by Kate Stewart
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
§§
Nina
Hours later, I was sitting at Aaron’s hospital bedside as the doctors informed him his surgery would consist of inserting pins and screws, and they went into further detail as to how it would proceed. Fixing his mangled leg might require two surgeries and months of recovery. I cried as my brother’s worst nightmare was realized. He wouldn’t be golfing for a very long time. Even a month away was a nightmare for a golfer. As it turned out, my injuries were minor. The fall had knocked my pelvis out of place, and there was severe bruising, but I managed to escape with both legs and a prescription for strong pain medication. Tears trickled one by one as I apologized to my brother for his pain and the part I played in taking away what meant most to him.
“It’s not like I won’t recover,” he said dryly. I was nowhere near being as comforted as his words tried to make me.
“I think my ex’s wife did this.” He eyed me carefully then exhaled slowly. “I think she tried to kill me. This is my fault. Jesus, Aaron, she could have killed you.” I sobbed as he listened to me tell the tale of Devin and his diabolical wife. He asked a question every so often but mostly just listened. I felt like I was finally coming clean to someone who had the right to reprimand me.
When I finished, Aaron was thoughtful for a long moment before he spoke. “Nope, sorry, even if that’s true, you didn’t do this. You didn’t even see the fucking car. I’m glad I was there. It sucks…” He winced in discomfort, adjusting himself on the bed. “But, Nina, that hit would have killed you.”
I continued to beg his forgiveness as he comforted me as he laid in the hospital bed.
“Nina, have you ever heard the saying ‘Every day is a Monday?’“
“No.” I sniffed into his bedding.
“Well, dear sister, when I was bingeing on Jack Daniels to get over Danielle, I swore the next day I wouldn’t do it again. And the next day I would, and I would swear to start over. This lasted for about six months. I treated every fucking day like it was a Monday, and when I fucked up, it became Sunday again. I just kept at it, some days knowing it was a lost cause, some days more of an optimist. Eventually, that day came.”
“I get it,” I said, wiping my nose.
“You didn’t do this to me. And tomorrow is your Monday.”
“I’ll feel guilty about this until I die.”
“And one day I may use it against you when it’s funny, but right now it’s not.”
After the cops showed up and questioned us for their mandatory amount of minutes, Aaron’s meds kicked in and took him into a peaceful sleep, after I assured him I wasn’t leaving. Some part of him thought I might be delusional about the incident being purposeful, but the part that believed me wanted me safely next to him, so I promised I’d stay until we figured it out.
I lied.
Exiting the hospital, I went from devastated to murderous in minutes. I called Devin’s secretary under false pretenses, stating I had an emergency and found out he was dining with his fair wife at The Chophouse. His secretary and I got along well, and I was sure this would be the last favor I asked.
Rage swept through me as Carson pulled up and I exited without his assistance. Pushing through the waiting crowd, I spotted them immediately in the center of the room, and they weren’t alone.
And in no universe would it have mattered.
Neither of them saw me as I approached. I gripped the fine linen that covered their table with my fists and pulled the entirety off it off as they stood crippled with shock and covered in their feast.
“Goddamn fucking bitch! Do I have your attention!” She looked around the table with pleading eyes, paling with my every word. “Tell them what you’ve done, Eileen! Tell them what you’ve done!” She glared at me over the table as I rounded it to get closer.
“Nina,” she hissed over the commotion, “I’m quite sure I have no idea what—”
“She proved her love today for you, Devin,” I raged, not looking his way, my eyes zeroing in on his wife as I inched closer to her. “If you ever come near me or my family again, I won’t have to make it look like an accident! I’ll do my own dirty work.”
Devin stood, mouth gaping, as I let out my fury without worrying about the consequences. Maybe I’d played right into her hands with my public outburst. Then again, she’d expected me maimed or dead. Picturing my brother in that hospital bed caused me to take another step around the table. Devin walked toward me, clearly confused.
“Your wife put a fucking hit on me, Devin! Who the fuck actually does that? But just like everything else in her life, including her marriage, she failed.” Eileen looked around the room terrified as several of the staff came toward me to halt my scene.
I used my time wisely and stood face to face with her. “You want him? Have him! And please, by all means, make sure he stays the fuck away from me. You are right, sweetheart. I am a street rat. And there’s something you should know about rats—” I slapped her hard, and she flew back, her hand on her swelling face, playing the victim perfectly “—we can fight just as dirty as we fuck. Come at my family or me again, and I’ll show you how bad it can get.”
Disgusted, I turned to Devin, tears of rage in my eyes.
“She almost killed my brother today to get to me. She almost killed Aaron!” He took another step toward me, reaching for me as the rest of the table looked on at the spectacle.
My arm shot out, stopping him as I gripped my hip, the pain starting to throb unbearably. I must have looked a complete mess, my clothes torn, my face streaked with tear stains.
“Nina—”
“Please, I’m begging you to stay the fuck away from me. You are not worth it.”
To make sure he got my point, I said it again, my eyes locked on his. “You. Are. Not. Worth. It.”
