Free Tested by Her Web Master (Web Master #2) by Normandie Alleman Page A

happened next?”
    “ Oh, the guy with the gun started screaming at her, pointing the gun at her, hollering. He made us all get in this little room where they washed and dried the towels. Like a storage room or something. One lady ran out of the salon into the store and got away. I kinda wish I’d done that, but I was too scared he’d shoot me in the back or something so I did what he said.”
    “ That must have been terrifying.”
    “ It was. He made us put our phones in a big pile. He counted them too so nobody could keep theirs. Then he locked us in there. It was so freaking scary being in there and not knowing what was going to happen.”
    I nodded.
    “ Plus I was worried he’d find out who I was.”
    I looked at her skeptically.
    “ Well, I mean, if he was going to hold someone for ransom, I doubt anyone in there was worth more money than me!”
    Sometimes I forgot the extremely rich were different. Different from even the regular rich. With my trust fund, I had enough money that I wouldn’t have to worry about paying bills for the rest of my life. But Shelby’s wealth belonged in another category, and unfortunately it had been an issue for her throughout her life.
    “ But he didn’t find out?”
    “ No, thank God! Turns out he was doing it more for revenge than anything. People were saying he’d had a psychotic break or something. At one point he seemed to be talking to people up in the sky who weren’t there.”
    “ Oh dear.”
    “ Yeah.”
    “ What did finally happen?”
    “ Apparently the police finally talked him into surrendering. He had the manager out there with him the whole time. She was truly the hero of the whole thing. I’d like to buy her a car or something to thank her.”
    I laughed.
    “ No, I’m serious,” Shelby said, and I could see she was.
    “ So, how is your mom taking it? And Bryan?”
    “ Oh my god, they were both scared shitless. Bryan and I are having dinner with Mom tonight. We’ll probably stay over. He had a time trial this morning, but he picked me up from the police station last night after they were finished questioning me.”
    “ That’s nice. You really like him, don’t you?”
    She nodded gravely. “I do. It kinda worries me that I haven’t figured out what’s wrong with him yet.”
    “ Oh, Shelby. It doesn’t have to be that way.” I shook my head. “Just because it usually turns out that way—it doesn’t have to.” My mind wandered to Quentin’s aloofness.
    She sighed. “You’re right. It’s just hard, with my track record, to still believe in the fairy tale.” Shelby had been married twice already, and I’d heard her say countless times that she’d never do it again.
    “ Well, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m glad you have him.” I got off my stool and gave her a hug.
    Shelby hugged me back, but hung back a bit. “You sure you ’ re all right?”
    I laughed and sat back down. “Who, me? I’ve never been better,” I lied. In reality, Shelby’s whole brush with death had shaken me. And when I’d reached out to Quentin, he wasn’t there. I’d called him twice more the night before and once this morning. Each call went to voicemail. I’d tried email and texts, but he was unreachable. I wasn’t exactly worried, but I was annoyed. What if I’d needed him the way Shelby needed Bryan?
    I’d be shit out of luck.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    By the time Quentin got back with me after Shelby’s trauma, I’d already seen her and things were starting to get back to normal. He had some excuses—dead phone battery and tied up at work—but I was still peeved that he hadn’t been there when I needed him.
    On the other hand, my feelings toward BA had warmed a bit because he had been there to hold my hand during the time I was the most worried about my friend. So when I got a task from him a couple of days later, I was more excited than usual. The subject line of his email read:
     
    IT’S ALL IN THE CARDS
     
    I hear you like bondage so I