I wheel myself toward the door, moving faster than I should. My arms burn from the exertion, but I don't care. I need to get there. I need to see this for myself.
She's my wife.
Mine.
And some other man is hugging.
I reach the garage and find Liam leaning against one of the SUVs, scrolling through his phone.
"In. "Now."
He looks up, startled. "Where are we going?"
"Riverside Coffee. Main Street."
He doesn't ask questions. Smart man. He just opens the back door and waits for me transfer from the wheelchair to the seat. The chair folds into the trunk, and then we're moving.
She's on a date. My wife is on a date with another man.
I'm going to kill him.
Antonella
Oliver sets down his coffee cup and leans back in his chair.
"Antonella." His voice softens. "When do you get to be safe? When do you get something for yourself?"
I don't have an answer for that.
Oliver sighs and. "Come here."
I pull my chair closer and step into his arms. He pulls me close, and I bury my face against his shoulder.
"I missed you," I whisper.
"I missed you too." His hand rubs circles on my back. "You know I'm always here, right? No matter what happens with this arranged marriage bullshit. You call, I come."
"I know."
"Best friends since third grade. That doesn't change because some?—"
"Get your fucking hands off her."
The voice cuts through the coffee shop like a blade.
I freeze in Oliver's arms.
No. No, no, no.
I pull back from Oliver and turn around.
Bruno sits in his wheelchair, a gun pointed directly at Oliver's head. His face is carved from stone. His eyes burn with something I've never seen before. Pure, undiluted rage.
The coffee shop has gone silent. A woman at the counter has her hand pressed over her mouth. The barista stands frozen. No one moves. No one breathes.
"Bruno." My voice comes out steadier than I feel. "Put the gun down."
He doesn't look at me. His entire focus is locked on Oliver.
