Page 232 of Love Me Stalk Me
Instead, I tilt my head slightly. Neutral. Non-confrontational. But my stance remains unmovable.
"This is unacceptable," he snaps, voice lowering slightly, his anger still there, but less directed at the girl behind me now. "I ordered these items a week ago. I received a confirmation email, and now, suddenly, my order doesn't exist?"
"We'll fix it," I tell him, nodding to the clerk at the register. "Run his name, see what's going on."
The clerk rushes to comply, tapping rapidly on the computer. The man grumbles, shifting on his feet, still itching for a reason to keep going.
"You guys need to learn how to run a business," he mutters, arms crossing. "Back in my day?—"
I stop listening.
Because the situation feels wrong.
I've dealt with hundreds of these confrontations. I know how they go. This doesn't fit the pattern.
He's hostile, but not escalating. Pacing, but not storming out.
The girl behind the register looks up. "Sir," she says hesitantly, her brows furrowing. "I—I'm sorry, but there's no record under this name."
I tense.
The man freezes. I'm ready for him to explode again, but then suddenly he looks at his watch.
And then, his whole demeanor changes. Unnaturally fast.
"Oh," he says, casually—far too casually, like he wasn't just about to burst a blood vessel. "Well. Guess I'll look for my receipt at home. No harm done," he says, voice eerily light before he all but runs outof the store.
I feel my stomach drop.
This wasn't a real complaint. This wasn't about a missing order.
This was a distraction. For me.
Something else just happened. Something I wasn't supposed to see.
I whip out my phone.
The cameras.
I need the fucking cameras.
I pull up the VIP floor feed.
Izzy was just there. She was right there.
But now?
Now—
She's gone.
No.
No, no, no, no.
I take off at a dead sprint.
By the time I reach the VIP floor, I'm already barking orders through my headset for my guys to fan out.
