Page 72 of Evidence of Secrets

“Where’s Laura today?” asked Logan.

“Danny gave Hailey gift certificates for the girls to take self-defense lessons at the community center. A friend of his works there,” said Hank.

“Sarina Morrison?” asked Luke.

“Yeah. Do you know her?” Danny looked down from the stepladder he was on, replacing one camera with a newer one.

“Oh, hell yes. Hailey’s never going to speak to you again. Sarina takes no prisoners.” Luke started laughing. “Whatever good time you had with your wife last night will be a memory.”

“Well, I think it’s a good idea for Laura to have some self-defense skills. It could have been her on the floor last Monday instead of Levi,” said Hank. He believed all women should take lessons, but he was only concerned about one particular woman right now.

“Not saying it isn’t. I had Grace take the lessons at the shelter and taught her to shoot. It saved her life,” said Luke.

“What happened?” asked Logan.

“Oh, right. You weren’t here when it happened. Grace had a stalker follow her from D.C. and kidnap her. Luckily, she got out of the zip ties and ran away. Then he tried to kill Grace, but she shot him,” said Luke.

Luke pulled some wires from behind the bar and glanced at the guys. “Never get on Grace’s bad side. She’s a great shot.”

“Is that how she keeps you in line?” Danny chortled, then burst into a full belly laugh, which was contagious. He was laughing so hard, he had to get down from the stepladder. It was a good few minutes before the guys finally stopped laughing.

“Asshole.” Luke lightly punched Danny on the arm.

“We’ll never get this finished in time if you guys don’t stop fooling around,” groused Hank.

All their shit talk was in fun, but having Laura take self-defense lessons was one part of keeping her safe. After talking to Sam about the security system, Luke suggested Hank hire Sarina to give Laura and Hailey the lessons. She was tough but fair and didn’t coddle you, whether you were a woman or a child. He knew Laura wouldn’t like him suggesting it and couldn’t afford it, even if she did. Hailey was a good sport and promised to convince Laura to go with her.

What else could he do to help Laura without telling her? Security update—check. Self-defense lessons—check. All she needed was an infusion of cash. He could do that easily, but Laura was too proud and stubborn to take it. And still in the back of his mind was Heather’s betrayal. He had to come to terms with that.

Hank had some thoughts on how to help Laura financially, and he hoped Sam would be on board with them.

CHAPTERFIFTY-ONE

“How are you feeling?” Laura asked Levi. Outside of a bruise on his forehead, he had a little more color in his face.

“Much better, glad to be back at work.”

“Any fear about working in the kitchen?” Laura hoped not. She wasn’t sure what she would do if she lost Levi.

“Nah.” He continued to chop onions, then looked up at her. “Laura. I’m fine, honestly.”

“I’m so glad. We were all worried. It’s not a great Thursday, so I’m not expecting a large lunch crowd. The desserts are made. I need to leave for a couple of hours. Will you be okay?”

“Of course.” He shooed her out with his hands. “See you later.”

Hank was away on a job. They spent the previous night together, but she hadn’t mentioned what she planned to do today. He’d try to convince her not to go.

She’d been up all night twisting and turning, wondering if she was making the right decision.

Early this morning before work, she’d sat at her kitchen table looking over finances. The sale of her car brought in a few thousand, but it wasn’t enough. Laura stared at her grandmother’s sapphire and diamond ring. It would probably bring in a few thousand. Enough to keep the creditors at bay and pay the rent.

Her stomach was in knots, and Laura kept taking deep breaths to get enough air in her lungs. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was now or never. All she had to do was walk half a mile to Lipton’s Jewelers.

Lipton’s had been a mainstay of Black Pointe for fifty years. They sold only the finest gold and silver jewelry and often featured up-and-coming jewelry designers.

They also bought fine jewelry. Laura wasn’t sure what her ring was worth, but she hoped to get a reasonable price. Enough to keep the bistro going for a few more weeks. Then she’d have to decide whether to close or sell.

It was an overcast day. The sky was a deep navy with angry black clouds on the horizon. Perfect weather for her mood. Laura hoped the rain would hold off, but she brought a rain jacket just in case.

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