Read Online The Promise of Surrender by Liliana Hart - Free Book Online Page B

any macho bullshit.
    “Might as well check out the inside,” Cooper said. “You can see if anything is missing.”
    They stepped through the gaping hole where her front door had once been, and Mia had to stifle a gasp. Her heart thudded in her chest and a red haze clouded her vision. Everything was destroyed. The shelves were knocked down, the floor littered with broken glass. They’d not gotten the more expensive pieces locked behind the counter, though she could see the scratches on the bulletproof glass.
    “What was the biker looking for?” Cooper asked.
    Mia stepped over glass and an electric guitar that was broken in half. “He asked for a music box. Was very specific about what kind he wanted. He said that he’d been told someone had come in and sold it to me. He offered to double my money.” She could hear the hollowness of her own voice.
    “I told him he was mistaken and that I didn’t have a piece like that. He got close and told me I’d better rethink my answer, so I cocked the sawed off I’ve got stashed under the counter. He decided to leave after that.”
    “He make any threats?”
    She sighed. “Yeah, he said he’d come back for a visit with his brothers.”
    “Jesus, Mia,” Zeke said. “Why wouldn’t you report something like that?”
    “Because I can take care of myself,” she said, whirling on Zeke. “I was a cop, remember? How would reporting it have changed anything? There’s not enough manpower to put out a protection detail.”
    “And now you’ve got a target on your back.”
    “They did what they came to do,” she said. “They destroyed and still didn’t find what they were looking for. There’s no reason for them to come back here. But they might target other pawnshops in the area if their intel tells them that’s where the music box ended up.”
    “We’ll put an alert out to all the surrounding areas,” Cooper said. “We’ll get in and out of here quickly so you can get the insurance company in and start going through your inventory.”
    “What’s left of it,” she said, looking around at the shambles of a room.
    “I’ll grab Thomas and Dane and we’ll come back and put in a makeshift door with a sturdy deadbolt,” Riley said, speaking of his other two brothers. “At least it’ll deter anyone wanting to snoop or help themselves to what’s available.”
    “I’d appreciate it. This is definitely going to put a dent in my new parking lot fund.”
    “I can call in a couple of favors,” Zeke said. “I’ve got men at the DEA office that are twiddling their thumbs, waiting for a big case to drop. They can set up a patrol in the area and keep an eye out to make sure you don’t get another visit.”
    “We’ll coordinate with the surrounding departments and set up checkpoints and hot spots. The problem with The Vaqueros is their clubhouses are in the mountains. We might not see them for weeks. Or until they need supplies. And if we get a snowfall during that time it could be even longer.”
    “Lovely,” Mia said. “Well, there’s no use wasting time when there’s work to be done. How soon do you think I can call insurance and we can start cleanup?”
    “Should be ready for insurance this evening if he’s available. You can probably start cleanup tomorrow.”
    She nodded and glanced at Zeke. He was staring at a painting that had fallen off the wall like it held the secret of life. It was a contemporary oil with bright colors, and she’d briefly thought about taking it home and hanging it in her dining room.
    She thought about the music box tucked safely in her bag. She needed to get rid of Zeke so she could go through it in private. He’d been too secretive since his arrival the day before, and no matter what he said about still loving her, seven years was a long time. And people changed. Especially people who’d lived that underground life and spent their days and nights lying to people. She wasn’t about to get caught in the middle of something