Page 51 of Killer Confections (Syndicate Killers #1)

Loxley

“I can’t thank you enough,” Riley beams as I wave goodbye to our misunderstood bride.

She wasn’t furious with my employee, rather she was getting cold feet and noticing the wrong cake at her wedding gave her an excuse to slip out and gather her thoughts.

She was still frustrated with the mixup, but after talking to her while I iced a replacement, she got a chance to vent and get her courage back.

When her fiancé stumbled into my store just minutes later, his bride was a whole new person and ready to walk down the aisle.

“No sweat.” I shrug with a smile.

Riley leans back against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest as she eyes the two men seated at a nearby table. “Who are they again? Your cousins?”

“Yup,” I lie, peeking over at Micah and Ross. The soldier eats a cupcake while his friend watches on in disgust. Micah shoves the whole thing into his mouth, icing coating his face.

“They look nothing like you,” Miranda remarks as she comes from the kitchen.

I frown. “I thought Blair was supposed to be working?”

She shrugs. “She’s asked me to take her shifts for the last week and since I’m not in school anymore, I’ve appreciated the overtime.”

Huh. That’s strange…

Blair never told me she needed someone to take her shifts .

“Did she say why?” I ask.

“I think she has a new job,” Riley mutters.

Miranda’s lips pull to the left. “She never said, but I’m sure she has a lot going on with college starting soon. She’s been pretty busy.”

“New job,” Riley sing songs.

Hmm. It’s still unlike the goth girl to bail on us…

Maybe I’ve been working her too hard and haven’t noticed? She’s always liked the four shifts in a row, then three days off. Maybe something changed, and I just wasn’t here to hear her out?

“Well, I’m glad you could help her out,” I smile at Miranda.

The bell over the shop’s door chimes and Miranda instantly gets into work mode, switching over to her chipper customer service voice as she greets whoever is at the door.

“ God damn ,” Riley breathes, sounding envious. Her sight is trained on the new customer. “If I looked like that, I wouldn’t know how to act.”

I glance over, doing a double-take at the striking woman who’s just walked into my establishment. Long golden locks that fall into soft curls reach just past her mid-back. Her skin is fair and her cheeks a natural rosy shade. Her mouth is heart-shaped as it tips up in the corners.

She’s wearing some light-washed bell bottoms that cling to her generous curves and thick thighs.

Her top is cropped and a pretty cream color that shows off a sliver of her soft stomach.

Her cleavage is teasing with a chest large enough to make me envious.

She has a pair of dark sunglasses on and when she pushes them up, siren green eyes captivate me, holding me in a trance as she walks up to the counter.

“Welcome to Sweet Haven!” Miranda greets. “What can I get for you today?”

The woman taps her chin before leaning forward and observing the baked goods in the display case. She points to a croissant and holds up five fingers .

She doesn’t speak.

She doesn’t even look like she needs to.

“Coming right up,” the cashier says as she gets a box out from under the counter and loads it full of the pastries.

I see Micah nearly falling over the table to get a look at the blonde before Ross reaches a hand out, grips his shirt, and drags him back.

Riley chuckles beside me. “Your cousin looks like he’s having a hard time keeping his tongue in his mouth.”

“I don’t blame him,” I whisper.

Riley tosses a thumb toward the kitchen’s swing doors. “I have a few more questions before you leave. Can you help me real quick?”

I glance at Ross, and he checks his watch before nodding approval.

“Ask away,” I smile as I follow her. Before I push through the swing doors, I catch the blonde’s gaze at the counter.

My neck prickles as our sights collide and she stares directly at me with a small, knowing look.

Her eyes are low-lidded— predator-like —as a grim smile barely tugs at her lips.

Her hands rest on the countertop as she leans forward.

Like she’s preparing herself for something.

But it’s gone as quickly as I notice it. Miranda offers her the box, and she smiles at the girl before taking it and sauntering out the door.

My eyes flit to Ross and Micah, but they’re deep in conversation, arguing over the game playing on Micah’s phone.

They saw her. She didn’t look familiar. I’m okay.

I’m on edge. I can’t lie to myself that I’m a little traumatized over the last time I was in my bakery. It was only days ago, but it feels like a lifetime as I walk through the swing doors.

I stop in the doorway, taking in the clean floors and countertops.

It’s like it never happened…

“Are you okay?” Riley asks .

I blink my surprise away. “Yeah, what did you need help with?”

We go over a few different changes that can be implemented with the online store to make ordering easier for customers. I also show Riley my design updates and get her opinion. I must lose track of time, because I jump when Ross pokes his head through the swing door.

“Time to go,” he informs me. “We’ll bring the car around to the alley. Leave out the back door.”

I nod. “Okay.”

Riley watches him leave before turning to me. “They seem more like police escorts than cousins.”

I shrug. “They’re overprotective.”

She buys it for now, giving me a quick hug goodbye. “I’ll see you soon?”

I squeeze her back. “Yeah. Soon.”

