“Pull your head out of your ass, for one,” she said. “Stop being so goddamned judgmental. For a guy who claims to like her, you sure treat her like something you stepped in.”
“If it’s true she has no idea who you are, ask yourself why,” Jen added. “Whose fault is that?”
“A relationship takes two,” he huffed.
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer. “You know, you’re so busy handing out rules for how Stacey should act that you don’t realize how condescending and rude your demands are. She’s a grown-ass woman who doesn’t need to twist herself into a new shape just so you’ll approve of her. Or is it more that you won’t be disgusted at yourself for wanting her? Turn her into Stepford Stacey, so you don’t mind being seen in public with her? Why would she ever participate in a relationship with a man who treats her like that? I sure as hell wouldn’t.”
I set aside the vegetables, tossed more butter in the pans, and ladled in the eggs, not bothering to look at Mikey to see how he reacted to my words. I turned the heat down and went to check the potatoes as Luke returned.
“She left,” he said, sauntering over to make himself another espresso. “Hopefully she doesn’t drive so pissed she wraps the car around a tree.”
“Not likely,” I said.
“She was pretty hot.” He looked at Mikey. “Keep that up, would you? Every time you poke pins in her, she gets closer to my bed.”
“You wish,” Lorraine said.
“I’ll only make her feel good,” he said. “I’m a safe space. That jackass—” He pointed at Mikey. “—spends all his time trying to make her feel small and unworthy. I just want to celebrate her.”
“Her body, you mean,” Jen said with an eyeroll.
“Sure. I love her body, but I love the rest of her, too.” He leveled a stoney look at Mikey. “I love her just the way she is.”
Lorraine, Jen, and I exchanged a startled glance. Love? Did he mean that? Or was it a figure of speech? And if he did mean it, what sort of love? The kind he had for a favorite pair of shoes or piece of art? Or the real kind?
“Maybe you should leave, too,” Luke told Mikey. “You don’t want to be involved. If you stay, you will be.”
The other man stiffened and nodded. “I’ll call a cab.” With that, he walked out.
“And then there were four,” Lorraine said, sipping from her cup. “How are we going to do this cat burglary?”
I finished with the omelets and we ate, discussing our options. We had no idea where the cats were, or if they were even on the property.
“Is there any magic you can do to find out?” Luke asked me.
“I’ve never been able to locate things or people,” I said. “I’m sure there must be a way, but if there is, I don’t know it.”
“Then we just have to search. When you think about it, he probably isn’t hiding them. As far as he knows, the only person who might come after them is Lydia, and there’s no way she’s getting in without him or his security finding out,” Lorraine said.
“You make it sound like he’s using them for bait,” Jen said, cocking her head thoughtfully.
“He could be. Think about it. He’s harassing her, stalking her, stealing from her, reporting her to the police for things she didn’t do, getting her evicted, and making her lose her jobs, but all of those only isolate her and make her desperate. If she gets desperate enough, he can swoop in and get her under his control again,” Lorraine said.
“It’s definitely a possibility. Stacey didn’t say why she left him, or if he wanted her to go. Maybe all of this really is a ploy to lure her back. Or force her back.” I frowned. “But why would he want to have a wife who hates and fears him if he’s running for office? Wouldn’t she be a liability?”
“She’s made accusations against him, even if no one believes them,” Luke said. “His opponent would use those to attack his campaign. The accusations become a lot less compelling if Lydia goes back to his bed and even recants and says she was just angry and wanted to hurt him or some bullshit,” Luke said. “If that’s his goal, he hasn’t got a lot of time. Not if this party is kicking off his fundraising. He’ll have to declare he’s running soon, and he needs her toeing line by then.”
“Is it me, or is anybody else worried about what he might do to the cats?” Lorraine asked, setting her fork down, her face growing pale.
“How do you mean?” I asked, but I was already putting the pieces together, and they weren’t pretty.
“What if he’s holding them hostage? I know a lot of people wouldn’t sacrifice a lot for their pets, but a lot of people would.” She looked at me. “What wouldn’t you do for Ajax?”
“I’d burn the city down,” I said without hesitation. It sounded like hyperbole, and maybe I wouldn’t actually burn the city, but I’d risk my life to save his. I knew that without a doubt.
“These cats are all that Lydia has left. Flannery would know what they mean to her. So maybe he steals them and tells her if she doesn’t come back and tell the world she’s been an awful wife and lied, that now she wants to be the wife he deserves and blah blah blah, then he’ll kill them. Hell, he might convince her he’s serious by maiming one, or even killing it.”
All three of us stared at her. My mouth went dry and I reached down to pet Ajax. He’d come to lay just behind my chair. He caught my mood and sat, laying his head on my lap, his liquid gaze full of love and trust.
