Killian’s brows rise. As do mine.
“What’s up?” she asks, eyeing me.
I blow out a shaky breath. “Uh…”
“What’s up,” Killian answers, “is that Raymond owes me a significant amount of money that he’s said he’s going to pay. For now, Violet comes with me as a surety. She’ll be perfectly safe at my place while he pulls that money he assured me he can get together. This is fine with you, right, Violet?”
“But she has a job,” Susanna says, studying him.
Killian shrugs. “She can go to work.”
“But she’s got me,” she tells him. “And this bastard kept her from me the past two years,” Susanna tacks on, “So I’m not backing off when my girl needs me.”
Killian smiles. “She can see you as much as she wants.”
Susanna purses her lips thoughtfully. “You got a nice pad? My bestie needs to stay someplace nice.”
I stare at her with shock.
“I do,” he replies. “I’ll take good care of her.”
“All right. Sounds good to me. I’ll grab my bag and head home. Text me tomorrow, bestie.”
I’m flabbergasted. And speechless.
“Call me, yeah?” she prompts.
“Yeah,” I manage, my voice a raspy croak.
She hugs me and gives me a squeeze and a look that says, we’ve got this.
“Ray?” Susanna leans forward. “Fuck you.”
“Fuck you too, cunt,” he says, glaring.
“Eyes to the floor, Iadanza and you do not fuck with Susanna either. Susanna, message Violet later tonight. She’ll give you my number. He fucks with you, you tell me.”
“You got it,” Susanna points at him with a smile and then she sashays to the couch beside Ray and lifts the cushion while Ray and Killian both watch. She lifts and then points her zapper at him and says, “Wish you’d have given me a reason.”
“Do it,” Killian tells her.
She smirks. “Yeah?”
“Be my guest,” Killian invites, gesturing toward Ray, as if we’re his guests and not in my living room. “After what he just called you, seems to me he’s given you a reason.”
I twist the other way, unable to watch as I hear the crackle sound of my bestie zapping him, then the thud with Ray making a howling sound.
Susanna steps into my periphery. “Call you later,” she winks. “Love you.” She leans over and drops a kiss on my cheek while squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. Her eyes are dancing.
I stare in shock as she goes, trying really hard to not look at Ray who’s on the floor, making a horrible sound of pain.
“Get your things, Violet,” Killian instructs. “Whatever is most important to you and what you’ll need for the next two weeks.”
I blink stupidly. I want to speak up and say that if he could simply ask Ray to leave it’d solve all my problems and I’d be forever grateful, because I was trying to break up with him prior to Killian coming, but for some reason, I can’t find a single word.
He approaches me, then lifts me off the table by my hips and gently sets me down on my feet.
I stare up into his green eyes. His expression is serious. Very. He fingers a curl beside my temple and looks deep into my eyes. “I can’t stand here much longer fighting the urge to do bodily harm to him so help me out by hurrying, okay?”
“Okay,” I mouth and then hurry toward my bedroom to start packing, not sparing Ray a glance on my way there.
***
Killian stares at the two big trash bags I’ve dragged into the hall and gives me an inquisitive look.
“He took my suitcase to Atlantic City and I don’t know where it is.”
I’ve been in a daze while I threw most of my clothes and shoes into the bags.
He flexes his jaw and glares at Ray. “You lose her suitcase?”
“Yeah,” Ray says, staring at the floor.
“I need my bathroom stuff.”
“Go ahead,” Killian jerks his chin.
I hurry into the bathroom and start filling a duffle bag with my bathroom stuff, then carry it out with my purse and stop dead, spine tingling. I drop my bags before heading to the kitchen where I open a drawer and fetch that pawn ticket for my jewelry. My hands are shaking as I lift it from the drawer.
Killian tracks me this whole time. I feel his eyes on me. I’m about to slip it into my purse when he reaches out a hand.
“Let me see?”
I bite my lip and he gently takes it from me. As he studies it, his eyes move to Ray and then back to me inquisitively before he hands it back. I stuff it in my purse.
“Uh, Killian?” I call out.
His eyes come back to me.
“Is this … me going with you… really necessary? I mean, I can…”
Ray looks up at me with hope.
My eyes meet his and I look away quickly.
“Eyes to the fucking floor,” Killian snaps at him and then the anger melts away when his eyes bounce back to me. “Yeah, baby. It is.”