But I don’t have time to worry about her mother now because Oscar enters the lobby.
“You.” I point at him.
He drops the bag of greasy breakfast food when he notices me.
“You have something you want to say to me?”
I see Eden’s eyes widen in shock, and she steps between us.
“Rip, don’t. I’ll handle this.”
“Make one more phone call about me, and you won’t have a tongue.”
Oscar blanches and practically shakes. Eden tells him to go, and he runs to the back like the pussy he is.
Serena Rose’s car is parked diagonally in front of mine, and she leans against the passenger side of her vehicle. I can reverse out, but instead of going to my car, I stand directly in front of her. She doesn’t flinch, and neither do I. She already has a better poker face than her husband.
“Why?” she asks.
I know what she’s asking, but I’m not in the mood to pretend to play word games, so I continue to look down at her, keeping my face as stoic as possible.
“You just took over this town like a dark cloud, and I said nothing. I did nothing.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that there was nothing she or anyone else could do. Or, I can call her out on her hypocrisy because the school she runs has benefited from my presence in this town. But I don’t do any of that. At least not with words, but I do arch one eyebrow ever so slightly at her.Hypocrite.
“I will wait until this blows over.” It’s not a question but rather a declaration. She nods her head as if that will make it so. “I’ll be there with a shoulder for her to cry on.”
Instead of replying, I give her my back and head for my car, but she runs past me and blocks my door. “I don’t want you in my house.”
“I have my own house,” is all I say.
“Or my property,” she adds.
I don’t answer, and she doesn’t move out of the way. I look at my watch and tap on it. This town is full of hypocrites, and Serena Rose is one of them.
“What are you in such a rush to go do?” she scoffs. “Commit another felony?”
I shake my head at her. Her brother embezzled money from his employer and is a felon, yet she judges me. Her husband almost lost their home while at an illegal gambling house. She acts like the perfect wife and mother, but I know better.
I refuse to dignify anything she says with a response. She’s not giving me anything I didn’t expect. Hell, I don’t even blame her. I would be disappointed if she weren’t this protective of her daughter, but I won’t deal with her hypocritical attitude much longer.
“Can you move?” I finally snap when she takes no steps to walk away.
She stares at me with her nostrils flared as if that’s supposed to scare me.
“She’s my child,” she implores. “She’s—”
“She’s with me. Nothing will happen to her.”
“Nothing will happen to her?” she asks, aghast.
I have no intention of repeating myself to this woman. Thankfully, my phone buzzes, so I pull it out of my pocket and put it to my ear.
“What?” I say to Preacher.
“I have news. It’s bad. Get over here.”
I press end and put the phone back in my pocket. Mrs. Rose still hasn’t moved, so I put both hands on her hips, lift her off her feet, and take her back to her car. After I put her down, I open her door, gesture for her to get in, and walk away.
