Instead of parking in the lot, he drove the bike through the back service entrance and stopped in front of the door. He dismounted and pulled off his helmet. Smiling, I stepped from my hiding place and opened my mouth to tell him I was there.
Before I could get a word out, he grabbed his gun from a side holster and aimed it straight at my chest. I let out a yelp and stepped back, knocking into some discarded boxes. Losing my balance, I fell back on my butt, scattering boxes and debris across the alley.
Ramos reached me, his eyes wide with dismay. “What the hell, Shelby. I almost killed you.”
“Yeah… I kinda noticed that.”
“Are you okay?”
“Um… I think so.” My legs were tangled and my butt hurt. I’d caught my fall with my right hand, and my wrist was sore, but I could move it just fine, so I didn’t think it was sprained or anything.
“Here, let me help you up.” Ramos knelt beside me with enough guilt and fear radiating off him to fuel a small storm. He reached down to help me up, and I winced, cradling my hurting wrist.
“It was my fault. I should have spoken up earlier… I mean… I was going to say something witty, but I couldn’t figure anything out, so maybe that was part of it.” Ramos helped me to my feet, and I leaned against him until I stopped shaking. His overwhelming guilt that he’d nearly killed me took my breath away.
“Hey… you don’t need to feel bad. I mean… look on the bright side… you didn’t shoot me after all, right? So it’s all good. It’s probably because of your great reflexes, you know? I mean… sure I could be dead right now, but I’m not, because you figured it out, you stopped just in—”
“Shelby… shut up.” He pulled me close against him and held me tightly until his heart rate began to slow.
“Uh… everything okay back here?” Aaron asked, trying to see what was going on in the dark.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice muffled against Ramos’s chest. “Everything’s fine. We’ll be right there.” Ramos finally let me go, and I immediately missed his warmth.
“You sure you’re okay? You’re holding your wrist.”
I glanced down to see he was right. “Oh… yeah. It hurts a little, but not too bad. I’m sure it’s fine.”
He let out a sigh and shook his head. “Let’s go in and take a look. I’m sure Aaron’s got a first aid kit somewhere.”
Not wanting to argue, I nodded and stepped toward the door, then came to an abrupt halt. “Oh wait. I dropped my stun flashlight. It’s got to be around here somewhere.”
“I’ll find it in a minute. Let’s go in and look at your wrist first.”
“No... I need my flashlight. It might come in handy in there.” He opened his mouth to protest, but I wasn’t giving up. “I’d just feel better if I had it.” I moved a little stiffly and started toward the boxes. It was hard to see in the dark, but Ramos helped me search, and he found it a few seconds later.
“Here you go.” As he handed it over, I picked up that his guilt was mostly gone, replaced by profound relief that I was okay.
I was relieved too. I couldn’t think of anything worse than getting accidently shot by Ramos. I’d made a stupid mistake. I should have realized the danger. What was I thinking? “How could I be so stupid?”
Ramos’s gaze jerked to mine.
“Did I just say that out loud?”
“Yes.”
“Well it’s true. I’m an idiot.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. There’s enough of that going around.”
He was right about that. So I just smiled and nodded. Ramos opened the door, and I stepped inside a small office. He ushered me into a chair at the side of the desk, and I gratefully sat down.
Surprise, and a rush of fear, came from the man standing beside Aaron. I got a good look at him, and my eyes widened. He was the kid who’d stolen the shoe-sized box the other day, and who’d dragged me halfway across the store while I’d clutched his ankle.
After he recognized me, his fear escalated to realize Ramos stood in front of me. He could hardly forget the big guy who’d threatened him with bodily harm. He turned to Aaron. “What’s going on? Why are they here? We made a deal. You said we were even.”
“My organization doesn’t like double-crossers,” Ramos said, his face chiseled in stone. “So I’m here to make sure nothing goes wrong this time.”
Before the kid could say a word, the back door opened, and Vinny stepped inside. He nodded at everyone, relieved that Nolan had actually shown up. “Good. Everyone’s here. Let’s get started.”
With Aaron and Ramos flanking Nolan, and Vinny in front of the door, he was boxed in, and his nervous tension ratcheted even higher. He thought of grabbing his switchblade, but knew his odds of surviving were pretty slim if he decided to use it. His only option now was to make the deal and get out of there. He swore that, next time, Xavier would just have to get the roids himself.
I picked up that Vinny had worked hard to set this up. He’d promised Nolan that he’d get his drugs, regardless of who he’d been buying from before, and he’d done his best to make sure the kid would show up.
Nolan nervously licked his lips before speaking. “You got the gym candy?”
“Yes I do.” Vinny opened his backpack and pulled out a bag full of pills. Seeing it, Nolan sagged with relief and pulled out a wad of bills.
“It’s all there.” Nolan held out the money, but Vinny didn’t move.
“I need something from you first.” Vinny held the pills just
