Page 24 of Trading Up
“Stop!”
The unmistakable sound of a gun cocking rang out, and a few gasps followed, as well as people moving away from her and anywhere near me. I froze at the sound. I didn’t move an inch.
“Take your hand out of the bag.” I slowly moved it out, holding both hands up, my eyes glued to the spot where my pouch just was. I tried to keep my breathing calm and even, but I could feel the weight of the barrel pointed at me. I tried to summon all my inner bad bitch and look up. She had her finger on the trigger.
She wanted to fucking kill me.
T W E N T Y-F O U R: Man in the Cooler
Devereaux’s POV
One of the servers came up and managed to discreetly let me know there was an issue in the kitchen. I wasn’t able to get away just then. As soon as I was, a server and the Sous chef were standing on the opposite side of the room.
This can’t be good, I thought as I excused myself from Sarah, leaving her momentarily with the promise of a dance after. I mumbled there was a kitchen issue and I’d be back after solving it. I underestimated howminoran issue it would be. They led me back to the cooler where one of my longtime servers was sitting, bleeding from the back of his head, in his drawers and socks. I pulled out my phone, looking at the Sous. I demanded his phone, my hand out as if he had already agreed. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bigger was going on here, and I was behind by a few yards in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. He handed it to me, and I used it to call an ambulance and the police. On my phone, I called Jenson.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“I have a server at Lake House Manor who’s been assaulted, stripped naked, and left in the cooler. He’s alive, breathing, bleeding from the back of his head, so I don’t want to move him.”
“Dev. What the fuck did you just say to me?”
“I’m on the other line with my lawyer. I have a feeling it’s my fiancé’s ex-husband or his fiancée. They’ve been behaving erratically lately. We filed a police report a few weeks ago about her showing up at my fiancé’s shop.”
I heard Jenson talking to Petey, telling him to activate the trackers, that it was an alien invasion and not a drill. Whatever the fuck that meant. The 9-1-1 operator was asking more questions as I poked my head back outside to see what was happening. I saw Paloma, dressed like she was going to a funeral, standing a few feet from Sarah, Will standing behind her, gripping her arm.
“It’s them. They’re here, in the building. I need police here now!” I growled into both phones. I didn’t know who or what I needed, but I needed something.
“Dev, hang up with me, stick your phone in your suit jacket pocket, and get video if you can. Stay on with 9-1-1 and stick them inside your jacket. We’re on the way!” The line went dead, and I pulled up the camera on my phone. I checked it from my pocket, and you could see most of what was happening. I switched the view to 0.5, and it was able to get everything.
“What’s happening now, sir?” I watched as Sarah was saying something.
“My fiancé is speaking. She looks calm, but I’m too far away to hear what she’s saying. I’m going to get closer.”
“Sir, we don’t advise that,” I had stopped listening. I needed to know she was okay. I quietly, slowly moved toward Sarah. I slipped the phone into the pocket inside my jacket, microphone up.
“Stop!”
I watched in horror as Paloma pulled a gun from her tiny purse she clutched between her fingers. I watched as she pulled the hammer back into the firing position.
“She has a gun,” I said to my jacket, hoping the lady from 9-1-1 could hear me. “It’s pointed at my fiancé and her ex-husband.” I kept moving, slowly, steadily, hands raised to show I wasn’t a threat.
“Take your hands out of the bag.”
Paloma had her finger on the trigger, and I could feel my heart beating harder. Not faster, just harder, hammering in my chest at the thought that someone could die tonight, and it might be someone I know and-or love.
“Paloma,” she spun, turning the gun on me. I paused my movements as more people shouted, scattering, trying to stay away from the aim of her weapon. “I just want to talk. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I want to try to talk it out first.”
“Yourwhore! Has been seducingmyman back to her! Can’t you keep herentertainedso she leaves other women’s men alone?!” The fucking irony was not lost on me, but I kept my mouth shut, waiting until I was sure she was done.
“I’m sorry for the pause. I wanted you to say everything without being interrupted,” she seemed caught off guard by that. “I’m not sure what’s been going on, but Sarah has been showing me the messages she’s been getting from Will.”
“No!” She shouted, breathing heavily, “No! That’s not right! She’s chasing him! He loves me!” She was shouting at me.
“Paloma, I’d really like to help you figure this out. Can you take your finger off the trigger for me so I can do that? I want to help.” She seemed to think for a bit, then slowly started to lower the weapon. I kept my hands up, but was able to breathe a little easier knowing the gun wasn’t pointed at anyone at the moment, but that could change at any given second.
“If you let me, I can call a guy. He’s a PI I know who’s been on Sarah’s case for months. He’s how she was able to get such a quick divorce, so the two of you could have your happily ever after, isn’t that right, Sarah?” I kept my eyes on Paloma and prayed Sarah would play along with me.
“Y-yes,” her voice was shaky and detached. She was dissociating. “I didn’t want to come between the love the two of you shared. I knew, after seeing the pictures and how happy you two were, that he didn’t love me.”
