Page 54 of Black Heart

“No, I assure you that I really do hate you. In fact, I’m kind of hoping that the therapist takes one look at you and recommends shock therapy or perhaps a straitjacket.” She pursed her lips up in thought and shrugged. “Then again, I wouldn’t be opposed to a lobotomy if he really felt that was necessary.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Tristan drawled absently as he looked past the middle-aged couple in front of them. He watched as an elderly woman with her hair pulled back into a severe bun and a pair of no-nonsense, thick, black square-framed eyeglasses, a scowl that looked both permanent and painful, and an off-white nightgown that covered her from mid-neck to her feet, berated a man in his mid-thirties with thinning brown hair that watched the cashier with a little too much interest.

“Is this how I raised you?” the woman demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the man while he waited for the family in front of him to finish with their order and get out of his way.

“I don’t understand why you do these things, Francis,” the elderly woman snapped as a little boy ran through her on his way to the bathroom. “I cannot believe this is how you want to live your life. You’re lucky that I’m dead, young man, or I would take you over my knee and give you the spanking that you deserve!”

As Tristan placed his hands on Marty’s shoulders and shifted her to the side, he couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d been haunting this man. Obviously, she felt that he needed looking after and Tristan couldn’t agree more.

“What are you doing?” Marty demanded as she shoved his hands aside and tried to step back in line.

He pressed a quick kiss to her stunned lips before he gave her another gentle push aside, risking bodily harm for getting between her and barbecue. “Either get the hell out of here, Marty, or duck,” he said softly as he unsnapped his holster and placed his hand on the butt of his weapon.

“Francis McDonald, you listen to me right now!” the woman snapped, getting good and mad as she stepped in front of him and tried to stop him. “You haul your butt down to the police station and turn yourself in this instant! I swear to God that if you don’t, I will haunt you for the rest of your life! If you so much as take one cent from these people, I will slap the shit out of you the moment that you die for all this nonsense!”

The man stepped through her as the family ahead of him finally got their order and headed towards their table. Tristan watched as the man reached into his jacket as he approached the cashier. She opened her mouth to greet the next customer when her eyes widened in terror.

“Tristan?” Marty said behind him, sounding nervous and making him wish that he could pull her into his arms and protect her from this, but he was already moving.

He pushed the couple in front of him aside, pulled his weapon free and aimed it between the shoulders of the man standing in front of him. “Francis McDonald, put your weapon on the floor slowly and step away,” Tristan bit out coldly.

Francis noticeably startled as he slowly looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened in shock when he spotted Tristan. For a moment, he stood there, frozen in fear.

“See? Didn’t I tell you that you would get caught one day?” the woman demanded. “But would you listen to me? No, you just had to do things your way.”

“Put your weapon down, now!” Tristan shouted.

Francis nodded once as he slowly leaned down and placed his gun on the floor, keeping his eyes locked on Tristan the entire time. As he slowly stood up, his gaze flickered towards the exit.

“Don’t even think about it, asshole. Turn around and place your hands on the counter,” Tristan said, stepping forward as he kept his gun aimed at Francis.

“You better not resist arrest this time, Francis,” the elderly woman haunting his suspect said with a stern expression that she no doubt thought would be obeyed.

Tristan didn’t even know the man and he knew what the bastard was about to do. Before Tristan could reach for his cuffs, Francis turned around and bolted for the door. With a muttered curse, Tristan quickly holstered his weapon and went after him. Five feet from the door, Tristan managed to tackle him, sending them both sliding across the polished black and white tiled floor. Tristan’s left shoulder slammed into the door, sending sharp pain through his shoulder and down his arm. He was barely aware of Marty screaming his name as he wrestled with the bastard struggling to get away.

Ignoring the pain tearing through his shoulder, Tristan forced the suspect onto his stomach and yanked both of his arms behind his back and cuffed him. His shoulder was in agony and the bastard wouldn’t stop trying to get away. What the hell was wrong with this douchebag? Tristan wondered as he stood up, stumbling slightly from the pain. Francis took that as a sign to get to his feet and try to make another run for it.

“Think again, asshole,” Tristan said as he reached over with his good hand and grabbed the short chain and yanked Francis back.

“You have the right to remain silent,” Tristan said, shooting a pointed look at the elderly woman standing next to them when she opened her mouth to start in on the bastard again. The perp couldn’t hear her, but Tristan sure as hell could and his patience shot out the window three minutes ago after the prick screwed up his shoulder.

She looked surprised, but smartly nodded and kept her mouth shut as Tristan finished reading the man his rights. Tristan picked up the gun off the floor before he hauled Francis out of the restaurant. Biting back a grimace of pain, Tristan placed the suspect in the back of his car. He slammed the car door shut and signaled to a black and white as it pulled into the parking lot with its lights flashing to take care of the perp for him before he returned to the restaurant.

As he walked into the restaurant, he found Marty talking to a few of the children, who looked upset. She’d turned into a very kind woman, Tristan thought as he walked up to the counter, noting the three nervous employees watching him.

“Can I help you, officer?” the teenager with pink-striped hair asked, swallowing nervously.

“Ice,” Tristan bit out through clenched teeth.

“Ice?” she repeated, looking confused as she shot her co-workers a questioning look.

“Yes, ice and lots of it,” Tristan said as the pain doubled, almost dropping him to his knees. What a fucked-up night. It really couldn’t get any worse, he thought as he watched the three anxious employees stumble over each other as they tried to fill his order.

“See! I told you we’d find him!”

“No, I told you! Besides, I’m the one who found him.”

“You’re such a liar!”

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