Page 49 of Deadly Storms (Sunrise Lake #3)

The restaurant was packed with tourists and locals.

Bale loved an audience. She recognized the local veterinarian, Dr. Amelia Sanderson, having breakfast with Carl Montgomery, the local contractor.

That surprised her. Amelia worked long hours, as did Carl.

She pointed them out to Vaughn. He knew the gossip on everyone in Knightly.

“Dr. Sanderson had a couple of renovations made to the clinic,” Vaughn said.

“She talked Carl into adopting a dog. He told her only on the condition that she help him train the dog. He told her he didn’t know the first thing about having a pet.

From what her techs tell me, they’ve turned into a couple. ”

“I’m so behind the times,” Shabina complained.

“Too busy eloping and not giving a single clue to your friends. I nearly had a heart attack when Rainier announced that you were married. I thought maybe an engagement party, certainly not an actual wedding reception.”

She nudged Vaughn. “Great, the gang’s all here. Jason Briggs just came in with Bruce Akins. Bale’s getting loud. Even his uncle is glaring at him.”

Vaughn turned pale. “Did Bale just make some homophobic slur at Jason and Bruce?”

“If he keeps it up, there’s bound to be a brawl in my café,” Shabina said. “Technically, I should go tell him to stop or leave. He’s making the other customers uncomfortable.”

“You’ve got to ban him for life, Shabina.”

She knew Vaughn was right. It was just that Bale’s outrageous behavior was escalating.

His threats were getting worse. She believed he was capable of burning down her café and shooting her dogs.

She hadn’t at first. She wanted to believe he was all talk, a coward and bully who would just harass her.

He hadn’t seemed evil. She judged every threat by the evil she’d encountered growing up.

By comparison, Bale hadn’t seemed nearly as bad.

She decided she was simply a bad judge of character.

Patsy began to thread her way through the packed café toward Bale’s table. With a sigh, Shabina moved quickly to intercept her. “I’ll deal with him, Patsy.”

“They haven’t paid.” She pulled the bill from her pocket and handed it to Shabina. “Good luck. He’s going to be a complete you-know-what. He’s always so unpleasant, and for some reason, he’s being extra unpleasant this morning.”

Shabina straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and walked straight to the table.

Immediately, Oliver Smythe and Maurice Vanderpool whistled.

Oliver wiggled his tongue around. Shabina ignored both and laid the check on the table.

Sitting with Bale and Sean, the two men seemed to have regained their confidence.

“I think you’re done here, Bale. Once you pay your bill, please leave and don’t come back.”

“You bitch. Do you think you can tell me I can’t come back to any restaurant in this town? It’s my town. For all we know you’re a foreign spy. That’s why you’ve got so many A-rabs coming in here. You’re selling government secrets to them.”

“Just go, Bale.”

He stood up aggressively, forcing her to step back to avoid contact. “We’re not paying for this crap. You’re trying to poison us.” He swept his arm across the table, sending dishes crashing to the floor.

Time slowed down. The plates shattered, pieces appearing like diamond teardrops falling to the floor in slow motion. Silverware skittered across the floor in brilliant silver flashes. Shabina found herself sitting in the middle of the broken plates with tears running down her face.

Instantly, angry voices berated Bale. Edward walked partway up the aisle. “I’ll pay for the meals, Shabina. Don’t be upset.”

Several others called out that they’d pay.

Others told Bale to leave. Abruptly, silence descended in the café.

It was so quiet just the sound of breathing could be heard.

No one so much as rattled the silverware.

Instinctively, she knew who had walked onto the floor.

It wasn’t Rainier, her husband. This was Blom’s Rainier.

The “ghost” sent out to bring justice where his government dictated.

This was Deadly Storms, the assassin rising out of the worst sandstorms and leaving behind nothing but bodies.

She didn’t have to look to know that only that man could command an entire room with his presence.

Rainier reached down and lifted her to her feet. Both palms framed her face. “Qadri, la tamnahi li hada arrajol motaata roayati domoik, idhabi li almatbakh baynama aatani bi hada.” His thumb slid across her lips, his eyes staring down into hers, compelling obedience.

Shabina didn’t look at Bale or anyone else. Rainier had said, “Do not give this man the satisfaction of seeing your tears. Go into the kitchen. I will handle this.”

