I shake my head in wonder. “Still the same selfish bitch to the bitter end, aren’t you? Just when I think you can’t possibly fall further in my eyes, you manage to prove me wrong. I’ve known the worst scum of the Earth, and yet somehow you make them look like pillars of the community. You really would not lift one hand willingly to help your daughter, would you?” For a moment, I think I see a small flicker of shame flit across her face, but it’s gone so fast I’m not sure if it was ever there. Still holding her face, I carefully enunciate each word. “YOU WILL DO AS I SAY OR WHAT THE POLICE MAY DO TO YOU WILL PALE IN COMPARISION TO WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF.” I give her a moment for my words to sink in before shaking her chin and asking, “Now, have I been completely clear with you?”
“Yes,” she whispers as what looks like the first genuine tear she’s shed since I’ve been here slips down her cheek. I drop my hold on her, feeling the need to wash my hands.
I take out my phone, calling Peter and arranging for him to come immediately. While we’re waiting for him, I take a chair from the kitchen and sit next to where she is now lying on the floor, slumped with defeat. Looking at my watch, I’m irritated to realize that so much of my afternoon has been wasted here dealing with someone I’ve come to loathe almost overnight. “Now, Maria, I need to know one last thing. Where is your husband?” The smile I give her seems to chill her to her very bones.
Chapter Seven
Lia
I’ve been home from the hospital for a week now, and it’s been chock-full of surprises. On my second day, we were notified my mother had turned herself in to the police for lying under oath, child abuse, and child endangerment. She could also be charged as an accessory in my attack if it’s proven she had knowledge of it. I am still in shock over the whole thing. What could have possibly brought about this sudden change of heart? Actually, the heart has nothing to do with it, because she doesn’t have one; she never has.
Detective Michaels had dropped by to tell us the news in person. After she was gone, Lucian had pulled me into his arms and held me as if I were made of spun glass. He’s been so restless and edgy since we returned home from the hospital that I was hopeful the news of my mother’s confession would bring him some relief. Lucian is a man almost constantly in motion, and I’m afraid this inactivity is starting to get to him. I’ve tried to talk him into returning to his office, at least for a half of a day. His new habit of pacing is beginning to drive me crazy.
He is in his office on a conference call when the doorbell sounds. Rose told me earlier that she was stopping by today, so I assume it’s her. A quick look through the peephole confirms it. I unlock the door, swinging it open to smile at my best friend. “Oh, my God,” she squeals as she pulls me into her arms. “You look so much better, chick! I mean, not that you looked bad before…” We both look at each other before bursting into laughter. “Yeah, you looked like Hell warmed over.”
I pull the cardigan I’m wearing over my T-shirt and yoga pants closer around my body and motion her to the leather couch in the living room. The bruises on my face have started to fade some and now are more of a molten purple color than black. My face is freshly scrubbed and devoid of makeup and my hair is up and tied with one of the ponytail holders Lucian bought for me. I think he was secretly afraid I would use more of his designer underwear to make my own. After we’re settled side-by-side with our feet tucked under us, I say, “It’s so good to see you. I’m sorry I missed you the last time you were here. Lucian was determined that I sleep around the clock for the first few days after being released from the hospital.” I don’t add that I really haven’t wanted to see anyone. Here in this apartment, staring at the walls, I don’t have to pretend to be okay. Well…maybe when Lucian is with me, but even then, I don’t put a lot of effort into it. I just need time to deal with what happened to me in my own way, away from prying eyes that see too much.
“That’s okay; I got to stare at your hot boyfriend for a few minutes at least,” she jokes. Then she adds, “At least he’s not a complete cheating asshole like mine.”
My mouth drops open at her statement. Is she talking about Jake? I look at her carefully, thinking maybe she’s joking, but by the way she’s twisting her hands together, I don’t think she is. “Rose, what’s going on?” She lays her head back wearily against the couch.
“I shouldn’t have said that. The last thing you need is to hear about my problems. Just forget I mentioned it.”
