Sanctuary

▅ ▆ ▇ █ 𝑜ｎ𝓔 █ ▇ ▆ ▅

Noémie groaned as her phone buzzed nonstop on the nightstand. She peeked at the screen, scowling when she saw the caller ID: Elizabeth Boland. She wasn't sure why they kept reaching out to her; it wasn't like they were best friends. With an annoyed swipe, she declined the call, rolling over to return to sleep, until it buzzed again.

With an exasperated sigh, she picked up, snapping, "What, Elizabeth?"

"We need your help." Ruby's voice cut through, tense and urgent. Noémie closed her eyes and groaned, feeling a headache already brewing. With a resigned sigh, she dragged herself out of bed, threw on a hoodie, and slipped on her Crocs. This better be worth it. She thought grabbing her keys.

"Fine," she muttered, hanging up before they could say anything else.

At Beth's House

When she arrived, she shook her head at the sight of the door slightly ajar. These women would leave their front door wide open in the middle of a crime spree if it was one, she thought, rolling her eyes. Letting herself in, she headed straight to the kitchen, already knowing her way around the snack cabinet.

"So, what disaster are we dealing with today?" she said, casually tearing into a pack of fruit snacks, amused to find three very anxious faces staring back at her.

Beth hesitated, her voice almost a whisper. "We, uh... robbed a store."

Noémie blinked, then burst into laughter, catching them off guard. "Y'all expect me to believe that three moms pulled a stick-up?"

Annie's face flushed, but she quickly corrected, "It was Fine & Frugal. And, um... we got a bit more than we planned."

"You robbed the store you worked at?" she asked, eyebrows raised, clearly questioning if they had any common sense left.

Noémie raised an eyebrow, setting down her fruit snacks. " But define 'a bit more.'"

"Thirty grand," Ruby mumbled, looking like she wanted to melt into the floor.

Noémie dragged her hand down her face, feeling the weight of their mistake. "Thirty grand? From Fine & Frugal? You realize a store like that doesn't just have that lying around, right? Y'all didn't rob a store you robbed someone's stash."

They all stared at her, the severity of the situation finally starting to sink in.

"So... what do we do now?" Beth asked nervously.

"First, you're giving that money back," Noémie replied, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "And before one of you geniuses says something smart, no, you can't just stroll back in and hand it over."

Beth nodded slowly. "Then what does this mean?"

Noémie shot her an exasperated look. "It means that store was a front. Someone was using it as a stash spot, and y'all walked in like it was Black Friday and grabbed a cart full of their cash."

Beth's face paled, and Ruby looked like she might faint. "Can they track it?"

Noémie gave her a withering look. "Did you see a tracker on it?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Then no. But they'll still be coming for their money."

Ruby looked down, muttering, "I knew that place seemed shady..."

Noémie tuned out as they spiraled into a panicked discussion. She didn't have time to babysit; she had her own problems to deal with. "Look, just don't touch that money. Not even a dollar," she said, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Annie asked, clearly not ready to be left alone.

"I didn't rob the store," Noémie replied bluntly. "Y'all got yourselves into this. Good luck."

A Few Days Later

Lying in bed with music playing, Noémie's mind drifted back to the heist. She laughed to herself as it clicked: she knew exactly whose money it was. She immediately dialed Ruby.

"I figured out whose money y'all stole," she said, trying to stifle her laugh.

"We did too," Ruby replied, her voice tense.

With a sigh, Noémie grabbed her jacket and slides, heading out. When she got to Beth's  place, the door was of course unlocked.

"Someone's gonna rob y'all one day if you keep leaving this door open," she muttered, though it went unnoticed as she made her way to the kitchen. As she entered, she paused, spotting three men she'd never seen before. One of them was especially fine, sporting a neck tattoo that caught her eye, but she wasn't here to flirt. She went straight for the Captain Crunch.

One of the men turned toward her, his expression unreadable. "Who are you?"

She rolled her eyes, scooping up a spoonful of cereal. "Mind your business unless you're making me a sandwich," she said coolly, unfazed by the stranger's gaze.

Annie whispered urgently, "He has a gun..."

Noémie shrugged, glancing at the weapon with mild interest. "Yeah, I can see that. It's gold, it's actually pretty nice."

The man chuckled, clearly intrigued by her attitude, before turning back to the group. Ruby, looking pale, stammered, "We... didn't know you owned the store."

The man smirked. "Do I look like some grocery store manager to you?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's just say we have... arrangements with certain local businesses."

Noémie scoffed. "Money laundering for drugs? I told y'all that store was shady," Ruby said, giving her friends a pointed look.

Beth tried to defend herself, but Noémie cut in. "All three of you are grown women, and you thought robbing a store was a good idea? Now you're standing here arguing while this dude could literally kill y'all."

The man nodded, an amused look on his face. "Exactly. Why don't you stop worrying about my business dealings and start worrying about how you're gonna pay me back?"

"We can get it," Beth promised quickly, her voice wavering.

"Oh, that's great," he replied smoothly, leaning in. "All of it, right?"

Annie shifted nervously. "Well... most of it."

Noémie shot her a death glare. "Most of it? You spent some already?"

Annie gulped. "Maybe, uh... a hundred grand?"

Noémie's jaw dropped. "One hundred grand in five days? Are you serious?"

The man's smirk returned, clearly savoring the chaos. "Well, looks like you'll be paying me back. Quickly, with interest. See you ladies real soon." He glanced at Noémie, raising an eyebrow. "And I'll be seeing you too."

She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Why can't it be the guy with the eyebrow tat instead?"

He grinned, clearly entertained. "Better be ready. I don't forget a face."

As he walked out, he called over his shoulder, "Oh, and you ladies might want to keep an eye on that kitchen marble. Citrus will erode it like crazy."

The moment he was gone, the three women let out a collective sigh of relief. Ruby turned to Noémie, shaking her head. "Are you crazy? Talking to him like that?"

Noémie shrugged. "To me, he's just another guy. Y'all made this mess. Now you gotta clean it up."

Annie looked desperate. "You're not gonna help us?"

Noémie snorted, grabbing her keys. "I didn't rob the store, so I'm not risking my neck for y'all. Figure it out."

She walked out, noticing a piece of paper tucked under her windshield wiper with a date and a time. She smirked to herself. If he thinks I'm letting him waltz into my place, he's got another thing coming.