Page 92 of Hard Knock Hero

A look of pure horror contorted the woman’s face. She turned around and went back toward the exit like she couldn’t escape fast enough. It didn’t seem like anyone else had heard the noise in the closet.

And a couple of seconds later, Aiden emerged, flexing his hand like it was sore. He was carrying aCaution - Wet Floorsign, and he set it up in front of the closet door after he closed it. “Yankees cap will be out of our hair for a little while. I got his gun and his phone. Plus a nice tactical knife, which is more my style.” He pulled a knife in a leather sheath partway from his pocket, then tucked it away again.

“Keys?” I asked.

“No. The other one must have them.”

That was too bad. I bit the inside of my lip. “But at least it’s the two of us against one now. We can take him.”

Aiden tilted his head fondly. “The Rigsbys had no idea what a mistake they were making when they got you on their bad side.”

“But you and I are even better as a team. We can credit Chester and his brothers for helping us get together. We should send a thank-you card to them when they’re in prison.” I turned toward the front of the store.

Aiden’s arm wrapped around my stomach and he pulled me back against him. “I hate it when you’re anywhere near danger. But you have no idea how much it turns me on when your vicious side comes out.”

I grinned at him over my shoulder. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“For now, you’ve done enough,” Aiden said. “I’ll handle the guy outside.”

But as we stepped into the main part of the store, there he was—the other driver of the Hart-Made delivery truck. The one in the glasses. He went straight for the snack and drink options.

Now what?I thought. I doubted our closet trick would work a second time.

“You’re plotting something,” Aiden murmured to me.

“Remember how you said the Rigsbys underestimated me?” He hadn’t used those exact words, but that had been the gist. “Just watch.”

I walked toward the man. His head was down as he chose between two different kinds of bottled tea. Just as I got close, I veered straight into him. We collided, and my fingers dipped into his coat pocket as I grabbed his shoulder with my other hand.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. My fault completely.” I gave him a sweet smile. He frowned and shook me off. I kept apologizing, and the guy backed away. From the next aisle, Aiden shook his head at me, his mouth in a deep frown. I shrugged and tucked my new key ring safely in my jeans pocket.

Aiden quickly walked over to me. “Give me the keys. I’ll check the cargo area of the Hart-Made truck.”

“I’m coming too.”

“No, you’re staying in the store and keeping watch. If the guy in the glasses tries to leave, do some of that sweet-talking to distract him. But stayhere, in public, where there are other people. No unnecessary risks. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“But—”

He plucked the keys from my pocket. “Stay here,” he barked. Then Aiden rushed out the door before I could do a thing to stop him.

I huffed in exasperation. Aiden had said he didn’t like taking orders, but he had no problem issuing them.

I glanced around, trying to spot the guy in the glasses. If it was my job to watch him, then I had better do it. I pretended to examine a display of postcards, while the man in glasses went to the register to buy some chips and a pack of cigarettes.

I felt the presence behind me a split second before something hard pressed into my lower back. Hard and circular.

The barrel of a gun.

“Hey there, Jessi. It wasn’t very smart of your boyfriend to leave you all alone.”

It was Jeremy Rigsby.

Icy terror froze my limbs. But that brief surge of fear was quickly replaced by white-hot fury.

The gun barrel dug in even harder. “Don’t even think about it,” Jeremy said. “If you ever want to see Aiden alive again, you’d better keep your mouth shut.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

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