Page 21 of Gin & Jewels

“You scared the shit out of me, and you injured a customer. He had to have surgery.”

Keith blinked. “Wait. What?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You scared the—”

“No.” He sat up with a groan. “That guy had to have surgery becausehewas shot?”

I nodded. “That’s what I was told, and I saw him bleeding.”

Keith looked over at Micky and then turned as though he was trying to look at his back. “Did the bullet go through me?”

“I was trying to tell you that you had two holes,” Alex, another roommate of Keith’s, stated.

“So you only need stitches,” Micky said.

“Here.” Alex’s girlfriend, Audrey, stuck out her hand. It looked as though it was a standard sewing needle and thread she was trying to give him.

“You’re going to use that?” I asked.

“We can’t go to the hospital,” Keith stated.

“Why not?” I questioned. “It looks like you’ve lost a lot of blood too.”

“Because I was shot, and doctors report that shit,” he seethed.

I rolled my eyes and left. I didn’t want to deal with any of those idiots anymore.

As I headed up the stairs, I heard footsteps behind me and then Micky called out, “Cass, wait up.”

I turned, my foot on the top step. “What?”

“I know I said I would pick you up tonight, and I would have if things had gone as planned.”

I snorted. “As planned? Why was there even a plan? I can’t believe you guys did that!”

He took a step forward. “I know. We just wanted to get some jewelry to sell so we could make money.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. “And when you found out that I worked there, you thought it was the perfect plan?”

Micky shrugged. “Yeah?”

“What if you would have shotme?”

“No one was supposed to get shot. The other guns weren’t loaded.”

“And why was yours?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Because I didn’t feel comfortable going in unarmed. I didn’t know if you had a security guard there or not.”

“So you would have shot him if we did?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged again.

I looked him straight in the eye. “I should turn you all in right now.”

“No!” he shouted. “You can’t turn us in.”

“You”—I poked at his chest—“betrayed me. Why shouldn’t I do the same to you guys?”