Need You for Keeps (Heroes of St. Helena, #1)(41)

“I most certainly am not,” Mr. Russell said, taking the box off his lap and slamming it on the table. A muffled hum echoed off the wood surface. “They told me that I couldn’t leave until I priced each and every item in there.”

“If he thinks he can help himself to my electricity,” Clovis spat, “then he can help with the merchandising as well.”

Mr. Russell was squat, with owl-like eyes and more hair on his face than his head. He was also looking at the latched gate in the back, as though judging the most direct path between him, the panty raiders, and freedom.

Norton flew up on the table and waddled right up to him and flapped his wings as if to say Go ahead and try it.

“Thank God, you’re here,” Peggy whispered, clutching a pair of vinyl panties to her chest so tightly that the fabric looked ready to burst at the seams and send the little metal studs scattering. Peggy looked ready to come apart too. She obviously wasn’t big on kidnapping and blackmailing.

“Without the restraints I didn’t think we’d keep him here much longer. Then he started hollering for the sheriff.” Peggy leaned in and lowered her voice. “I was afraid Ida was going to tie him up with some unmentionables and then gag him with one of those balls Clovis sells in her shop.”

This was not good. There was no way a man who’d been tortured with unmentionables for the past hour was going to cut Shay any kind of deal. And she felt that familiar panic, the one that always came when everything was about to change, well up inside of her and take hold.

It was silly. An hour ago Shay wasn’t even sure she wanted to open a shop, but suddenly she wanted this shop with all of her heart.

Wanted to try on St. Helena and see if she fit.

Wanted to see if maybe she could find what she’d been searching for here—maybe even with Jonah. Mostly, though, she wanted to see her animals find good homes. In order to do that she had to take the plunge.

Only she didn’t think Mr. Russell wanted to plunge into anything. Not with Shay. Not today. Maybe not ever.

“Mr. Russell. I am so sorry about this.” Shay took his arm and Norton started acting cagy, pacing back and forth, not sure if he should attack or retreat. “If you’d like me to walk you back inside, maybe we could talk about the lease sign hanging in the window.”

“The man isn’t going anywhere,” Clovis said, resting a hand on his shoulder and shoving him back in the chair. “Tomorrow I’m having my Toys of the World half-yearly blowout. I’ve already priced those ones over there, so that means he’s got one box left.”

Meaning Shay had about five minutes to explain her situation, get him on board, and negotiate terms that would have to be well under the asking price, all while the man was putting stickers on—she looked at the box—Down Under vibrators.

“Or you can just let the girl have the space and we’ll call it even,” Clovis said, pulling out a Wom-Batter and setting it on the table directly in front of Mr. Russell. She activated the On switch and it vibrated toward Mr. Russell, sending pink and purple strobe lights flickering off the fence and leaves.

Quark!

Norton, feathers in flight position, took off chasing the lights. Every time it buzzed, Norton responded.

Buzz. Buzz.

Quark! Quark!

“You people are insane.” Mr. Russell stood right before the Wom-Batter would have jiggled itself into his lap. “Fine, she can have the space. Two-year lease, no more, no less. If it works out, we can renegotiate the terms then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Russell,” Shay said, afraid to ask what that two-year lease would go for. Even though the place was perfect in theory, getting it to work as a functioning shelter would take time and money. She was pathetically short on both. “What kind of terms were you thinking?”

He threw out a number that was on the high end of what she was hoping, but she had enough to last her three months. Making rent after that would be a stretch, but if she got creative and started selling Cuties with Booties merchandise, it was a number she could work with.

“You’re responsible for all utilities, tenant improvements, and you can move in as soon as you get me the security deposit, which is equivalent to two months’ rent—ow!” He looked at Clovis, who was holding her cane and smiling angelically.

Mr. Russell rubbed his shin, then continued, one eye on Clovis, the other on her cane. “No security deposit.” The cane lowered. “But first and last months’ rent, plus the utilities and all tenant improvements are her responsibility.”

The three panty raiders looked at Shay expectantly—although Clovis was swinging her cane like a billy club. It was clear; they were there for her, willing to do whatever it took to help her make this a reality. And that alone made Shay’s heart roll over.

“Then we have a deal.”





At the time Jonah’s alarm clock was supposed to be going off, he found himself standing at the foot of his bed in full gear, tired and pissed off. Tired because A) it was dawn and B) he’d had one hell of a week. The pissed off part was because all he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours, but he only had six before his next shift started—and he’d just come off a double.

There were barely enough guys to cover the required shifts, so when someone took a personal day it meant someone else had to step up. Last night, that someone had been Jonah. So instead of his normal ten-hour haul, he’d pulled two tens, back-to-back. If he planned on being any kind of useful, he needed sleep.