Page 19 of A Seed Of Peril

“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for today?”

I shook my head. “Just browsing.”

“Barbies!” Katrina excitedly answered, garnering a chuckle from the employee.

“I think we have some, actually.” She pointed in the direction of where the toys were, looking at me. “Around that corner, you’ll find the toys. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you,” I said.

She carried on with her task.

“Can I go look at the toys, Lulu? Please?”

“Would you mind taking her over there?” I asked Sonny. “I want to go check out the men’s section and see what they have.”

Sonny’s expression screamed that he wasn’t keen on leaving me to browse any part of this store alone, but it wouldn’t be for long, and then I would be back in eyesight.

“I don’t think?—”

“Please, Sonny. How would Dominic know?”

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, and then, Sonny heaved a defeated breath.

“Alright but meet us over at the toys as soon as you’re done. Not a moment later.”

“I promise.”

He stared at me for an extra second before he reached for Katrina’s hand and took her to go search the children’s toys. I knew he meant well, but browsing men’s clothes in here by myself wasn’t dangerous. It wasn’t like he would get in trouble for it. I’d grab clothing I liked and headed straight for the toys. This place, small in square footage, had the vibe of a mom ‘n’ pop shop with locals as their employees and volunteers. Consign Hive was safe.

My favorite thing about this place was how well organized it was. Some bigger thrift stores I’d been to looked like a tornado ripped through them.

I nodded in greeting at an elderly woman as we crossed paths. Using a walker for support, she had to at least be in her 80s. She saw my belly and looked back up at me.

“So beautiful,” she said, her smile infectious.

“Thank you.”

I slowed my pace, checking out the shelves of books along my way, rubbing my belly. My son kicked at my touch. I couldn’t wait to meet him. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was. He had so much love waiting for him.

Aimlessly, I wandered the area where the men’s clothing section was, taking my time and enjoying the moment. The sense of peace. Seeing the section for blankets and bed sheets, I spotted baby blankets. Thumbing through the stack, I chose a basic yellow blanket, a blue one, and two zoo animal themed ones. There was baby bedding, but I wanted to order those brand new, and I was undecided on the theme for my son’s bedroom. I had been holding off on shopping for his bedroom until I made a choice.

Blankets on my arm, I came up on the men’s clothing section, finding the size range I needed. The bell attached above the door sounded as someone entered the store. I wondered how the employees dealt with that bell on busy days. That would drive me nuts.

I huffed, annoyed with the selection of shirts. But as quickly as my annoyance appeared, it disappeared when a new, nearby lingering scent made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Turning my head, I spotted a tall man—around or at six feet—wearing a brown trench coat and a baseball cap. A man. His head was down, the cap hiding his eyes as he headed my way.

Thanks to when I was homeless, picking up on someone’s vibe had become fairly easy. Add in the training I’d received with the family and my encounters with Fabio and Vincent, and every alarm in my head was blaring. I didn’t like it. My heart began to beat faster. I gripped my phone tighter in my hand, cradling my belly in the other as I focused again on the men’s clothes, pretending to search the bottom rack with all the pants and shorts on it. Dominic’s advice suddenly came to mind.

Keep your head down, eyes up.

The stranger entered the men’s area, one hand in his coat pocket, his knuckles peeking out of its other sleeve. Like he was holding something. A gun? No, that would be too bulky. He was clearly in no hurry, lightly brushing against me as he passed by. I froze at the feel of something cold and sharp against my arm.

“Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath.

This section was crowded by the racks of clothes but notthatcrowded. He brushed against me on purpose. He had a weapon. A knife maybe? Not wanting to cause any kind of scene and scare Katrina, I remained calm and felt his presence draw further away until we were on opposite ends of the section.

No noise. No talking. Just silence.

I didn’t dare look behind me. I turned down the volume on my phone and then opened up my messages, sending a text to Sonny.

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