I’m already shaking my head before she finishes speaking. “Oh, no, you don’t. You can’t drop something like that on me and then clam up. And trust me; I’d rather focus on anything other than myself right now, so spill.”
She groans loudly before turning to look at me. “Jake’s been cheating on me. I started suspecting something a few weeks ago when things just didn’t add up. Suddenly he would forget to call me or show up late for our dates. He was going off the grid for long stretches of time with no real explanation for where he’d been. Then there was the perfume I smelled on him, and when I asked him about it, he actually had the nerve to get angry with me for questioning him. So…I followed him one night when he said he was studying with the guys. He went to a house I didn’t know and locked lips with some skank right in the doorway.”
“NO!” I interrupt, unable to contain my amazement. Oh, my God, Jake cheating on Rose? They were like a super-couple. Together forever and sure to marry in the near future. They always seemed perfect for each other. They were one of the few things in my life I thought of as a constant. “Oh, Rose, surely there is some explanation. Maybe she’s just a friend.”
“Hmph, you don’t stick your tongue all over a friend’s tonsils while grabbing her ass.”
“Wow,” I say, still shocked. “I can’t believe that. Did you confront him?”
Fidgeting in her seat, she smirked, “Well, kinda…”
“Uh-oh.” I know that look well. Rose has done something evil; I can always tell.
“I might have waited until they went in her house and took out my heartache on his car…and possibly got arrested.”
She tagged the last part on so fast I almost missed it. “Wait, what?” I ask as my mouth falls open. Rose, smut-mouthed but law-abiding Rose.
“Yeah,” she says while shaking her head. “I guess the gunshots woke the neighborhood and my shouting match with Jake when he came flying out of the whore-bag’s house probably didn’t help much.”
“Holy crap, gunshots?” I know my eyes are bugging out of my head, which no doubt makes my battered face look even more unsightly than it already does.
Rose shrugs her shoulders. “I got a little excited and took my emergency shovel out of the boot of my car and knocked his windows out, but I wasn’t strong enough to puncture his tires with it, so I had to use my gun.” She looks so matter-of-fact that I feel like I’m overreacting for a moment before I shake it off. Hell, no I’m not!
“Oh, my God! Are you crazy? And what are you doing with a gun and a shovel in your car?”
Sounding perfectly reasonable, she says, “You know how much it snows around here in the wintertime. Sometimes, you need a shovel to navigate sidewalks or parking lots. As for the gun, I’ve had one for years. My daddy is a firm believer in protecting yourself. I’ve been able to hit a bull’s-eye in target practice every time since I was eight.” Cocking her finger, she points at me, adding, “Honey, if you’re ever in a gunfight, you are going to hope and pray I’m on your side.”
“Who are you, and where is my Martha Stewart best friend?” I ask, still flabbergasted. Do I know this girl at all?
Rose starts giggling, clutching her sides as she rolls around on the couch. “I’m still your Martha, bitch, but I’m also your Dirty Harry. Thanks to Mama and Daddy demanding equal time, I can bake and shoot with the best of them.”
I laugh with her for what seems like the first time in years. I’ve had nothing to laugh about lately, and my voice sounds rough as if it hasn’t been used nearly enough. Before I can catch
my breath, Lucian comes into the room at a fast clip, looking startled by the scene in front of him. The male fantasy of two girls lying all over each other is probably a little skewed for him as he takes in me slumped over a reclining Rose as we both hold our sides and howl with laughter. I don’t know what’s so funny anymore, but I can’t seem to stop the flow. He pauses next to my head and as I stare up at him, I only laugh harder. He looks adorably confused, but I also see the glimmer of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He’s been so serious and uptight the last few days that it pulls at something deep inside me to see him relax if even for a moment.
“What’s so funny, ladies?” he asks when our laughter finally dies down to something more like hiccups.
“Just talking to my friend Martha Harry here,” I say with almost a straight face. Beside me, Rose giggles while Lucian looks between us as if trying to solve a puzzle. In a move that surprises me, he lowers a hand to my face, gently tracing my smiling lips before cupping my cheek.
