“How she panicked and dumped out her purse looking for an Epi-Pen that wasn’t there.”
“SHUT. THE FUCK. UP!”
The hands on his hips turn into clenched fists he looks ready to put through a wall, and still, Selene persists.
“Do you know what it’s like to die from anaphylactic shock, Aubrey? Did you look it up before you decided that was how you wanted her to go, or did you let the boots on the ground decide?”
“Stop fucking talking, Selene.”
There’s no more screaming. No more yelling. Only the quiet growl issued by a predator moments before it strikes. I recognize the sound in an instant, and Cal’s body tensing beside me letsme know he does too. Selene, though, is blissfully unaware, or maybe she just doesn’t care that she’s in danger. Maybe she knows we’ll get to her before anything bad can happen or maybe she’s just too caught up explaining what happens to a person’s body when they’ve ingested an allergen.
“You’re aware of everything that’s happening around you, but you just can’t breathe. People say it’s like having an elephant parked on your chest, that every time you try to pull in a breath, your body takes in a little bit less oxygen. And the whole time, you’re just pouring sweat. Can you imagine, Aubrey? Just lying there in a puddle of your own making, limbs weak, lungs failing, knowing you’re going to?—”
He lunges at her. Arms outstretched, fingers splayed wide and aimed right at her throat. I’m not fast enough to stop them from making contact, so he’s got a weak grip on her when I tackle him from the side, sending us both flying over delicate furniture that’s older than the two of us combined. We land in a heap of flailing arms and curses with Aubrey underneath me, struggling to get away.
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” he asks as I restrain him, wheezing his way through the question because my forearm is pressing into his windpipe. His eyes bulge, and there’s genuine fear in his gaze as he stares up at me. I relish it for as long as possible.
“No, but you certainly lost yours if you thought you were going to get a chance to put your fucking hands on her.”
“Knew you were…still..fucking her,” he gasps, feet sliding uselessly against the carpet as he tries to gain enough traction to buck me off.
I have no plans of dignifying Aubrey’s comment with a response, but the opportunity to do is taken when someone loops their arms around my middle and pull me off him.
It’s not Cal.
I know this because when the bastard throws me on the floor face down and puts a foot in the middle of my back, he’s on the carpet beside me.
16
SELENE
“What do you mean fired?”
“Pretty sure the word means the same thing everywhere, Mama.”
I’m blinking back tears, thanking God that my mother opted for voice call instead of a FaceTime today. It’s been a week since Cal and Beck were relieved of their duties, and I haven’t gotten through a single conversation about them losing their jobs without crying.
I caused this.
Aubrey got under my skin, and I showed every card in my hand, ruining everything including the professional reputations of the men I love. The official reason given for their departure was insubordination and incompetence, which is worse than the truth because it makes them unemployable but also better because it keeps them out of federal prison. It could have easily come to that, and part of me is still surprised that it didn’t. I guess when he weighed it out, Aubrey decided protecting his secrets was more important than extracting his pound of flesh.
Unfortunately for him, all I can seem to think about is getting mine.
Since I watched Cal and Beck be dragged through the halls of the Residence like criminals, I’ve had a craving for it. Sixteen ounces of rotting tissue squelching as I rip it from his body. Blood dripping down my fingers, arms and elbows when I hold it out for all the world to see, exposing him for the role I’m now certain he played in Sutton’s death and destroying him before he devises a plan to get rid of me too.
Mama’s tsk of disappointment snaps me out of my thoughts. “I just don’t understand,” she says. “Cal told me it was for the best, but it just doesn’t sit right with me. You can’t get Aubrey to reconsider?”
She doesn’t sound the least bit hopeful, like she doesn’t believe in my ability to persuade my husband to do anything. Of course, she’s right to doubt me, so I don’t bother pretending otherwise.
“No, ma’am.”
A heavy sigh blankets the line. “Just don’t make no sense,” she mutters.
“I know, Mama, but Cal and Beck will land on their feet.”
I infuse the statement with all the faith I can muster and send it up to the heavens, hoping the angels are listening. Getting another job is probably the last thing on their minds, but I know both of my men well enough to know that they need their work just like I need mine. They need purpose and the distraction of productivity. That’s the only reason I’m at work today, to keep my mind off all the things spiraling out of my control.
Monique knocks on my door, opening it before I can tell her to come in. She’s got a smile on her face that’s as bright as the yellow silk blouse she’s sporting today, and I do my best to soak up some of her sunshine.