His eyes filled with something I’d only seen in brief glimpses over the past few months. Remorse quickly turned to rage as he looked over to witness his wife’s breakdown.
She reached out to him, and I turned on my heel, leaving without looking back.
§§
Shaking in the back seat of my town car, I dialed Taylor. I’d wondered if the police were looking for me due to my behavior at the restaurant. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Eileen painted herself a victim and sent them for me. Someone had the decency to return my purse to me at the hospital, minus the cash in my wallet, of course. They took a couple hundred in twenties but managed to spare my six hundred dollar phone.
Idiots.
She picked up on the first ring.
“Boss.”
“I need to talk to you now, privately.”
“Okay.”
“In person.”
“Okay, I can meet you. Where?”
“Downtown, somewhere public.”
“Should I be worried?” Her tone let me know she’d heard the desperation in my voice.
“Meet me at the market, the first closest to Bay.” I hung up without waiting for a reply. I knew she would be there. The Old Slave Market was situated in the heart of downtown Charleston. The hideous name came from the fact that it was supposed to have been where the buying and selling of slaves started in the 1600s, but the locals knew better. The real location of the slave trade was actually a few streets over. The market had since been remolded into a main tourist attraction where hundreds of vendors of art, jewelry, and other local treasures were sold.
Carson let me out in front of the first of four long buildings that made up the market. Taylor was waiting, her expression unreadable. I started walking next to her toward the entrance, and when I was sure we weren’t in earshot of anyone, I started barking orders.
“I want a new alarm system in my house and at Scott Solutions tonight. I don’t care what the cost is. Bribe them. I want a security team for me personally and stationed at Solutions all day, every day.”
She nodded. “Now we hav
e people we are afraid of?”
I stopped and turned to her. “Devin’s wife tried to kill me today. I can’t prove it, but she was there. I didn’t see the car, but I saw her after, as if she was trying to confirm I was dead. My brother was with me and got me out of the way in time, but he was badly injured. It’s time to be cautious. I don’t know when or if they’ll be coming for me again. It might be best if you lay low.” I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. I was still in shock this was the situation.
“Jesus, a hit. Who the hell does that?”
“I said the same thing when I bitch slapped her in The Chophouse twenty minutes ago.” Taylor burst out laughing, but I could see the hint of anger in her eyes.
“Good for you, and I will carry out all of that. Give me five minutes, and then you and I are going for a drink.”
“Taylor, it’s not safe to be with me right now.” We walked from one building to the next as the vendors began to break down for the night. The crowd was thinning. It was time to leave.
“You trust me with the livelihood of your company. I need you to trust me for five more minutes.”
I nodded as the pain from my hip became impossible to ignore. I leaned against a vendor table, pretending to sift through hand woven scarves as the reality of what today had brought set in. As much as I hated to admit it, I should have taken Eileen’s threats more seriously. My brother was hurt, and for the first time in my life, I was afraid I wouldn’t live to see another day. No matter how brazen I’d been, I was now scared shitless.
Taylor returned minutes later, motioning for me to walk with her. I had her accompany me back to Carson then took the prescription for my medication out of my purse, asking him to fill it and pick me up in an hour. Taylor nodded in agreement with my timeline and walked me over to Henry’s House, a pub across the street from the market. I winced with every step as we made our way to the busy bar. It was too painful to sit, so I stood as she took a stool.
Once we’d both had a shot of something strong—whiskey, I think—and a beer in hand, Taylor turned to me. “Okay, so I think it’s time I explained a few things to you.”
I nodded, intrigued.
“I was raised in situations like this. I’m not afraid, and I don’t want you to be, either.”
I waited because I was still too absorbed in the situation and the pain in my side to reply.
“Tomorrow, we get you a permit, forty-eight hours later, a gun.”
“No,” I dismissed her suggestion, wincing at the pain seeping through my every limb. “Taylor, I’m not the type of woman—”
“Today made you that type of woman,” she deadpanned, and I nodded. “This might be shocking to you, and I get it, but from where I come from this is just another day in the park.”
“Where did you come from, Taylor?” I looked around the bar, fear creeping in as I thought about the fact that I might have been followed every minute of today, my new reality still impossible to fully grasp.
“Dirt and metal grass.”
“Always so cryptic,” I scorned as I looked right at her.
“Today’s not the day for my story.” She nodded over my shoulder. “Security is here. I want you to do what he tells you to, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“Taylor, I don’t know what to say.”
“You’re welcome, and it’s still my job, at least for the next few weeks. I’m glad it was me. I think this might have scared the new applicant.” She smiled, and I returned it half-heartedly.
“Is this really fucking happening?” I shook my head in disbelief as Taylor led me to my new saving grace.
“It is.” I looked in the direction she was heading and saw two men. One seemed to be waiting at the door for someone outside, and the other was looking right at us. I paused mid-step as I took him in, but Taylor gripped my arm, nudging me forward. “Nina, no matter what fuck up she hired, he can’t compete with this guy.”
He didn’t have an earpiece liked I’d expected, or a men-in-black suit on. His jeans were tattered, and his t-shirt was wrinkled and worn. His head was shaved smooth, and he was covered in tattoos. His knowing smirk at Taylor had me on edge.
