Page 97 of Family Jewels

“He knew you were meeting me?” Raddy asked in disbelief, jabbing the tip of the gun into my flesh. “You told him?”

“I’m giving you one last warning, Dyer,” James said in a deadly tone. “Let her go by the time I get to three. One.”

Raddy’s grip tightened. Would I be able to drop to the ground in time like James wanted me to?

“James! Stop!” I pleaded, trying to hold his gaze, but he was keeping his focus on the man behind me. “Raddy’s not really going to shoot me, so just take a few steps back and give us a second,” I said. How could I get them to calm down?

James’ jaw clenched. “No.”

“James.” I glanced over my shoulder at Raddy, not surprised by the wild look in his eyes. “Raddy, you’ve screwed this up, but it’s not hopeless. You can still get out of this. Let me help you.”

His gaze flicked over to James before returning to me. “He’s gonna kill me.”

“James,” I said in a firm voice, still holding Raddy’s gaze. “Assure Raddy that you aren’t going to hurt him.”

He was silent for so long, I was certain he wasn’t going to agree. “Fine, I’ll let him leave, but I have a few conditions of my own.”

Wariness washed over Raddy’s face, but I held his gaze, trying to exude calming energy despite the fact that my heart was beating in my throat. “Okay, what are they?” he finally asked.

“First, you drop your hold on her and lower your gun. Second, you tell me what you know. Three, you leave and keep this entire incident to yourself.”

Raddy started to speak, but James cut him off. “I’m not done.”

“What?”

“Four, you will never contact Rose Gardner again. If I so much as find out you were two people behind her in line at Walmart, I’ll hunt your ass down and kill you. And it won’t be one of my men—it will beme.”

Raddy gave me a questioning look.

I lifted my eyebrows. “Given the fact that you’re holding me at gunpoint, it’s a generous offer. I suggest you take it.”

“Fine,” Raddy said, swallowing then glancing over at James. “But she stays between us.”

“No.”

“Yes,” I said. “Now let me go, Raddy.”

He slowly loosened his hold, and I took a cautious step to the side, turning so I could see them both, which was when I realized they were both still holding their guns on each other.

“Raddy, drop it,” I said.

“Not until Malcolm does.”

James looked at me, his face hard, and I gave a slight nod. I knew he’d seen the lump at the small of my back. He knew I had my gun. Raddy must have been too focused on the situation to notice.

James tossed his gun onto the gravel parking lot, then narrowed his eyes at the man to my right.

Raddy looked like he was about to burst into tears, but he relented.

“What do you know?” James demanded.

“Only bits and pieces. Buck Reynolds has been creeping into some of your pot markets, undercutting your prices.”

“He’s got to be losing money with that strategy.”

“He was going to slowly cut you off, but he’s gotten impatient. He and Wagner are planning a full takeover next week.”

It was worse than I’d thought. Two of them were plotting against James.