidants. Hmmm… if I wanted to be healthy and keep from aging, I should probably get some of those.
I heard the creak of the door opening, but the bell never jingled over the door. Not too worried, I finished reading about the amazing benefits of Biotin before I stepped into the center aisle to take a look.
A young man wearing a hoodie nearly mowed me down. He jerked in surprise at the last second and swore under his breath. The kid had a big neck and the broad shoulders of a football player, and he wasn’t happy to see me.
“Uh… can I help you?” I asked him.
He’d watched the store manager leave through the back and thought the store was empty, yet there I was complicating things. He glanced back at the entrance, and I caught sight of another guy standing guard in front. I noticed the sign on the door had been turned from open to closed, and a chill of dread ran down my spine.
Before I could pick up his intent, he shoved me into the shelves and ran to the back counter. I hit the shelves hard, knocking a bunch of plastic pill bottles onto the floor. Off-balance, I grabbed a shelf to keep from falling and knocked several more items onto the ground before I landed on the floor beside them.
As I climbed to my feet, the guy stepped around the counter and shoved several boxes to the ground, clearly looking for something he wanted. He froze, then grabbed a small shoe-sized box and glanced inside before placing it under his arm like a football.
He came my way, rushing back down the aisle. Since he didn’t expect it, I tried to stop him. That probably wasn’t the best idea, and he shoved past me. I tumbled to the ground, but managed to grab one of his legs and held on for dear life. I tightened my hold while he dragged me halfway to the door.
Surprised that I wasn’t letting go, he thought he’d have to kick me in the face. Since I didn’t want that to happen, I let go just as he pulled his leg off the ground to kick me. Without my weight, he tilted back on one foot. Taking advantage of his unsteadiness, I gave his raised foot an extra shove. He crashed into the shelves, knocking the contents to the ground and dropping his precious cargo.
Seeing my chance, I lunged for the box and picked it up. As I scrambled to my feet, the guy grunted with anger and lunged toward me. With a powerful tug, he wrestled the box out of my arms, causing me to pitch forward. I slipped on some pill bottles and grabbed his shirt so I wouldn’t land on my face.
He tried to shake me off, but he’d had enough and raised his fist to punch me in the face. I quickly let go of him and fell onto my side. He contemplated hitting me anyway, and raised his fist.
The back door crashed open, startling him.
“What the hell?” Ramos rushed toward us with murder in his eyes. The guy took one look at him and took off out the door. Ramos would have followed, but, with me flat on the floor, sudden worry tightened his throat. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed. “I’m a little rattled, but I’m okay.” My voice shook, and Ramos helped me up. My legs were a little shaky too, so I was grateful for his strong arms.
Aaron had followed Ramos from the back and stood there with his mouth hanging open. Ramos turned to him. “What the hell is going on here?”
Aaron shook his head. “Those stupid kids. Did they take the box?”
“Uh… you mean the shoe-sized box under the counter?” I asked. “Yeah, he did.”
Aaron’s shoulders slumped, and he rubbed his hands through his hair. “I’m so screwed.” As he took in the condition of his shop, an idea occurred to him. “You have to tell Manetto that it’s not my fault. In fact, I should get compensated for this. He should pay me more, and I shouldn’t have to pay him at all.”
“What?” Ramos asked. “What are you talking about?”
Aaron didn’t answer, but I picked it up from his mind. I met Ramos’s gaze. “He sells steroids… and other drugs… mostly to high school kids, but other people too… and he thinks he’s doing it for Uncle Joey.”
CHAPTER 3
Ramos’s eyes widened. “What?” He turned his gaze to Aaron. “Is she right?”
Aaron glanced between us, not sure what was going on. If I already knew what he was doing, how come Ramos didn’t know? “Yeah. But if she knows, why don’t you?”