I grab my things before following Micah’s instructions and leave out of the back entrance. The car idles only a few feet away, but something tingles along my neck. I whip around, only to see nothing behind me. My body feels hyper aware of something, but there’s nothing there.

My cheeks heat and I’m sure Ross and Micah probably just watched my mini freak out through the car’s overly tinted glass. I speed walk over to the vehicle, ripping the door open as I toss my bag onto the floorboard. I settled into the passenger seat, pulling my seatbelt over me.

“I could have sworn I felt someone behind me—”

The sound of a gun clicks beside my head before a cold barrel is pressed into my temple. My stomach drops as my lips part on a quiet breath.

“Hey, there, sugar,” a rich feminine voice drawls lazily in a Southern accent.

My eyes slowly scan over to her, everything moving in slow motion as I see the blonde customer from earlier seated in the driver’s seat of Atlas’s car. Her siren eyes look deadly as she points a gun at my head .

I swallow, finding the courage to speak. “ Fuck .”

Her lips tip up slightly. “Yeah, this isn’t your lucky day.”

“You said you wouldn’t hurt her,” a familiar voice barks from the back seat.

I tense. “Blair? What are you doing here?”

There’s shuffling from the backseat before the girl pushes between the driver and passenger seat. She has a wire in her ear and she’s dressed down in all black. She sports two new piercings, snake bites that jut from her lips. “It’s a long story, but we aren’t going to hurt you—”

“Sit back, Blair.” Blondie commands, her tone stern. “Keep your eyes on the fucking cameras.”

The teen mutters profanities under her breath before complying.

I eye the woman across from me. “Where are—”

“The Midwestern fuckers that were keeping tabs?” Blondie asks. “They’re still alive.”

“Where are they?”

She shrugs. “Unconscious in a dumpster.”

This woman…

She knocked them out. By herself .

“Who are you?” I mumble in frightened awe.

“Doesn’t matter,” she says easily, drawing the gun back. “Do as I say, and we won’t have any issues.”

My jaw grinds. I may be terrified out of my mind, but this is twice I’ve felt like a victim. Twice someone from this stupid syndicate has made me feel vulnerable. “Atlas will find me.” I spit.

Blondie’s lip quirks. “That’s what I’m betting on, sugar. Why don’t you call him right now?”

My brow furrows as my eyes flicker to Blair. She’s propped up in the backseat, a laptop over her thighs. She nods, encouraging me to do as the woman says.

“Are you going to hurt him?” My voice sounds small in the space and my heart pangs. If she plans to hurt my husband, I already know the decision I’m making. I won’t let him die for me.

Blondie sighs, tucking her gun between her legs. “Listen, I don’t give a fuck about you or him. It’s nothing against y’all. I’m sure you’re a lovely person, but I need you right now, Loxley. You’re my ticket back in. So, no, I’m not trying to hurt Atlas.”

Ticket back in?

And how does she know my name?

“Am I going to get hurt?” I don’t know why I ask. Maybe it’s morbid curiosity, but with the way this woman is watching me like she’s expecting me to run, I know I’m not getting away. I’m going to be her bait whether or not I want to.

The woman sighs. “As long as you listen to me, you won’t.”

I take a few deep, uneasy breaths as I pull my phone from my pocket. I try to calm myself, but my hands shake as I press Atlas’s number.

He answers quickly, sounding out of breath. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

He knows right away something isn’t right, and it makes my gut twist.

“Hey,” I say uneasily, feeling a breathless chuckle bubble from me.

“Short Stack,” he warns. “ What’s . Wrong ?”

My throat feels thick and I swallow the emotion in it as my eyes water. “I got caught.”

He curses over the line, sounding frantic. “ Fuck , baby. I’m gonna find you—”

The phone is ripped from my hand, and Blondie holds it up to her ear.

“Get Alana to track her location. You’ve got thirty minutes.

” She hangs up before tossing my device onto my lap and shifting the car into drive.

She slams on the gas, sending me back in my seat as we speed through downtown Columbus.

Once I’ve gathered my bearings, I sit up and shoot her a frightened look. “What happens after thirty minutes?”

Blondie stares straight ahead, but I see her knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. “Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point.”

Bile rises in my throat as I numbly shift forward and stare out the window. “I’ll do what you say, but I need your help, too.”

Blondie glances over at me. “With what?”

I swallow the heavy emotions in my throat, saving the crying for later because there has to be a later. I just got Atlas back. I don’t want to miss another second of us. “They have my friend. Her name is Addison.”

The woman frowns. “What does she look like?”

“Brown curly hair, grey eyes, tan, and four inches taller than me.”

She nods. “Anything recognizable? Like a tattoo that sticks out? Maybe a piercing or something?”

I think. “She has a mole shaped like Idaho on her neck.”

Blondie blinks before a deep sigh leaves her. “The worst part is that I can imagine what it would look like. If they have her, I’ll get her out.”

“Thank you,” I mumble, sinking back in my seat as I watch the bustling city turn into dense forest. We’re headed in the opposite direction of the compound, but with every mile, my heart pounds harder and harder in my chest.

And I only hope Atlas can make it in time.