Evidence of Trust (Colorado Trust 1)
“That’s what worries me,” he muttered as he made the call and spoke to the dispatcher. As she promised to send someone right over, Britt stared at the front of the grocery store as if she could will Stevens out.
The dispatcher asked Joel for the license plate number, and he twisted around to read it off. When he disconnected the call and turned back, Brittany was a good ten yards away, headed straight for Kelly and his cart full of groceries.
“Gol-dammit.”
Short of sprinting, there was no way he’d prevent the confrontation. Even then, they arrived at the same time. The customer stepped back, wide-eyed as Joel grabbed Brittany to hold her back. Kelly glared at both of them from behind his cart.
“Do you feel better now?” Britt demanded.
“What are you talking about?” Kelly grumbled. “This job sucks. If it weren’t for you—”
“I’m talking about my tires,” she snapped.
“What about ’em?”
“I know you
slashed them.”
He scoffed. “I didn’t touch your tires, but my hat’s off to whoever did.”
Joel tightened his grip as Brittany surged forward. “You got yourself fired, Kelly, not me! We’ll see what you have to say once the sheriff gets here.”
He leaned forward, hands braced on the cart. “I didn’t touch your fucking tires. Now leave me alone before you get me fired from this job, too.”
Joel pulled her back and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Can you settle down long enough to give me a minute with him?”
Her deep breaths strained against his hold. After a tense moment, he felt her body relent and she gave a curt nod.
He turned her around. “Wait for me at your truck? Please?”
When he let her go with a little push toward her vehicle, she glanced back over her shoulder, first at Kelly, then at Joel. He trusted her at her word and turned back to face the two people watching him; Kelly wary, the lady fearful.
Joel held up a reassuring hand to the woman. “I apologize for the scene. Kelly, take care of the groceries and then we can have our talk.”
Once the bags were loaded, he motioned to the side of the store, and they walked across the short span of asphalt so they were out of the way for the woman to leave.
“Listen man, I have no clue what the bitch is talking about—”
Joel reached over and fisted his hand in the guy’s shirt to drag him around face to face. He forced his jaw to relax so his voice came out low and calm. “Don’t call her that again, understand?”
Kelly’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he held up his hands in surrender. “I got it. Sorry.”
“Now, about the tires.”
“I swear, it wasn’t me.”
“The store has security cameras. Won’t take long to find out if you’re lying.” He didn’t know that for sure, but figured the threat would be enough to scare the truth out of the spineless weasel.
Instead of fear, relief filled Kelly’s expression. “Go ahead and check ’em. You’ll see I wasn’t anywhere near her truck.”
Well, sonofabitch, he was inclined to believe him. “We’ll see all right. And just so we’re on the same page, is there anything about our previous conversation that needs repeating? You remember, the one where I told you if you touch Brittany you’d wish you were never born?”
“No, you were perfectly clear,” Kelly hurried to assure him.
Flashing lights in the corner of his eye told him the police had arrived. A glance over his shoulder revealed the Sheriff himself exiting the patrol car. Joel turned back to Kelly and set him back against the wall before unclenching his fists and smoothing the guy’s shirt.
“Good. Stay put now. Sheriff Thompson’s gonna want to talk to you.”