Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

grabbed my arm painfully as I passed. “We have a way of getting what we want, princess,” he threatened. “See all these dudes?” He pointed around the room to the men who were staying behind. “They and my bro-in-laws are my crew. They got my back. Understand?”

“Yes. I’m trying to buy your mom a dress and help you get the money you’re after.”

Everything inside me was quaking. Once they had the insurance money what would they want then? Would they keep threatening me until I sold the ranch and handed over the proceeds? I was more scared and vulnerable than I’d ever been in my life… My heart cried for my Uncle Leonard. My heart cried for… Ben.

MARIN

The Mall of America was huge.

I’d never seen anything like it in my life. It was crawling with people, especially in the center courtyard where there was a full-blown amusement park in the center atrium.

“Ma, the kids want to play on the rides.” The woman who had been pointed out as Sierra was speaking.

I knew I looked out of place among Carter’s family. The women all wore tight clothes full of spandex and had unusually long, fake fingernails. They had the figures to carry it off, and clearly, this was the look their men liked judging by the way they were hovering over them and touching them in what seemed very inappropriate for a public place.

My eyes were scanning the mall for the uniform of someone in authority.

“Sure, baby,” her mother answered her daughter than looked at me. “Got any cash for my grandkids?”

Given the events of the day I shouldn’t have been shocked by the woman’s request. “Sure,” I pulled out my wallet and handed over the only cash I had. A one-hundred-dollar bill, which was promptly conveyed from her to one of the men.

“Come on, kids,” one of them mumbled and then the group of them turned away to disappear into the crowd in the direction of the ticket booth.

The kids were all rambunctious until the other man barked at them, loud enough to carry through the throng. “Quiet! If you don’t behave, you’ll get nothing but my hand on your ass!”

Nice way to speak to children, I thought. I shouldn’t be surprised, given what I’d already witnessed. They were all out of control, adults included.

“Apollo, you come with us. We don’t want our princess getting any ideas.”

I decided if Carter’s mother didn’t trust me, I’d never get the hell away from her, or Apollo, who was the real threat. “Look, Mrs. Stanton, can we please make the best of this? I lost Carter, too. Can’t we just shop and try to respect each other? You don’t need anyone to watch me every second.”

She looked a little taken aback that I would challenge her, but I needed them to relax so I could get away and was trying to be as convincing as I could be. The look on her weathered face said she was leery, but I had to get her to relax.

“What is your favorite store?” I asked with a lift of my eyebrows. I saw the big box stores in the background. There was a Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, plus an Express and Marshalls. I prayed they’d pick something less expensive.

“Sears,” she answered. “They usually got stuff I like.”

“Ma,” Sierra moaned. “I wanna go to Express!”

I nodded. “Why don’t you and Greta go look there and when we have your mom taken care of, I can meet you there in time to pay? I’d like to look there, too.” I smiled in the hope she was buying my act.

“Yeah, Ma,” Greta chimed in. “I can’t stand that old lady store.”

“Great!” Sierra said, beginning to tug her sister by the arm away from us. “Greta, come on!”

“I guess that’s the plan, Ma,” Apollo said.

We found Sears on the directory and located it on the Northeast side of the food court, and I knew this was my chance. I quickly shoved my phone into the back pocket of my shorts and turned to Apollo. “I’d like to use the bathroom, please. I didn’t get a chance to go at the airport. I can meet you in Sears when I’m finished.”

Luckily the Sears’ ladies’ department was on that level and Carter’s mother had walked just inside and was already looking through one of the racks.

“Nope, ain’t gonna happen.” He shook his head.

“Should I just pee my pants, then?” I gave him my best impression of being pissed off. I couldn’t let him know I was terrified.

I was starting to think of him as a modern gangster. He was a bully and undoubtedly a violent criminal. He wore gold chains and big chunky rings, while the family lived in squalor and, from the looks of it, didn’t have a lot of money. His girlfriend and sister dressed sort of sleazy, both of their bodies were poured into atrocious, overly tight clothes, their flesh spilling out of their low-cut shirts and above their waistbands of their micro-shorts.

“I’ll come with you.” He turned to his mother. “Ma, I’m going with her to the john.” His words got louder so his mother inside the store could hear.

“Son,” the woman said, as she rummaged through some dresses on a rack. “Get her purse and give it here.”

He nodded. “Good idea.” He held out his hand and motioned for me to hand it over. Reluctantly, I placed the small black leather handbag in his palm and watched in horror as he handed it to his mother.

“Even Carter let me pee by myself,” I protested. Apollo grabbed my arm painfully and turned me away from his mother. I yanked my arm away then stormed off in the direction he’d indicated.

My suitcase was still in Apollo’s car so it, and its contents, would have to be a loss if I had the opportunity to run away. I had to think this through, though. If I ran or called the police, would Carter’s family show up at the ranch