Marked by Crime Rivalry Book2 [✓]

P17

GOING through the boxes of snacks, Teresa tossed one, two, and three boxes of mini fruit snacks into her mini basket on her left arm. She had been in the snack aisle for over ten minutes with only four boxes in her basket.

The first thing Rome roamed to was the alcohol aisle. Teresa however wanted to stay remote from alcohol for these couple of weeks. She was lightweight and intoxicated quickly. That didn't bode well for her for she would be on Luciano's doorstep, embarrassing herself.

Well... it wasn't that bad. She did receive something from it as did he. She and Luciano would be all over each other for hours and hours at a time, not that the idea wasn't tempting nor gratifying but with everything going on, the last thing she needed was Luciano or herself distracted with hours of elated carnality.

She suddenly got the craving for salsa and chips so she turned the aisle when her muscles tensed. All over, she became heated for a mere second, cool once more. She breathed out as goosebumps ran all over her exposed arms.

She was being watched. Or worse? Followed.

She continued to walk, hearing footsteps behind her. Her eyes lowered to the corner, the man's shoes.

Calm and steady, her hand discreetly slid into her purse and when she turned the next aisle, so did they. What will she do? Shoot him? Ask questions later. What if they get an advantage by her lack of action? What would Luciano do?

No.

Luciano would kill the man just for being suspicious.
Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath and suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

Thoughts left, the action came and he was on the ground, weapon in the face. His hands instantly went up in surrender, his eyes wide as saucers as he quaked.
"Why are you following me?" She demanded.

Gripping and re-gripping the gun repeatedly. Shoot him, she thought. Don't give him the chance to sneak her. But she didn't shoot just yet. Not even when his hand slid into the wide pocket in his jacket. She only cocked the gun for him to hear she had not been kidding around. His hand moved slower as she heard a wrapper. Then a bag of gummies was on the floor.

"Please. You dropped this. I just wanted to give it to you" He pushed the bag near her feet and her heart almost crumbled. Still, she gripped the gun tighter, his eyes squeezing shut.
"Why didn't you just say hey miss or something?"

One eye opened like a wink and he sighed. "I did that four times. I'm sorry for touching you"

Oh damnit. She was in her head.

Sighing an apology, she slid her weapon back into her purse allowing him to stand. In apology, Teresa decided to pay for the guy's groceries which were a little over three hundred euros. Once they were outside, she checked her small bags assuring she hadn't dropped anything, giving another person a reason to follow her. Once reassuring herself, she was caught up with Rome to the SUV with a smile.

The smile didn't last.

Having to survive in Brazil, looking everywhere she went, corners, stop lights, cars behind her or in front of her. Walking to or from home, from her children's school, she's picked up incredible senses. She called it criminal intuition. She knew when she was being watched, followed.

No. She's paranoid...again, she thought. She shook it away.

Yet her eyes continued to scan her surroundings in caution but they appeared once she saw the ice cream truck and instead of lighting up like a siren, her eyes lit up with the thought of sweet vanilla ice cream melting on her tongue. "Hey!" She ran to the SUV, her driver rolled down the window.
"I am going to buy ice cream. Be back in a sec" He nodded.