Betrayal of the Dove - By Capri Montgomery Page 0,66

to understand that she wasn’t going back on her promise.

“You can bring your friends; both of them if you want,” he said. “I really want the students to have a good showing.”

She nodded. “Okay. I think I might be able to talk at least one of them into coming.” She was almost sure of it actually because neither one of them were going to let her go anywhere without at least one of them accompanying her.

After Gary left, her day went back to normal—mostly normal. A few other shop owners stopped in, more afraid and needing information than anything else. She didn’t have any information to give them. As far as she knew, the guy robbing them blind was still at large, and the guy after her guy was still on the hunt. She also knew that she hadn’t heard from Shane and she was starting to get worried. That was just crazy because the man was trained for war, and since he hadn’t been gone long she really shouldn’t be stressing his whereabouts; but she was. She was worried and she couldn’t deny that.

By eight she was closing up shop. Her register took a little longer to balance, thanks to her own counting error, but at least she was thankful to find out she hadn’t undercharged a nine hundred dollar piece of jewelry. “I’m almost ready,” she told Leo; he was patiently waiting at her counter. “I just have to run upstairs and get something.” She was sure he wasn’t thrilled about having to squeeze into her little car to get back to Shane’s place, but Shane had needed the truck for his trip so they were down to just her car. Leo really was too big for the space, but at least he fit—although probably not super comfortably.

She turned off the store lights, ran upstairs to grab the pieces she had been working on earlier in the week. She wasn’t sleepy so she was sure she was going to want to do some work once they got back to Shane’s place. They were almost completely out the back door when somebody hit Leo over the head and pushed her inside before locking the door behind them. She took one fist to her face that split her lip and that was all. She fought like her brother’s had taught her. Her last move took her assailant down to the floor and she dug her stiletto boot heel into his spine. “Stay down or I will be forced to keep you down permanently!” She kept one of his arms twisted and elevated in a way that would dislocate his shoulder if he tried to move.

“Alyssa!” She heard the pounding on the door. She reached over, keeping her balance and twisting the lock. The second she flipped the bolt he rushed in.

“I’m fine,” she said as he surveyed the damage.

“Shane is not going to be happy about your lip,” he mumbled.

“Hey! I kicked butt,” she said nearly irate with the fact that the only thing he noticed was her lip—a lip that was throbbing with pain right now. “You should call the cops.”

“He pulled out his cell and punched in the emergency number, gave location and situation details like a law enforcement officer would, and then he disconnected the call.

“Let’s see who this bastard is, shall we?” He yanked the ski mask off her attacker while she kept him neutralized.

“Petrof? You’re the one doing all of this.”

He laughed the best he could from his position. “I had fun,” he said. “That night I got Shatrel I was going to come do you instead, but she was easier access, and her products are worth a hell of a lot more than yours.” He uttered his words flippantly and detached from any emotion other than joy and satisfaction.

“You have a successful bistro. Why would you do this?”

“You all are funding my lifestyle,” he said as if that should make everything okay.

“Yeah, and now unfortunately we get to fund your lifestyle in prison too.” She voiced her discontent with the situation. She would have never suspected it was one of the other Row owners. She always thought the threat was outside when clearly it came from within. “How’s your head, Leo?”

“It’s had harder hits,” he grumbled. “But the bastard better pray he doesn’t make one move or I’m going to save the tax payers some money.”

His tone was so lethal and serious that she didn’t doubt that he would do as promised. Lucky Leo,