My body moves before I can register the motion. I crowd into her space, back her into the curve of the counter.
“Because I asked you nicely, Macie. Because if you don’t, I will make your life hell. You think you’ve had it hard so far? I will make you regret ever existing. Don’t fuck with me, you self-absorbed bitch. I will cut you at the fucking knees and piss on your bloody stumps.” I turn away before I do something Nick will have to fight in court to get me off of, but add, “You have a week. You better be gone before New Year’s.” I start walking only to remember something and glance back. “And if you even think about telling anyone about our chat, I will bury you. Alive. No one cares enough about you to notice if you go missing. Remember that.”
With my demands made clear, I join my family. I take a seat on the coffee table facing them and rest a hand on Isla’s knee.
The conversation seems to be about having some work done around the cabin. Maybe a new roof. It’s such a normal discussion I nearly relax.
Nearly.
Macie appears in our group, eyes wet, looking stricken and frail. The chatter ceases with her appearance.
“I want to go home,” she declares to Walker who has shot to his feet, eyes wide with misplaced concern.
“What happened?”
The bitch doesn’t even pretend to hesitate. “I will not stand by and let myself get threatened and bullied in my own family.”
“Who?” Walker demands.
I don’t have to look to feel Nick’s immediate glance in my direction. Isla has pushed upright like she’s prepared to go to the hellbeast and comfort her. She doesn’t, which I’m thankful for.
“I didn’t threaten,” I stated calmly, tipping my face up to peer into her false tears. “I conveyed to you the importance of removing yourself from a bad situation.”
“Dom,” Nick says in his lawyer voice that I ignore.
“You see, Walker,” I continue, turning my attention to the sweet, clueless man, “what we have here is a sticky situation. You have inadvertently saddled yourself with a rock that is going to sink you.”
“Dominic!” Nick is no longer soft about it.
But I am on a roll.
“The fact of the matter is — and I don’t mean any disrespect to you — that you have made a mistake. You chose someone incapable of basic human emotions. She’s cold and manipulative. Someone who will alienate you from everyone you love. Already, she has made it so that we will never return for the holidays, or ever, as long as she’s with you. We’ll still make plans to see you, of course, but eventually, we will have kids and you will lose all that time with them because it will be a cold day in hell before we ever let her near our children. Now, you can stay with her. That is your prerogative and I’m not here to lecture anyone on their choices. I’m just stating the facts if you decide to.”
Walker’s mouth hangs open.
Macie looks like I’ve smacked her — which I think someone should.
Nick and Isla are watching me with a mixture of annoyance and surprise.
In all, no one’s speaking as my words process in the soft whistle of Sleighbells and Jacob’s low snoring in the armchair. Everyone else has left us to figure shit out while they return to their homes and thank God for another successful family gathering where they weren’t the butt of the conversation.
“This is how they speak to me after all I’ve done for this family,” Macie whimpers, wiggling a bent knuckle into the corner of her eye. “I told you I wasn’t appreciated.”
Walker looks from his wife to his son, and I realize I never want to be in his position as he tries to soothe the fires.
“I think we should all just take a beat,” he decides at last. “There’s a lot going on, we’re all stressed over the holidays. I think once we have all had a chance to calm down and get back to the house—”
“We’re not going back to the house,” Nick informs his father. “We’re heading back to New York in the morning.”
Walker visibly stiffens. “But Christmas…”
Carefully, Nick nudges Isla off his lap and stands to face his father.
“We’re taking Isla home and away from her. Maybe, after the New Year, you and I can meet up or I can call you and we can talk, but as it stands at the moment, Dom is right. The safety of my family comes first.”
“Safety?” Walker gives a weak, pained chuckle. “How are you not safe?”
Nick sighs softly, but it’s Macie who pipes in.
