Soon it was closing time, and Joe bid farewell to the last customer. They all pitched in cleaning up, and Joe thanked everyone for another great day. He sent leftovers home with Donnie and Elsie, like he usually did. There was never a whole lot, but Joe would rather have leftovers at closing time than run out during the late-afternoon rush. It wasn’t like he had trouble getting rid of it. Elsie’s big brothers adored his pies and were always hopeful Elsie would be bringing some home. Donnie’s dad was also a fan. The poor guy worked late at the docks, and Joe always made sure some pie was left for him. He was a good man and had raised Donnie on his own after Donnie’s mom passed away when he was just a toddler.
Once everyone was gone, Joe turned to Tom. “How about I finish up and you use the shower? I’ll be up in a minute.”
Tom removed his apron and hung it up on the hook by the door. “You sure?”
“Positive. I won’t be long.”
“Okay. I’ll get dinner started. How’s pasta sound?” Tom’s smile lit Joe up from the inside out.
“Sounds great.” He enjoyed the view of Tom’s gorgeous backside as he headed upstairs. Despite not being able to go to a gym, Tom had been able to keep himself in shape, exercising every morning and making do with whatever he had on hand, whether it was the stairs, bags of flour, sit-ups, pushups, lunges, or a host of other routines that exhausted Joe just by looking at it. Tom was convinced he’d get Joe to join him. Joe had a hearty laugh before stuffing his face full of cherry pie. His exercise came in the form of rushing around serving his customers, baking, and going up and down the stairs from his apartment to the shop.
Joe walked into the café and gave a start at finding a man standing there in a dark hoodie and jeans. How the heck had the guy gotten in? They’d locked all the doors.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed.”
The front door opened and several more men stepped inside, all looking equally dangerous.
Joe tried not to panic, but it was hard. His mind raced, going back to that night when he’d been jumped and beaten. Had Blake sent them? Joe’s heart leaped into his throat, and he took a step back. Not again. “We’re closed, gentlemen. I’m afraid you have to leave.”
One of the men in a leather jacket closed the door and locked it.
“Where is he?” Hoodie Guy hissed.
Behind him a man with a scar running down the side of his face joined him. “He asked you a question.”
Joe carefully backed up toward the counter. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Please leave before I call the police.”
The men spread out across the shop. Hoodie Guy sneered. “Now that would be a very bad idea. I’m going to ask you again. Where is he?”
Joe swallowed hard. Who the hell were these guys? And why were they looking for Tom? Whatever they wanted from Tom, it couldn’t be good. Maybe it was time to invest in a new alarm system. He hadn’t updated the thing since it was installed years ago, and it had a habit of going on the fritz. Very little money was kept on-site, and he figured if someone was going risk stealing his ingredients or food processor, they might reconsider when they spotted the boutique next door that sold thousand-dollar shoes.
“Listen, I don’t want any trouble,” Joe said, hands up in front of him. What should he do? It was hard to concentrate when all he could think about was the men Blake’s father had sent after him. His brow was beaded with sweat, and his hands felt clammy. You need to do something, Joe. Don’t just stand there waiting for them to hurt you. Do something!
“Then tell us where he is,” Hoodie Guy growled. He nodded to one of his friends, who promptly grabbed an upturned chair off a table. Joe gave a terrible start and his pulse soared when the chair was bashed against the table several times before it splintered and broke into several pieces. The men grabbed several more chairs and broke them. They flipped over tables and knocked the framed pictures off the walls. They were tearing the place apart.
Hoodie made a grab for Joe, but Joe dove behind the counter. He snatched a hold of Bea’s baseball bat just as Hoodie guy raised his arms to grab Joe, leaving his ribs exposed, and giving Joe the perfect opportunity to whack him on the side with the bat. The guy doubled over in pain, and Joe slammed the bat down onto the man’s back before he kicked out, catching Hoodie guy in the face and bloodying his nose. The guy let out a barrage of curses as he pushed himself to his feet. Joe tried to get to his cell phone, but he was preoccupied swinging the baseball bat. He was about to yell for help when someone grabbed hold of the man’s hoodie and jerked him back, sending him skidding across the floor. Joe was frozen to the spot, gripping the bat against him, as Tom landed a fierce punch against one man’s face while he kicked out at another.