Page 19 of Kiss of Deceit

I bit back my retort, anger quickly replacing the nostalgia of my past that had taken over for a few moments. Seeing as I needed to buy something from this asshole, I had to be nice. Plus, this was the only store in Winterlake that sold tools and weapons. It wasn’t a good idea to get on the bad side of the person who worked here when I might need to visit again while I was living here.

My eyes flicked back to the knives behind the glass, my internal struggle tearing me apart. I was here to buy something to protect myself. After being chased in the woods, I refused to be trapped in a vulnerable situation again. But…it had been years since I held a knife in my hand for a reason. I couldn’t go back down the road that nearly ruined my life.

“Don’t let Buck bother you,” a new voice cut in. “He’s a prickly old bastard who wants to make everyone as miserable as he is.”

I spun around, coming face to face with a man I’d never seen. He grinned, wrinkle lines appearing around his eyes. His long hair was a dark brown and pulled up behind his head. I guessed he was in his mid-thirties, and he was bundled up in a thick jacket with a pair of worn leather boots on his feet. Maybe he worked at the warehouse I’d seen the other day. While he was attractive, his flirtatious smile did nothing for me.

“Nice to meet you, intern.” He held out his hand. “I’m Riggs.”

I eyed his outstretched arm warily. “Dani.”

It was hard to gauge if he was messing with me or was genuinely happy to meet me. The citizens of this town didn’t seem to like outsiders very much. His hand enclosed mine, his firm grip putting me immediately on edge. His dark blue eyes trailed down my body, taking in my new puffy coat and jeans. A pleasant smile remained on his lips when I tugged my hand from his grip, and he met my gaze again.

“Do you hunt?” he asked.

I frowned. “What?”

He jerked a nod toward the glass case. “Why else would you be looking at knives?”

“Sport. Self-defense.” I shrugged. “I don’t hunt animals.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You aren’t one of those tree huggers, are you?”

“My store isn’t a place to loiter,” Buck said, glancing up from his crossword to glare at me. “If you’re not going to buy anything, then leave.”

“No, I am buying something,” I replied, pointing at the middle shelf behind the glass. “I’d like two of those, please.”

With an annoyed sigh, Buck tossed his booklet on the counter before sliding off the stool. He grabbed a cane, slowly hobbling closer. “Two of what?”

“The Pardue Mini-Griptilian.”

Riggs let out a low whistle, inspecting me all over again. “The woman knows her knives, Buck. Maybe you should be nicer to her.”

Buck limped behind the case, crouching down to unlock it. I shifted impatiently, not enjoying that Riggs was right next to me—in my personal space. I didn’t believe he was trying to intimidate me, but it didn’t matter. After my past, Idetestedhaving anyone in my space. Not caring if he noticed, I shuffled to the side until he was a good two feet away.

He caught my eye, cocking his head slightly. For some reason, unease stabbed me in the chest. My pulse thudded as I swallowed thickly.Trust your gut. I’d been told that statement so many times in therapy and in my self-defense classes.

But I was broken.

I didn’t trustanyone.

A nice smile or kind attitude meant absolutely nothing. No one knew what went on in someone’s brain. Even in all my years of learning psychology and how the mind worked, I couldn’tlearn about a person without delving into their mannerisms and talking to them at length. While I was good at telling if someone was lying or not, I wasn’t perfect. Which was why I was completely content to be alone like I had been the last twelve years.

My heart skipped a beat when Kole’s face popped into my thoughts. For some unknown fucking reason, I had no issue letting him get close to me in the storage room of his bar. Why? I had no damn idea.

“You want two?” Buck asked, pulling my attention back to him. “Why?”

I stiffened, not expecting his question. It wasn’t like I was buying one of the hunting rifles on the shelf below. It was a small folding knife. A weapon that shouldn’t warrant questions.

“For protection,” I answered slowly.

Buck snorted, dismissing my words with a wave of his hand. “There isn’t any crime here.”

My lips parted, anger skating down my spine. Was I really going to have to persuade him to sell me what I wanted?

“I’d like to buy two please,” I said firmly.

“Do you even know how to use one of these?” he shot back. “I’m not going to be responsible for a little girl hurting herself because she’s trying to act tough while living in the mountains.”