The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,1
little of our own in this world. You know?”
Since we couldn’t keep humans from shopping in our stores, it was imperative that we took measures to protect our secrecy. Shopkeepers received protection from the local higher authority, and since Hope and I were Shifters, we could call upon our local Council for assistance. They had given us private phone numbers should the human law or government show up asking questions. Their insiders scrubbed memories and erased records—anything to keep Breed a secret from humans.
With our store launch just around the corner, we were already facing our first crisis. Hope had recently severed her business relationship with a gemstone dealer after he doubled his prices when he got wind that we were opening a store. We’d prepaid for a final shipment that would last us through the quarter, but after that, we were on our own. He was certain we would come crawling back to him with our grand opening on the horizon, but Hope had other ideas. Since she was Native American, she decided it would be in our best interests to work exclusively with a Shifter tribe. Not only would it put money back into the community, but also, Hope said they were men of their word and we wouldn’t have to worry about someone screwing us over. Luckily, we still had time to sort all that out.
Hope admired the space. “This room has great light. And we’re fortunate to not have competition nearby.”
“That’s for sure,” I said, slowly swiveling my chair in a circle. “Sandwiched between an ice cream shop and a bakery—we couldn’t ask for a better location.” When my chair came to a stop, I stared absently out the window. “I just don’t want it to look like one of those snooty boutiques. We need window displays that’ll attract everyone, no matter their age or social class. Some of our friends will follow us, but I want to pull in the older crowd too—especially with all your high-end jewelry.”
We both briefly turned to look at the glass jewelry counter by the register.
Hope tapped her finger against her chin. “Should we separate the merchandise by age group to make it easier for them to find what they want?”
“Let’s mix it up first and see how that goes. I’m afraid if we put the teens here and the adults there, it’ll segregate our customers and make the inventory appear limited. I get orders from grown women for my sneakers.”
“You’re right.” Hope stood up and hooked her thumbs behind the straps of her overalls. She had thick eyebrows and never plucked them, which made her eyes look wild and beautiful, but she never played up her features with makeup. When she frowned, a tiny vertical crease appeared between her eyebrows. “Maybe we can dress the mannequins by age to show that we cater to both.”
“That’s a good idea.” I twirled my violet hair around one finger and caught a whiff of the cleaning products still on my hands. “I’m so glad we did this on our own.”
Hope lifted her can of soda and gracefully strolled forward. She had a regal way about her that was natural and effortless. “Well, my father was certainly willing to help,” she said with disdain. “You have no idea how close he was to buying this store for us—without our permission. He was insistent on us keeping the money we’d saved as a safety net.”
“In case we fail?” I laughed and straddled the armless chair. When I noticed a loose thread hanging from my cutoff jean shorts, I yanked it off. “Our families mean well, but I don’t want to be in their debt. If they had bought this place, it wouldn’t feel like ours. They’d want to access our financial records and might even influence our decisions since they’d have a stake in the business. No, thanks. Where’s our sense of accomplishment and independence? I’d rather fail on my own than succeed with someone else’s money.”
Hope chuckled and stood before me. “Is Wheeler still going to help?”
My uncle was a whiz when it came to financial advice—it was his calling in life. “That’s a given. I trust him, and he’s the one who combed through all that paperwork when we bought this place from the higher authority. If it weren’t for him, we’d be situated two blocks over, by the antiques store.”
“What was wrong with that place? It was bigger.”
“Watching my aunt run her shop taught me how important foot traffic is, and