I imagined toting a big honking six-shooter in my backpack. “I’d probably wind up shooting myself in the elbow. Lose my good texting arm.”
Roxy glanced up from the table she was wiping. “I think it’s a good idea.”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “No way.”
“Fine,” Janelle said. “How about a stun gun? Zap him right in the balls, see how he likes that.”
Now we’re talking. The thought of zapping Henry in the balls filled me with delight. “Where do I get one of those?”
“My cousin sells them. He’ll give you a deal.”
Ma put her hands on her hips. “I think we all need some kind of protection. Get me some of that pepper spray.” She walked behind the counter and scrounged around in her purse, pulling out two twenties. “And see if they have a rape whistle. A girl can’t be too careful.”
I shoved the bills in my pocket. “Roxy, you in?”
“Hell yes.”
So I’d eat ramen noodles for the next two weeks. Feeling protected would be worth it. “Where’s his store?”
“He doesn’t have a store so much as a full trunk. I’ll have him meet us at school in an hour. Bring cash.”
Roxy and I drove out to the college the second we locked up the diner. We found Janelle and her cousin waiting for us in the parking lot. Tariq wore jeans and a striped polo that looked four sizes too big. Dozens of little braids covered his head and large diamond adorned his right earlobe. He shook our hands when we met, his gaze lingering on Roxy.
“Blue’s a good color on you,” he said.
Twisting a braid around her finger, she smiled. “Thanks.”
“Come on, Tariq,” Janelle said. “I don’t have all damn day. I’ve got a class to get to.” Unlike me, Janelle was a full time student.
Tariq held up his hands. “All right, cuz, calm down.” He turned back to Roxy and me. “I hear you ladies are in the market for a little personal protection.”
“First I want a can of pepper spray and a rape whistle for my boss,” I said.
He opened the trunk of his silver Ford sedan to a large display of miscellaneous self-defense items. “I don’t have a rape whistle,” he said. He handed me a can of pepper spray, then reached back into the trunk and came out with a black leather pouch. He pulled a shiny four-sided weapon out of it. “I got a Chinese throwing star, though.”
“Aren’t those illegal?” I asked.
Tariq shrugged.
It seemed like something Ma would like. “Okay, I’ll take it.”
“Fifty.”
“All I have is twenty.”
“Since you’re a friend of Janelle’s, I’m willing to work with you.”
For myself, I bought a can of pepper spray I could hang from my key chain, then Tariq handed me a stun gun. “You got to be careful with this.”
I pressed the trigger, jumping as a current shot between the two points. “I’ll take it.” I forked over forty dollars — mostly in ones from my tip money.
“Now,” he focused on Roxy, “what do you need, baby?” I could tell by the way his eyes swept over her, he wasn’t just talking about the stuff in his trunk, he was talking about the junk in hers.
“A cigarette,” she said in a husky voice.
Tariq smiled. “I can get you one of those.”
Oh boy. “No,” I said. “She’s quitting.”
She blew out a breath. “All right, I’ll take some pepper spray.”
“For you, my blue-haired beauty, ten dollars.” She handed it to him with a smile.
Janelle rolled her eyes. “I’ve got to go. Rose, I’ll see you at class tomorrow night?”
I sighed. “Probably not.”
She said she’d take notes for me and walked off.
“Thanks a lot, Tariq.” I tucked everything in my purse.
He shut the trunk lid, his eyes never leaving Roxy. “My pleasure, ladies.”
Roxy grinned as I pulled her away from Tariq’s car. With her love of breaking and entering, and his love of selling possibly — okay totally— stolen goods, this was not a relationship I wanted to encourage.
I needed to stop by the IT office while I was here to see if Eric could fix my computer. We walked toward Blake Hall and ran in to Steve near the entrance.
“Hey, Rose,” he said, adjusting his messenger bag. “Roxy. Any news on Axton?”
“We’re still working on it,” I said.
He reached out and touched my shoulder. “I meant what I said the other day. Anything I can do to help.”
“I appreciate that.”
He gave me a squeeze and with a crooked grin walked off.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Roxy nudged me. “Someone has a little crush on my Rose.”
“He’s a nice guy.”
She wrapped her hands around her throat. “The kiss of death.”
In the IT office, Eric sat at his desk, rubbing his head. He looked up and smiled when I entered. “Hey, Rose, you’re becoming quite a regular around here.”
“Actually, today I have a different favor to ask you.”
“I don’t know. This might cost you another sandwich.” When I handed him my computer his smile changed to a look of horror. “What the hell did you do, hurl it off a building?”
“My apartment was ransacked last night. Everything I own was broken, smashed or shredded.” I ran my fingers over my ponytail.
Eric jumped out of his seat and rounded the desk. “My God, Rose, are you all right?” Placing his hands on my arms, gave me a once over.
“I’m fine. I was at your place when it happened. Really, I’m fine.”
“You think Sullivan did this?” Eric asked.
Roxy propped her hip on the edge of his desk. “Yes.”
I stepped out of Eric’s hold, pulled up a chair, and dropped into it, rubbing a hand over my eyes. I was tired beyond belief. “I don’t know for sure. Probably.”
“Why?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Another warning? Quit looking for Axton, quit asking questions, blah blah blah. Anyway, I can’t afford a new laptop. Is this one fixable?”
Eric glanced down at the broken hinge and hit the power button. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Thanks. I get paid next week, so let me know how much—”
“Rose, stop. I’m not charging you. This will be a test of my skills. I welcome it.” He stepped back to the desk and dismissed me, focusing instead on the laptop.
“Thanks, Eric, I’ll see you later.”
I dropped Roxy off at Ma’s and headed to Walmart, where I bought makeup, toiletries, two pillows, two bras, two packages of underwear and socks, a phone charger, and the largest coffee pot on the shelf. I swung by the grocery store and stocked up on generic pop tarts and ramen noodles, then I stopped by a mattress store and bought a new firm futon, which the salesman promised, would be delivered the next day. My last pit stop was Goodwill where I scoured the racks for a limited amount of jeans, t-shirts, and sweats. With my depleted bank account, I was lucky the volunteer at the counter took pity on me and tossed in two blankets.
Back at my apartment, the super left the new keys in my mailbox as promised. I hauled all the bags up the stairs. I didn’t even hesitate at the door. I was operating on fifteen cups of high octane coffee and zero sleep. If there was a destructive maniac waiting for me, I’d whack him over the head with my Walmart bags, then tase the crap out of him with my new stun gun for good measure.
It took less than twenty minutes to unpack my worldly goods. Wasn’t too hard since I didn’t even have a dresser to unpack things into. As I looked around my barren apartment and the empty futon frame, my anger grew. It was a craptastic futon, but it was mine. My futon, my clothes, my milk. Someone invaded my privacy and not only destroyed my stuff, but my peace of mind. Not someone. Sullivan. He followed me, kidnapped me, threatened my friends and family.