"You can't talk to me like that. I've been here for over thirty years. Bob won't let you just come in here and fire me."
The man shrugged. "Maybe not, but he hired me to manage the place, and that's what I'm doing." He didn't try to hide his animosity toward Barb, and Santana could barely keep the smile of satisfaction off her face.
With a final harrumph, Barb squeezed past the man, waving her finger in the air. "This isn't over. I'm calling Bob," she said as she walked toward the back of the store.
"Sorry about that." The man rolled up his shirtsleeves and began scanning.
"Thank you," Santana said as she finished unloading the cart.
The man smiled at her and held out his hand. "I'm Keith, the new manager Bob hired when he decided to retire to Iowa to be closer to his grandchildren."
"Santana," she said, shaking his hand. She was genuinely amazed that Keith was being so kind. "You must be new in town."
He grinned. "Yeah, but it's not my first small town. Ensuring a store stays in the black is nothing compared to navigating the local gossips."
She liked Keith so much she was tempted to tell him she wasn't the woman Barb made her out to be, but she got the feeling he already suspected that. By the time her groceries were sacked and paid for, her mood had lifted considerably. "Thanks again," she said with a smile.
"You come back, and if you ever have another problem with any of our employees, ask for me."
"I will." Santana pushed the cart toward the automatic doors. The moment they opened, she froze. Her breath left her body in a whoosh as she stared into Pete Gordon's eyes. He was sitting behind the wheel of his Sherriff's car staring straight at her.
With a hand to her chest, she stumbled backward, heedless of the display of greeting cards she'd knocked over. "No. No," she gasped as she felt herself falling.
Stake handed Charity the bi-monthly pregnancy test all the girls were required to take. "Make sure you keep this up once I'm gone," he told her. The tests were his requirement, not the club's, and he paid for them out of his own pocket. He seriously doubted whoever took over for him would care enough about the girls' health to do the same.
"I can't believe you're leaving us," Charity whined as she opened the bathroom door.
Charity was one of the few whores who remained clean despite the King's new incentive program. She was a good kid. Knowing the Kings in Fayetteville also ran a small prostitution business, he scribbled his phone number on piece of paper and handed it to her. "If you decide to get the fuck out of San Antonio, give me a call, and I'll get you a job in Fayetteville."
"Arkansas?" she laughed.
"Hey, don't knock it. The scenery is gorgeous, green as the eye can see." He looked forward to cutting the grass, something he'd never had to do before. His phone rang, pulling his attention away from Charity. One look at the display and he grinned. "Hey, bug."
"This is Keith Oberman, manager of the Pick and Save. I'm sorry, but your number was the only one programmed into Santana's phone."
Stake's heart stopped beating at the mention of Santana's. "What's happened?"
"Well, she's had a bit of a spell, and she's currently sitting in my office because I don't think she's coherent enough to drive herself home. I was wondering if you'd be able to come and get her?"
"Hang on a second." Stake knocked on the bathroom door. "Gotta go," he told Charity as he left the studio apartment. "What do you mean a spell?" he asked Keith.
Keith cleared his throat. "The sheriff was parked outside the store when she started to leave. She … umm, well, she didn't handle it well. Unfortunately, he's still here which is why I brought her back to my office."
"I'm an hour out." Fuck. Where the hell was Tiny? "Was she alone?"
"Yeah. I'd drive her, but I sent Barb home earlier, and no one else is on shift who can run the register."
Stake climbed on his bike. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Whatever you do, don't let her leave, even if Gordon isn't parked out front."
"Okay," Keith agreed. "She has a bunch of groceries, but I'll put the refrigerated items in the cooler until you get here."
"Thanks." Stake hung up and roared away from the curb. Tiny was going to fucking die when he got hold of him.
Fifty minutes later, he parked his bike next to the pickup. There was no sign of Gordon, which probably saved the bastard from a trip to the morgue. The motherfucker deserved to die, and Stake's patience with his Prez was running out.
As soon as he entered the store, a man behind the checkout counter stopped what he was doing and walked toward Stake. "Stake?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"Yeah. Where is she?" He appreciated the man's kindness, but he needed to see his woman.
"Straight back, first door on the right. I'll have one of the stockers help you with the groceries.
Stake wanted to tell him he didn't give a fuck about the groceries, but simply nodded before taking off. He jogged down the aisle and pushed through the swinging door. He turned right and opened the office door.
He found Santana sitting in a comfortable-looking desk chair with her hands fisted in her lap. Instead of looking distressed, she appeared to be pissed.
Santana jumped to her feet. "Get me out of here," she demanded.
Before she could blow by him, Stake hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry," he whispered against her ear as he tried to wrap his body around her.
"Not your fault," she said without emotion. "I just want to go home. I'm fine to drive, and I tried to tell Keith that, but he took my keys and said I couldn't have them back until you got here."
Stake cradled her face in his hands. "Where's Tiny? He should've been here for you."
She shrugged. "Cecil called, and Tiny had to leave." She shook her head. "I didn't tell him I was going to shop, anyway." Tears formed in her gorgeous hazel eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. "I was so excited about shopping." She closed her eyes. "I was stupid."
He dried her tears and crushed her against his chest once more. "You weren't stupid, just reckless."
"I hate this town."
"So do I, bug." Fuck the two weeks he still had left on his deal with Cecil. He needed to get her away from Broken Ridge as soon as possible.
Santana woke to two deep voices arguing on the back porch. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. By the time they'd arrived back at the house, she hadn't put up a fight when Stake had suggested she lay down.
She swung her legs over the side of the mattress and looked at the clock. It was nearly eight, no wonder her stomach was growling. She pulled on her shorts and shuffled toward the commotion on the porch. From the sound of it, Tiny and Stake were really going at it; something she knew was her fault.
"I thought I could trust you!" Stake bellowed.
"You can. I'd give my life for that woman," Tiny argued.
She opened the door. "Stop!" she screamed. "It's not Tiny's fault. It's mine. I told you that."
Stake's mouth snapped shut as he turned to stare at her. His hair was sticking out like he'd dragged his fingers through it a thousand times since she'd laid down. "How're you feeling?"
"I was fine, but now I'm getting a headache from all the yelling." She glanced from Tiny to Stake. "You're the only two people in the world I care about. Please don't do this."
"I'm sorry," Tiny mumbled, looking genuinely upset by the whole situation. "No matter how hard I try, I keep fucking things up."
Santana moved to wrap her arms around her friend. "I had one of the best mornings of my life today. You did that. You gave me that."
Tiny grinned down at her. "I think your man's getting a little jealous."
She looked over her shoulder at Stake. "Don't let him intimidate you. He knows I only have eyes for him."
"That doesn't mean I enjoy watching you touch another man," Stake countered.
She took a step back and was immediately pulled into Stake's arms. "Are you hungry? I can put a couple of steaks on the grill," he asked.
She nodded. "I'm starving."
"I'm gonna get out of here. Are you still coming to the wedding tomorrow night?" Tiny asked.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Stake began.
"We'll be there." Although she didn't want to attend the celebration, she knew Stake would hate himself if he missed out on a brother's big day.
Stake gave her a squeeze. "Maybe," he told Tiny.
"You know Mad Dog thinks you're the shit. He'll be pissed if you don't come." Tiny kissed Santana's cheek, despite the growl from Stake. "That's the last time I let you down. I promise."