Page 49 of Healing Warriors

I listened to the mundane conversation Ella and Aria were having about chips on the other end of the coms and tried to fight my own battle against my worries. I knew I was still feeling lingering anxiety from what had happened to Aria. But was it more than that?

Something about Detraux wasn’t right. And I wanted to be the one to face him, not the rest of my team. That had to be why my stomach was a ball of knots.

But even as I assured myself that Aria was capable, that she and Ella could take care of this situation, I was ready.

SEVENTEEN

aria

“I thoughtshe likes the cheese-flavored ones,” I said to Ella as my eyes scanned the store.

I’d picked out the guy behind the register as Jasper immediately, the same guy who’d been working the day Nadia and Shai had come in. Nadia’s description of his overlarge ears was spot on.

The store had a few other customers as well. A guy surveyed the energy drink selection. A duo of high school girls were creating their own nacho concoction. Shouldn’t they have been in school?

But my inner mom would have to wait. Detraux came in from a door behind Jasper. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as he snuck up on the cashier, a predatory smirk on his lips.

Jasper jumped and let out a strangled yelp, his eyes wide with fear, when Detraux revealed himself.

The man was creepy.

Jasper began to speak rapidly but I couldn’t make out any distinct words. We needed to get closer to the register.

Ella had kept our stupid conversation about chips going but I knew she was watching Detraux just as closely.

“Did she say she wanted a drink?” I said loudly, unsure if I’d interrupted Ella or not. I should have probably listened for a moment before speaking but I wanted to get to the drink fountain ASAP. It was the closest place to the register without being actually rung up.

“Sure,” Ella responded, a question in her voice.

I got it. We were supposed to hang back and observe. But we had to hear what they were saying, right?

“I always do, Sir,” Jasper said as we got closer. He seemed completely oblivious to everything besides Detraux.

But I saw that Detraux noticed our movement. His beady eyes seemed to see everything.

“Good,” Detraux said, his voice thick with an accent I couldn’t quite place. I would have guessed French because of his last name but I needed more than that single word to be sure.

I began to fill a cup with ice and soda because I could feel Detraux’s eyes still on me. Ella did the same and then bent close to me and giggled.

“He’s checking you out,” she whispered, her disgust evident through her tone even as she kept a wide smile on her face.

My breakfast was about to make a reappearance. That’s why the man was watching us so closely? I was young enough to be his daughter. Maybe even his granddaughter.

“The guy is . . . ” I began to say when Detraux moved around the counter and headed our way.

“The old guy is checking Aria out?” Nadia asked over the coms but I couldn’t answer. I still felt sick just from the idea and now he was approaching.

“Beautiful,” he uttered just before he stopped right behind my shoulder, between me and Ella. So close to me I could smell the mint on his breath.

My skin crawled as both Ella and I inched to either side, away from Detraux.

“I would love to buy your drinks,” he said as he examined our full cups.

“That’s—” I began when Ella interrupted with a smile. “That would be wonderful.”

What the heck? I wanted to convey my distaste but Detraux was watching us too closely. Cover or no cover, there was no way I was going to be indebted to this guy.

Detraux took our cups, his fingers deliberately brushing my hand as he took mine, and led us to the register. I wiped my hand on my jeans and couldn’t wait to wash it.

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