“Nina, let him help.” I nodded as we approached. “I’m Cedric. I’ll take good care of you, Ms. Scott.” He extended his hand politely, despite his rugged appearance, and I accepted it, thankful for the help.
“Tomorrow,” Taylor reminded as she walked out of the bar, leaving me in Cedric’s hands.
“Ex-military, eight years, some Special Ops, and I’ve been guarding now for four years. You will sleep like a baby.” Even as he spit off his résumé, I doubted the truth of his words on my sleeping capabilities. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Nervously, I sputtered out the situation, giving him entirely too much information as we walked back through the market to await Carson.
“Did you tell the police?” he prompted.
“Yes, everything I’m telling you.” He couldn’t hide his smirk. “Might want to shorten the story in case there is a next time.”
“I’m sorry. I’m nervous. The wife, Eileen, she’s so well-known and respected in this city. I know it will be her word against mine. I just can’t imagine they will do a damn thing about it. And she knew it. It was pretty fucking bold of her to actually be there when it happened.”
“That kind of cockiness is sure to catch up with her at some point, but it’s also a good reason for you to take the precautions you are taking. I’ll be investigating this on my own, as well as cooperating with the police when needed. Do you have an issue with that?”
I shook my head no. My pain level had increased to ungodly as Carson finally pulled up. Cedric had kept me behind the brick building as we waited then guided me to the car as I told him I was going back to the hospital. He agreed it was for the best until they got a clear idea of the type of security I would need at my house. I slipped into the car and was surprised when he joined me.
“You and I will be spending a large amount of time together for the time being.” I had no choice but to agree. I had no idea what I was in for.
Carson eyed Cedric as he introduced himself. Carson’s reaction to the events of the day was nothing less than fatherly concern. He’d refused to take a much-needed vacation at my urging. He couldn’t hide his disappointment that I’d left him in the dark and he’d said as much on the way to the hospital. Cedric escorted me to the room but not before requesting Carson’s presence once he was parked.
And just like that, my whole life had gone from semi-fucked up to out of control with no end or relief in sight. Somewhere outside of the hospital walls, there were people possibly plotting my death. In the last few hours, my life had been completely turned upside down. And though I wanted to blame Devin, I knew this wasn’t his doing. Still, I prayed he’d really heard my words and stayed the hell away from me. And even as I thought it, my heart told me I’d die a thousand deaths to feel the way he made me feel this morning.
He. Loves. Me.
And that fucking love almost cost me my life.
“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.”
― August Wilson
§§
Devin
I stared at my wife entwined with her lover in our marital bed. I’d left the restaurant immediately after Nina and started making phone calls knowing I wouldn’t get any answers from Eileen. If I’d stayed with her a minute longer, I would have lost all control. I felt the hope from that morning slip away from me with Nina’s parting words. She was furious and had every right to be, but she’d meant them.
And that had changed every rule of fair fighting.
As I stared at Eileen sleeping soundly with one of my partners, I had to stifle a laugh at the fact Thomas wasn’t wearing his hairpiece. It amazed me they had become that comfortable. He was so vain about his appearance. I reached into my pock
et and took a snapshot with my cell phone before dropping my suitcase loudly on the floor.
They both jumped as soon as they saw me and shot out of bed, scrambling for cover.
“Devin,” Thomas offered in a low voice as an apology. I ignored him, my sights on the woman looking back at me in shock.
“What are you doing here, Devin!” She gripped a sheet to her chest as if I would at all be interested in seeing anything underneath it.
“Good morning, honey,” I chimed happily. “So fucking good to be home. I see Thomas was kind enough to keep the sheets warm.” I gave him a sly grin. “Thanks, pal. And now that there’s a vacancy, I’ll just get settled.” I opened my suitcase and dumped the contents on the floor. It was an entire week’s worth of suits and just enough to have her gasping in disbelief.
“Devin, you can’t possibly think you—”
“See you at the office, Thomas,” I said warmly as he threw on his suit coat. He stopped just short of the door and turned to me.
“Devin, I don’t know what to say.”
“See you soon, Thomas.” I couldn’t give a fuck about his presence, but it was good to know he would be shitting himself the rest of the week worrying about my retaliation. I may just give him a run for his money. He was, after all, fucking my wife. I couldn’t care less, but then there was that matter of respect. Though I was positive she’d painted me a pretty villain to Thomas, I decided I would make sure her prophecy came to fruition.
“Devin, get out! Get out of this house!”
Ignoring her demand, I removed the canvas off the wall. “You know I always hated this painting.” I gripped the Renoir and opened the window next to her bedside table. I pulled a sharp pen from my suit jacket and ripped through it, hearing her screams. It was her prize possession. I threw it out the window, and it landed just short of hitting an escaping Thomas.
“Sorry, buddy,” I called as he jumped out of the way. “Safe travels.”
I turned back to Eileen, who was now pounding on my chest with her fists. “I own your plantation too now, bitch. You really aren’t very good at the game of Monopoly. I now own Park Place and all the hotels, and you have just landed your ass in jail.”
