Page 28 of Cursed By Fate

“Mr. LaRue,” I said.

He turned with a start. “Yes?”

“I’m Maya August, director of security. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

He had the nerve to check his watch. His very nice watch, at second glance. Possibly a Rolex. I wondered what he’d traded for that pricey piece.

“I have a massage in an hour. We should be fine.”

No point in beating around the bush. “I found your secret stash,” I told him. “I’d like to know how you managed to sneak so many weapons onto the island.”

The color drained from his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Why was denial always the immediate go-to? “I just told you I found your stash. In your place of residence. I removed two boxes of weapons from your bedroom, plus your client list.”

The color bled back into his pale skin as shock turned to rage. “What were you doing in my condo without my permission?”

“I don’t need your permission, Mr. LaRue. I’m the director of security.”

“We move to Evermore and lose all our rights? Is that it?”

“You acknowledged the rules and regulations when you signed your intake paperwork. I had just cause to search your premises.”

He folded his arms, radiating anger. “And where’s the warrant?”

“Don’t need one, as the Neighborhood rules make clear.”

“This is an outrage! This is fascism!”

For someone who didn’t say much, he sure was getting loud. “Sir, I’m going to ask you politely not to raise your voice to me.”

“You have no right to raid my home.”

“There was no raid. It was only me, the director of security, who found exactly what she expected to find. Now I need you to tell me where the weapons came from.”

“I’m not telling you shit.” He shoved me and stomped to his golf cart.

I sighed in exasperation. He wasn’t going to make this easy.

I cut him off before he reached his cart. He blinked twice. “How’d you do that?”

“I have this job for a reason, Mr. LaRue. Trust me, you don’t want to push my buttons.”

“I’ll push whatever the hell I want.” He shoved me again, this time using more of his body weight, as well as the bony part of his shoulder. Asshole.

“You realize you risk expulsion from Evermore if you don’t cooperate.”

“I’m already expelled. That’s why we’re all here, remember?”

“There are more stringent islands than Evermore and we’re under no obligation to keep you.”

“I signed the documents. You can’t evict me.”

Residents really needed to review the paperwork thoroughly before they signed.

“We can, Mr. LaRue, and we will if we deem you a threat to the peace and serenity of the Neighborhood.”

His rage subsided. “I haven’t traded to anyone looking to hurt anybody. Most people just like owning one.”