“I’m almost afraid to know what that means, but if it puts this smile on your face, I don’t care. I’m even going to brave it and ask.” He lifts a brow in inquiry to Rose.
She raises a brow right at him, saying, “I’m pretty sure you already know.”
“You do?” I frown, wondering why I’m the last to know about my best friend’s crazy antics.
Lucian looks confused for a moment before saying, “Ah, maybe I do, Annie Oakley.” He gives me a look of apology. “Sorry, baby; Max asked me not to tell anyone. He didn’t want to betray Rose’s legal rights.”
Completely puzzled by his statement, I ask, “What does Max have to do with it?”
Rose speaks up before Lucian can, looking a bit embarrassed. “I had to call him to get me out of jail. Although my daddy would have probably been proud to come get me, they were out of town and I would have been forced to stay in jail until they could get there.”
I barely know Max, so I’m not sure when Rose could have become acquainted with him. “Oh, did you call Luc?”
“Er…no,” she answers. “I kind of met him while you were in the hospital. Jake and I got into a small argument, and he came over to check on me. He gave me his card in case I had any other problems and I stuck it in my purse. When I was arrested, I remembered it and made him my one phone call. He’s pretty hot, too, so I thought it was a good opportunity to get to know him better.”
Lucian seems totally bemused by her explanation. He drops down onto the couch, tucking me under his arm almost absently before looking at her. “You thought having him bail you out of jail was a good way to take the next step with him? Did you ever stop to think that it might not make the best impression?”
“Nah,” she winks, “when there’s a spark between two people, the circumstances you meet under don’t matter. I felt it that first day at the hospital, but I was too upset to act on it. When I saw him again at the police station, the spark was more like a raging inferno, and this time I didn’t miss the opportunity to explore it further.”
“So I heard,” Lucian muttered under his breath, causing me to jerk around to stare at him.
Exasperated, I huff out, “All right, what else have I missed here?” I can’t believe he has kept all this from me. Attorney-client privilege be damned—this is my best friend and frankly a freaking juicy tale, which no one has shared with me. I want to pitch a childish tantrum right here between them.
Lucian looks at Rose to fill me in. I cross my arms, giving her my best, ‘you better start talking now’ look. She takes what seems like an unusually long amount of time to get comfortable before finally answering my questions. “Well, after Max got me out of the whole mess with just a slap on the wrist and a minor dent in my bank account, I asked him to take me home. The police had impounded my car, and I couldn’t get it until the lot opened later on. So, when we reached the apartment, I wanted to leave him with a little parting gift to think about.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. A quick glance at Lucian shows he looks both fascinated and leery. I’m surprised he hasn’t bolted yet, but I guess it’s hard for a guy to turn down a sex story.
“What kind of parting gift are we talking here?” I ask warily, not sure if I want to know. I just can’t imagine the normally suave and composed Max Decker having car sex with someone he barely knows. It seems so…beneath him somehow.
“Oh, just a little slip of the tongue and hand here and there. I have to say, he sure hides a big…”
Lucian jumps to his feet, looking a bit harried. “I think I need to go now.” He looks down at me as if he’s not sure he wants me to stay, either. Hearing my best friend tell me about the size of his friend and lawyer’s penis is probably not something he relishes. In the end, though, he decides to retreat after he says over his shoulder, “Call me if you need me, baby.”
Rose starts laughing as he leaves just as quickly as he had arrived. I elbow her, hardly able to believe Lucian had been just a bit embarrassed when he left. That’s something that doesn’t happen to him often, I’m betting. “That man is just too fucking sexy, and the way he dotes on you is out-of-this-world adorable. If I didn’t love you, girl, I’d hate your freaking guts for having a boyfriend that fine.”
“Stop trying to change the subject.” I secretly agree that Lucian is everything she says, but I’m beyond curious as to what has transpired between her and Max. “I’m still waiting to hear what happened.”
“Well,” she purrs as she licks her lips dramatically. “When he put the car in park, I climbed from my seat and into his lap.”
“No, you didn’t!” I hiss, unable to believe it. I mean, I know she talks about sex like a sailor sometimes, but she knits, for God’s sake. That just seems like such a contradiction.
