Stolen by the Sheik (Black Towers Book 2) by Lauren Hawkeye, Suzanne Rock Page A

narrowly missing the bullets flying in every direction.
    “In here,” Liv said as she tugged on his arm.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Getting some medicine.” She reached up, opened the door beside her and slipped inside.
    The convenience store was empty save a lone clerk, who was stocking the shelves in the back. Liv sniffled as she quietly made her way down the aisles toward the allergy medicine.
    “We need to get out of here,” Nayo grumbled from behind her.
    “In a minute.” She reached up and grabbed her favorite brand off the shelf.
    “Can we go now?” Nayo whispered as he poked his head around the aisle.
    She read the back to make sure she had the right dosage. “Yeah, this is it.”
    “Good.” He made his way back to the door.
    “Wait!” She hurried up to him and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”
    “Leaving.”
    “But I have to pay for it.”
    “If that guy sees you, then we’re as good as caught.”
    “But—”
    The front door swung open and two police officers stepped inside.
    “Is anyone in here?” One of them asked.
    “Get back.” Nayo lead her down the aisle, back the opposite way they had come.
    “Oh, hello officer,” the clerk said, making his way to the front.
    “What do we do now?” Liv asked.
    “There has to be an employee entrance in back,” Nayo said as he took her arm. “Let’s go.”
    “Wait a minute.” She fished around in her purse and pulled out a few bills. Ignoring Nayo’s surprised expression, she tossed them on the pharmacy counter.
    “For the medicine,” she explained. “I’m not a thief.”
    Nayo rolled his eyes and motioned to the back. Together they wove their way around the counter, through a small storage area, and out a back door into an alley.
    Liv fumbled with her allergy medication as Nayo lead her down first one side street, then two. “Where are we going?” she finally asked.
    “To a friend’s house.”
    “What are we going to do once we get there?”
    He glanced over his shoulder. “You’re full of questions, aren’t you?”
    “Well, I’m just wondering, does this place have any food? I’m supposed to take my medication with food.”
    “For the love of—you could have mentioned this back at the convenience store.”
    “I didn’t think of it in the convenience store. I thought of it now.” Really, why was he being so obtuse?
    He pulled up short and scanned the street. “Over there.”
    “Over where? We’re in the back alley, there’s nothing here.”
    “No, look.” Nayo pointed down the alley where a back door, the kind that only opens from the inside, was being propped open by a small crate. “I’m pretty sure that’s the emergency exit to Chez Fournil. It’s my favorite place in town to get coffee, and they have the best sweets. It must be hot in the kitchen today. Come on.”
    He started to drag her down the alley. They reached the door and he peered in through the small opening. Sure enough, it was the kitchen to Le Fournil. A quick scan noted that it was empty. Stepping over the crate, they quietly made their way inside.
    “Nayo, this doesn’t feel right. We shouldn’t be back here,” she whispered.
    “Well, do you want some food to go with that allergy medicine or not?”
    “Yes, but couldn’t we just go to the front and buy something like normal people? I already told you, I’m not a thief!”
    “Sure, and while we’re at it we’ll just have a seat and sip a cup coffee while we wait for the police to show up and start shooting at us again. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re trying to keep a low profile. We can’t exactly waltz in the front door and place an order.”
    “All right, point taken. But I still think we should just turn ourselves in and tell them the truth, clear up this whole mess.”
    “We’ve already been shot at multiple times today, I don’t think we’d be greeted with a warm welcome. Now come on, hurry up and pick some food and let’s get out of here before someone