“Why else would you target us?” she asked me. “He has another ex-wife, but you came after me.”
“Because it is you who stays in his life,” I said.
“He’ll find you,” she said with confidence. “He’ll find you and put you behind bars.”
I straightened, knowing it to be true, and yet I didn’t run. I wanted him to come here and see what I’d done, that I was the monster he thought me to be when we first met.
“We’ll see, little lamb,” I said, moving back behind her, trailing the knife over her skin. She shuddered at the sensation of cool steel on her as I felt the power wash over me.
I couldn’t wait to see what his reaction was going to be.
Maybe now…I could finally be free of this feeling if he hated me.
I moved throughout the living area, taking in the different photos she kept on display. I’d never understood that, displaying your loved ones on shelves for you to look at all day long. Wasn’t the purpose that you remembered them? Camille was the same, she loved having her photos on display too.
The sound of the car engine stopping outside alerted me to his appearance. I moved back to Mimi, holding the knife to her throat so she couldn’t speak. She gulped against it, I could feel her throat pushing against the knife as she tried not to cry.
It was showtime.
Kane
I pulled my gun free, unsure of what I was about to walk into, approaching the door. I could see it was open slightly, allowing me to peek into the foyer. No movement.
Mimi was sobbing, and trying to stop herself from losing her shit. It pulled at my chest knowing she was in this situation because of me. I never expected Maurelle to go after them, the threat was always there, but she didn’t go after women, so I didn’t think she would attack Mimi. She was a black widow. She only killed men on her list.
I nudged my gun into the open area of the door and pushed the door open, looking for her. She was standing behind Mimi, a knife at her throat. Kemp was on the floor, blood over the carpets and on his face.
I couldn’t tell if he was dead or just knocked out. Looking up at Maurelle’s face, I could see the anger there. Mimi was looking at me to save her.
“Maurelle, put the knife down,” I asked her. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Nice of you to stop by,” she said, an edge to her voice I was wary of. “It didn’t take you long, so extra brownie points for that. I wonder why you keep this house exactly as it was when you were married.”
“I haven’t been back here for a long time,” I admitted. “Please, Maurelle, put the knife down and let them go.”
“Did you really think that was going to work?” she laughed.
“No, but it was worth a shot,” I replied. “Is Kemp alive?”
“Sadly, yes,” she said. “But not if he doesn’t receive help soon. That all depends on you, though.”
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” I asked her, my heartbeat was in my ears, making it hard to hear.
She didn’t speak. She looked angry, as she waited for something. Mimi was struggling against the knife. I could see it cut into her neck.
“Mimi, stop moving,” I yelled at her. She stilled instantly. “Maurelle, tell me what you want.”
I could see by the way she was looking at me and not speaking that she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She’d been moved by rage, and maybe jealousy. This was precisely what I didn’t want to happen, it’s why I had pushed them away.
Goddamn Mimi and her persistence.
“Here,” I said, putting my gun into the bureau’s drawer and closing it. “Put your knife down, let them go and I’ll stay here with you, okay?”
Her knife moved a little away from Mimi’s neck, and I could see the cut was barely a scratch.
“That’s it,” I coaxed her. “I’ll move over here, and you let them go. You can take me anywhere you want to go.”
She knew it was me that she wanted, I could see it in her eyes, as she thought of all the possibilities of how this could go.
