Page 103 of Wanting More

Earlier she had texted Vic about their plans after getting his number from Joel that morning.

Me: Can Finn and I use your beach today?

Vic: I should really start charging a toll.

Me: Why?! Or are you salty you aren’t able to hang out at the beach too?

Vic: Salty is an understatement. I have so many fucking chores that need to get done I have no time to think of lounging at the beach.

Me: I'm sorry…would cookies be an appropriate toll fee?

Vic: …what kind of cookies?

Me: What kind you want?

Vic: chocolate chips with walnut?

Me: Consider it done.

Vic: comic book nerd and baker…those two bastards don’t know how lucky they have it.

Sapphire smiled at the memory of the conversation.

"Hey, let's stop by the gas station," Finn called out over the wind as they zipped down the highway.

"Good idea," Sapphire shouted back.

They needed drinks and snacks if they were gonna last out there.

Pulling off the main road, they both laughed as the transition from tarmac to dirt and gravel made the scooter jump. Easing the vehicle to a stop under the awning, they both took off their helmets and pushed their way inside the ancient gas station under the jingle of bells.

"Hiya Booker," Finn called out to the older guy sitting behind the counter.

With a friendly smile, he nodded at Finn before giving Sapphire an almost sheepish smile. She was pretty sure he had come to the café once before with his wife. Smiling back at him, she followed Finn to the chip aisle.

"I should probably text Vic and tell him we are on our way," she said, pulling out her phone from her jean shorts. "Get me some Funyuns."

Ignoring Finn's disgusted face at her choice of chips, Sapphire typed in a text.

Me: We're on our way over in two minutes. We're at the gas station just down the street from your house getting snacks.

The reply came back almost immediately.

Vic: See you when you get here.

Loading up their arms with chips, sodas, and beef jerky, they poured the contents on the counter. Booker just smiled and raised a brow in silent query.

"What? If we are to survive the beach properly, we're gonna need supplies," Finn argued.

Booker held up both hands in surrender. "I ain't judging. Hell, you can come buy from me anytime. I always need the business."

Sapphire smiled at Finn's noise of derision in response and pulled a pair of sunglasses off the rotating display on the counter's edge.

"Yeah, fucking right, Booker. There are only three gas stations in Holter, and you and your brother own two of them."

Booker's little guilty smile made Sapphire laugh.

Looking over at her, Finn opened her mouth to speak but stopped. Her normally piercing eyes caught something over Sapphire's head and widened, her face turning pale.

Sapphire barely registered Finn and Booker's shouts of alarm. Still wearing the glasses with the tag dangling at her nose, Sapphire turned and looked out the window behind her.

Standing there still astride his idling bike stood a man she hoped she'd never see again. A man she meant to discreetly ask the sheriff about. A man pointing a gun directly at her.

Sapphire had no time to move, no time to scream or react as she looked into his cold, angry eyes and thought back to that night at the motel. But it was all too late as the gun went off and the glass in front of her shattered.