Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
“Oh, I remember meeting them.” Sapphire said, grabbing a pepperoni from the last slice.
“Yes, at The Hangout.”
The bell tinkled, and a man walked in. Sapphire had seen him before. He’d been hanging around the block lined with small specialty shops for a while—a couple of weeks, at least. He never had packages.
She chewed and swallowed quickly as she stood up. “Hi. Welcome to The Blue Door. What can I help you find today?”
“Just looking.”
“Of course. You’ll find everything is handcrafted and unique. Rings are at the counter. Necklace and earring sets are on the far wall.”
She had a bad feeling about the man and tried to talk herself out of it. People often judged her for her blue hair and tattoos. She didn’t want to assume this man was trouble just because he was hanging around and she’d never seen packages. Sapphire definitely didn’t run into all the people in the area. She could have missed him on the days he’d purchased something.
“I’ll know it when I see it,” the customer stated firmly and avoided eye contact.
He picked up and put down a lot of items, making her nervousness increase. What is it about this guy?
Suddenly, she noticed him slip a pair of earrings into his pocket. Hell no. That wasn’t happening in her store. “Sir, I need you to return the items you placed in your pocket and then leave.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mumbled and started toward the door.
Sapphire heard the soft grate of Blade’s stool on the flooring as he stood. She didn’t glance at the biker. She was perfectly capable of dealing with this jerk.
Moving around the shoplifter quickly, Sapphire physically blocked his way to the entrance and stated firmly, “You’re on camera. I will call the police. Let me have the jewelry.”
Blade’s boots resounded on the floor. She heard the snick of something being pulled from leather. The man looked back over his shoulder at Blade, who Sapphire could hear advancing, but she didn’t take her eyes off the thief.
“Return that jewelry now,” she stated firmly.
He glanced back at Blade one more time and thrust his hand into his pocket. After pulling out the earrings she’d seen him steal and several other items she’d missed completely, the man tossed them onto the countertop. He dodged around her, and Sapphire didn’t try to stop him. She did jump in front of the bristling man dressed in leather who rushed toward the door after him.
“Let him go.”
Blade stared at her. His brown eyes were narrowed and hard, transforming his face into something scary. Sapphire was amazed that she wasn’t frightened.
“Get out of the way, Little girl.”
“He’s gone, and we’re not chasing after him. If he got out of here with anything, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I keep the expensive jewelry behind the counter.” She didn’t look at the large knife in his hand, having already caught a glimpse of it. “Put that away and calm down.”
“I don’t think you get to tell me what to do,” he informed her in an ice-cold voice.
“My store. My rules.” She pointed to the camera. “I’d like to call the police and report that man, but they’re going to be more concerned about you and that machete.” Sapphire waved a hand toward the weapon in his hand without glancing at it.
“I don’t have a machete hidden in the front of my vest,” Blade reassured her. His voice lightened, and his malevolent facial expression eased.
“Thank goodness. Now put it back wherever it goes, please.” She looked at the display where he’d spent the most time and noted the holes where products were missing. When her gaze returned to Blade, the knife had disappeared.
“Call the police, Little girl.”
“My store. My rules,” she reminded him.
“Outside of this store—I have the last word,” he told her calmly. “And if you endanger yourself even in your shop, I stop being lenient.”
“Lenient?” Her blood started to boil until she saw the clump of jewelry on the counter. What would she have done if Blade hadn’t been with her? Within seconds, ice water ran through her veins. She shook with the emotional impact of the confrontation.
Blade stepped forward and wrapped himself around her. “You’re okay, Blue Eyes. I’ve got you.”
Sapphire buried her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around his waist. His warmth seeped into her frigid body. Slowly she thawed.
“Thank you for being here, Blade.”
“Daddy,” he corrected her gently.
“Daddy. I should call the police now.”
With the assailant gone, no damage done, and no injuries, the police suggested she come to the station when convenient and file a report. Blade was not pleased with that response, but Sapphire understood completely.
“It’s Friday night. There are many more serious things the police need to handle. The danger has passed,” she reminded him.