Shabina didn’t look at Bale or anyone else. She nodded and walked back to the counter, where Vaughn, Patsy and Tyrone crowded close to her protectively.

“Gentlemen, here is what you’re going to do.

You’ll pay the bill and leave the restaurant quietly.

Landry, Raine has gathered evidence of your harassment and threats against Shabina, the café and her dogs.

It’s all recorded. You can’t erase the evidence because Shabina’s cameras were installed by the military.

If you believe you can make the evidence disappear, you’re mistaken.

Shabina will be filing for a restraining order, but her complaint will not go through the present law enforcement officials.

With the amount of evidence we have against you and zero chance of it being lost or destroyed, there is no question she will receive it. ”

“Who the hell are you?” Bale demanded, his face beet red. He looked to his uncle.

“I’m Rainier Ashcroft, Shabina’s husband and partner in this café.”

Rafferty came up on Rainier’s left side. “What’s the trouble? I’ll need to see some ID.”

“I’m shocked that a member of law enforcement doesn’t understand the trouble,” Rainier said.

His voice had dropped an octave, sending a shiver of apprehension down Shabina’s spine.

“If I heard you correctly, you were implying that you believed evidence would disappear if Shabina turned it over to our office.” Rafferty sounded as belligerent as his nephew.

Rainier didn’t respond. He simply opened his wallet and showed something to the sheriff. Paling visibly, Rafferty stepped back and shook his head. Then he took a careful sweep of the long stretch of windows.

“Pay the bill, Bale, and get the hell out of here,” he snapped and moved away. “Do it now. You’re going to be very, very lucky if you walk out of here unscathed.”

Cursing, Bale threw money at the table and stomped out, lifting his middle finger in a rude gesture toward Shabina as he left.

The customers in the café broke into applause as he went out the door.

Sean, Maurice and Oliver put cash on the table and, heads down, without looking at anyone, followed Bale out.

Patsy and Tyrone hurried to the table with a broom and dustpan to clean the floor. Rainier went straight to Shabina, wrapped his arm around her and led her into the kitchen out of sight of the customers in the café.

“You’re shaking, baby. It’s over. He’s gone, and you’re going to file a restraining order.

Raine’s been gathering evidence against him for some time.

It’s irrefutable. You’ll have a lawyer representing you as well.

Bale is going to find he won’t be able to frequent all the places he’s been able to in the past. If you’re at the Grill, he won’t be allowed in. ”

“He’s only going to get angrier, Rainier.” Shabina didn’t understand how a man as astute as Rainier wouldn’t see that Bale was spiraling out of control. A restraining order preventing him from entering businesses he’d patronized for most of his life would only increase his behavior.

“I believe Landry will prove to be a reasonable man given the right incentive.” His thumb brushed over her lips very gently. “Trust me to deal with this man, Qadri .”

Shabina glanced around the kitchen to ensure they were alone. “You can’t kill him, Rainier. Everyone saw you with him, including two members of the FBI, as well as Rafferty. If he died, even in an accident, they’d look at you.”

He bent his head to feather kisses along her lips.

When he lifted his head, his smile made him look more like a wolf than ever.

“Bale will be given a clear choice. I can make him disappear in a not-so-easy way, or he will make certain there is never so much as a scratch on you, your dogs or the café. I’m very clear when I state my conditions. He’ll understand.”

She knew there was no way she could dissuade him from visiting Bale. Fortunately, Rainier was a “ghost” when he wanted to be. No one would see or hear him.

“Boucher and Cormier are in the café. They saw you, Rainier. And you passed your identification to Rafferty. It was plain to everyone that what he saw in your wallet scared him into backing off.”

Rainier gave her his wolfish smile again. “I am aware of them. And just to point out the obvious, Deadly Storms wouldn’t have an ID card.”

Of course he’d noticed the two men in the café. He saw everything. That was his job, what kept him alive, and admittedly, he was extremely good at what he did.

“I would prefer that you didn’t work the floor for the next half hour. Raine has information for you that you’re going to be interested in. I’ll have Patsy bring you tea with honey. You’ve had a shock, and you need to give yourself a break.”

“I’m okay now. I can get the job done.”