Page 29 of Kandie Shoppe

“This all has to be some mistake, Sheriff.” I remain silent, walking through the busy kitchen — as dangerous a place as any, with an innumerable amount of weapons at a potential assailant’s disposal from hot oil to all the knives lying around. Hell, a hot skillet could do real damage.

We skirt around the busy kitchen, down the short hallway leading to her office.

I open the door. Thad’s head pops up, startled and looking guilty. He’s probably playing video games instead of doing the ads Krie briefly said were his role in the restaurant.

“Thaddeus Love, you’re under arrest violating U.S.C. § 1030 — The Federal Crime of Computer Hacking. You have the right to remain silent —”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I don’t let Krie’s outburst deter me. I continue with the counts as spelled out in the warrant.

“Thad, what is he talking about? Ulysses, you can’t be serious,” she pleads, looking between the two of us. “Thad didn’t do this. He wouldn’t do anything like this ever.”

“Give me your wrists,” I instruct, focusing on the unapologetic expression on the kid’s face continuing to give Thaddeus Love his rights.

“You know him. You know this isn’t right.” Her voice takes on a heartbreaking hoarseness. She sounds like she’s choking on despair.

“Thad?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong, Krie. Don’t worry about it.” He sounds so brave to her, I bet. He sounds guilty and prideful to me. Not only did he do it. He’s wearing this arrest like a badge of courage. I guide him by the shoulder out to the hallway.

Deputies line up behind and in front of us like they hunted down a killer. I can barely squeeze by with the kid, with Krie following close behind me and her brother. Teams of two, six on each side follow us out.

Turning to my left, I ask Davies, “Did you bring the cruiser around?”

“Yes, sir.”

Good. I won’t parade this kid through the dining area in handcuffs surrounded by deputies looking like he’s some type of criminal.

The entire kitchen is silent as I take them through to the door leading out back. None of the diners can see back here, but I can clearly hear them demanding to know what is going on.

Feeling Krie’s eyes on me, I protect Thad’s head as I help him into the back of the cruiser.

Slamming the door closed, I turn to look down at her brown eyes so similar to her cousin’s only they don’t hold the same fire but are flooded with fear and confusion.

Treating her like she is about to enter the battlefield, I fire out instructions for her ears alone. “Get a lawyer. I told them to wait until you finish to come in. Close early. Stay in the kitchen. Two deputies are going to stay to ensure you do. The feds will confiscate all of his devices. They have been to your home already. They are going to take his laptop. They are going to want to interview you. Again. Get. A. Lawyer.”

She stands frozen, hopefully absorbing everything I told her. Getting into my vehicle, I drive off opposite of the officers out front. I hope to save Krie the embarrassment — to save Thaddeus. No one knows who we came to take out of the back. They won’t until the morning. Still, I have to say something to this kid who seems so unbothered.

“You brought a lot of unnecessary problems to your sister’s door, young man.”

Hazel eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror.

“Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”

Chapter

Eight

Kandie

Frowning, I take my phone out of my pocket. The pinging is getting on my nerves.

Pastries are a delicate process. Temperature, time, and ingredients being thrown off by me being distracted can ruin a dozen goodies. Like now, as I’m stopping in the middle of the process to read the family text thread. They’re used to it by now, though.

Still, nosey as ever, I read the text.

Krie: Ulysses came by the Camellia and took Thad in. He and his friends are being charged with hacking the Creative Chaos plant. LL is coming in to represent them.

Following that is a flurry of responses from family members in denial or in support of Thad. My heart stops at theUlysses took Thad to jail part. No heads-up. Nothing after he’d just been with me the entire night before.

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