“One second, Violet,” I say and then I tap out a text to Wes.
“He delivered the cash and left. Follow him tonight and tomorrow. You’re on the job for another day or two at least. Possibly longer. Figure out the old lady situation and trace the money.”
I wait as I see he’s read the message and is responding.
Wes: “Got it. He’s in a cab now. I’m tailing.”
I start the car up.
“You just left that money on your desk,” she whispers.
She’s dabbing her eyes with the Kleenex.
“Like the fourteen thousand dollars didn’t even matter.” She looks at me with confusion.
“It doesn’t. Not really,” I say.
She studies me like I’ve just given her a riddle. A riddle I don’t think she’s ready to unscramble.
“My staff’ll take care of it,” I say quickly. “Tony knows it’s there. He’ll either lock my office or he’ll give it to Alana. Not a worry.”
“You would’ve given him a hundred thousand dollars to go away?”
“No. I read the situation, his confidence, body language. It was just part of the game, baby.”
“Thank you,” she says.
“Thank you?” I query.
“If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I’d have had the guts to let him have it like that. I’d have run away and hid. Or tried to do it gently and have him just bulldoze over what I want to get what he wants. Or something equally pathetic. Thanks to you, I had the courage to do that. I knew I could safely do it.”
“You’re welcome, Violet.” I reach over and squeeze her knee.
“I can’t believe it’s over. He’s… God, I hope he just goes and never bothers me again. Could it really be this easy? I mean it hasn’t been easy. It really, really hasn’t. But could it really be over? I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around that.”
I say nothing, because I know she’s processing and needs to just babble after all that, the build-up, and the shock of him showing up with that money tonight.
But he won’t be bothering her again; I know that much.
Because from here on in, she’s mine.
And nobody fucks with what’s mine.
And also, nobody tries to fuck me over without feeling my wrath.
He thinks he got off easy. Is probably thinking I’m too legit now to fuck him up, that the legends are fake or that I no longer play dirty. That I’d offer him a fat wad of cash to leave her alone – because I’m weak?
No. He has no fucking idea who he’s dealing with.
45
Violet
I’m all jittery. I think it’s adrenaline. The fear of what was coming in 24 hours, the shock that it was coming to a head early. The astoundment at Ray coming up with over fourteen thousand dollars. And then getting to let him have it verbally. Getting to tell him we’re over. Doing it from Killian’s lap, of all places, was strange, but the way I saw it, he was making a statement that he was protecting me.
Or maybe he wanted Ray to think he and I were something – I don’t know, I haven’t been able to translate all my feelings into coherent thoughts quite yet.
But I had the strength to really, absolutely, make sure Ray knows. We are done.
I’m single.
I’m officially single.
No more limbo. It’s done.
Tomorrow, I can go home. Start my life over.
Finish healing. I finally feel like I’ve already made a good start.
I look at Killian as he pulls into the underground of his condo.
“I couldn’t have done this alone. If you hadn’t sent him to Atlantic City in the first place, it would not have been easy to get rid of him. I probably would’ve had to run and hide or file a restraining order. I maybe would’ve even ended up dead. Because he was at the end of his rope with the debt he had with the other guy and things were sketchy there for a bit. Really sketchy. He was really, I think, near the end of his rope. Thank you for helping me. I know you probably feel like you got stuck helping me, but-”
“It’s my pleasure, Violet.”
His eyes are on me and they’re emitting heat and emotion. I have trouble tearing my gaze away until he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car.
I snap to reality and unbuckle my own belt, then as I’m reaching for my bag from the floor, and he’s already opening my door for me. I smile up at him. “Such a gentleman.”
He gives me a look - I think it’s a sexually charged one that tells me he disagrees with that statement. My belly swoops. Definitely sexually charged.
Uh oh.
My head feels swimmy and my knees wobble.
He’s got my hand and he’s leading me to the elevator.
A dozen questions are flying through my brain about where Ray got that money, what he might do next, worry about whether or not he really will leave me alone, plus the strange sensations that feel like they’re coming through the connection of my hand inside Killian’s hold.