“Oh, yeah, I did. I crawled him like the tall tree he is and kissed him until neither of us could breathe.”
“Did he…kiss you back?” I quickly look to where Lucian disappeared just to make sure he isn’t somewhere listening. I want details, but I don’t want to sound like a complete pervert.
“It took a few seconds, because I think he was in shock. But he caught on fast.” Fanning herself, she continued. “That man knows how to use his tongue. I thought I was a good kisser, but he made me feel like a virgin. He was just everywhere. It was the hottest fucking kiss of my life. My panties were totally in danger of melting from the heat he generated.”
“Shut up,” I whisper, even though I don’t mean it. I want to hear the rest, and if she stops, I’ll pop her.
“Oh, no, it’s all true. I know he felt the same way because he was so hard and I’m not just saying that. I felt him against me and then I slid my hand in his pants and wrapped it around him. At least I tried to. The man is huge. I shit you not; my fingers didn’t come close to meeting.” I think briefly of Lucian and how well-endowed he is. I can’t imagine that Max could compete with him in that area, but I decide to keep that to myself. The last thing I want is for him to come back and find Rose and me discussing his penis size.
“So, did you?” I ask, unable to resist finding out if they went all the way in his car.
Rose rolls her lip out, pouting for a moment before grinning again. “Nope, he finally called a halt, but I wasn’t going to let it go much farther. I wanted him to know what it would be like between us, and by that point, he got the big picture, believe me. I pulled my skirt back down, climbed off him, and walked away without a second glance. Max might not know it yet, but that was my way of saying ‘game on.’ Now, I’ll just give him a couple of days before I make my next move.”
“But…what about Jake? Aren’t you in love with him?” I hate to be the voice of reason, but how can she move on so quickly? I would be lying in a sobbing ball somewhere if Lucian had done that to me. I almost panic at the very thought of it, which is more than a little unsettling. He has become my world in the months we’ve been together, and it scares me that I can’t imagine my life without him.
For just a moment, I see a crack in her happ
y veneer before it’s quickly gone. “I’m a realist, chick. I have to brush myself off and move on. I’ll make him sorry and then I will forget him. I won’t allow him to screw me over and ruin my life.” When she straightens her demure outfit, I feel a touch of awe. How can she seem so calm and collected after what’s happened to her? As always, she looks ready to attend a society gathering, but as I glance down at her purse lying on the table in front of us, I wonder if there is a gun inside. My friend is a badass in disguise; I still can’t wrap my mind around it.
Suddenly, my brain rolls backwards to something she just said. “Whoa, wait. What do you mean you’ll ‘make him sorry’? Are you talking about what you did to him already?”
Oh, no, she’s checking her nails and looking evasive. “Sure, of course…”
“Rose…” I say, trying to get her to look at me, but she jumps up from her place on the couch and grabs her purse.
“I’ve got to run, chick. Dinner with the parents. Daddy wants to hear all about my arrest.”
“Oh, crap, are you in trouble?” I ask, concerned for my friend.
She rolls her eyes at my question, seeming to think it’s absurd. “Hell, no. He’s probably told everyone he knows by now. Daddy’s a firm believer in jail yard justice. I mean, don’t get me wrong; he wouldn’t tolerate me being some random brawler, but he wants me to defend myself. If someone wrongs me then I should retaliate—within reason, of course.”
“By ‘within reason,’ you mean?” I ask, needing some clarification. Her daddy sounds a little crazy to me, but it’s not as if I have any room at all to throw stones.
She drapes her purse strap over her shoulder and starts walking toward the door. “No killing anyone,” she answers over her shoulder before giving me a backwards wave. “Talk soon, muah!” With those words, she strolls out the door, looking as freshly put-together as usual. Just thinking of how…clean she looks makes my skin crawl. No matter how hard I try, I haven’t been able to feel that way since my attack. I have showered so many times since I got home from the hospital that Lucian had started to ask questions. I try to do it while he’s occupied in his office. I don’t want him to think I’m crazy, but I need just the brief respite, which comes from scrubbing myself.