Page 138 of Split You Open

“G’afternoon!” I flash him my best smile even as his dark, cold eyes drift over me. “Find everything you need today?”

The man smiles as his gaze meets mine once more. While there’s nothing particularly off about it, I suddenly have the urge to shiver again.

“Yeah, I did. The employee out there on the floor was exceedingly helpful.”

“Good to hear. Charlie’s a great guy. Handy too, so he knows what he’s talking about when giving advice about what tools and things you might need for a project,” I agree. “Speaking of which, what project are you tackling this weekend?”

He chuckles.

It’s a normal sound but damn it if there’s not some sort of undercurrent beneath it. The hairs on the back of my neck lift as my heart begins to hammer in my chest.

“It’s a special project. One that I’m glad I’ll be able to finish—it’s taken too long as it is.”

Fuck, there’s something up about this asshole I don’t like.

Time to get him the hell out of here.

“Right…” I nod, not quite sure what else there is to say to that. “Well, I don’t want to keep you here then. Can I ring you up?”

The man nods before turning and pulling out a nail gun, a package of nails, duct tape, rope, and an air compressor from his small cart.

“Deck… work?” I guess curiously as I start scanning each item but uncertain about a few of the items.

The man says nothing. Instead, he simply watches me with rapt interest as I finish ringing him up. He pays in cash, no wallet in sight, and shoves the change into his back pocket.

“You know, while I have your attention, Santiago,” he drawls as he places his shopping bags into his cart. “I have a question for you.”

“Okay, shoot.”

He raps his knuckles lightly against the countertop. “I overheard the customer in front of me say that Ledger’s been MIA. Got any idea where he might be? I’d love to chat with him the next time he’s around.”

His question is innocent enough. Everyone knows Ledger around Caddawalk, especially if they frequent Gnarly Pines. People ask to chat with him all the time; about how he’s doing, is he around to talk about sponsorships, or to shoot the shit.

The thing is… the man isn’t from Caddawalk.

I’m pretty familiar with most faces around here and even if I wasn’t, the people around here have a small-town vibe. This man is a stranger and he doesn’t belong here. I’m not sure where he’s from but it’s sure as shit not Caddawalk and I have a feeling he hasn’t just moved into the area.

My instincts scream danger as I stare back at the man across the counter.

The smile clinging to my face turns brittle.

If danger’s come knocking, I’m more than happy to knock fucking back.

The man’s smile never falters, nor does his gaze leave my face. He’s watching my reaction, waiting for something. A reaction maybe?

“You know,” I start. “I’m not sure what he’s up to today. What I can do is pass along a message, how’s that?”

For the first time since he stepped up, the man looks away. His eyes flicker to the security camera, eerily confident of where it is.

“Naw, that’s fine. I’ll stop by again.” He racks his knuckles against the counter. “Take care, Santiago.”

The grin he flashes me before grabbing his stuff and turning away isn’t sinister and yet… Goosebumps race down my arms. Another customer steps up and starts unloading their things from their cart onto the counter but my eyes stay trained on the man’s back until he slips out the door and out of sight.

As I turn to the next person in line, I realize that I’m not wearing a name tag.

Holy fuck.

Who the hell was that?