Dinner was amazing, but everything that came after, not so much. Ryder had gone above and beyond to make me forget our unwanted audience, and it worked to some extent, and after a time, I really did forget that they were even there. We didn’t pretend to be two old friends playing catch up, but neither did we go crazy with the PDA.It turned out to be just the perfect end to a crappy day, and by the time we left the restaurant, I was beyond happy that we’d got our first outing since getting back together out of the way. We were mobbed by fans on the way out, none of whom had been there when we arrived, so it was obvious that something had been posted about us on social media to get all of them there.Now, in the past, something like this would’ve soured Ryder’s mood. It was always a toss-up what kind of response he’d have to being bombarded like this out of left field, and I felt myself tense up. Old habits die hard, I guess.As if guessing my thoughts, he wrapped his arm around me, pul
I watched in something approaching horror at the scene that played out before my eyes. I could be watching a movie; it was so surreal. Lions eating people isn’t something you see every day outside of a TV screen. When they were done, they just stopped as if being controlled and laid on the deck.It was only then that I noticed the collars around their necks that were now blinking red. Someone was obviously controlling something. A figure covered in black from head to toe appeared and steered the boat further out to sea, and then the screen went dark.“See, Uncle Hank, I told you, it’s like playing chess.” Her voice came through the speakers reminding me that she was there. I’ve been playing chess for years, and not once did I ever see anything like that.“Lucretia Borgia, where did you get maneaters from?”“I never poisoned any… um. I had help….”“Hold it, who did you poison?”“I never said I did.” It’s getting harder to navigate around her without crushing her spirit or curtailing her
“What’s all this? Did you know about this stuff? Not that I find it hard to believe, but wow, that Mary really is a piece of work. I wonder what this all means about her and the kids. What do you think that was about?”Too close! She was getting too close to the things I wanted to keep hidden from her. When we switched to our tablets as soon as we made it into the apartment to watch the drama unfold, I had no idea things would take this turn.I was secretly enjoying the dumpster fire as my ex-wife struggled for her life in the comments and wishing I could add some of my own home truths but thought better of it. She was doing a better job all on her own than I ever could. I’m not sure why the nieces were using a different handle, but I was almost certain this Themis person was them or someone acquainted with them.I was just as curious about some of the revelations as Elena was, though, since some of it was news to me. There was some of what I’d learned from Lyon, and the Squad mentione
Reading some of that stuff was like reliving it again, and it hit me hard. It was like being back there again, only now he was here with me, watching my reaction, seeing the pain that I was trying so hard to hide. “I’m sorry I did this to you.” The pain in his voice made my heart ache. I was past wanting him to hurt, I just wanted to put it all behind me, but there was so much to deal with that sometimes it seemed like it would take a lifetime for the wound to heal.To make matters worse, Janie didn’t seem to have any remorse if the things she’d said tonight were any indication, and for some reason, that really got under my skin. I don’t know what I expected, and I guess it’s a testament to the kind of person I am, but shouldn’t she feel some sort of guilt?She seemed to paint me as the villain when I was anything but in this farce that they’d made of my life. I only now realized that I’d been biting back my anger at her, always focusing it on him since he was the one I’d been in a rel
I fell asleep sometime during the early morning hours, too exhausted from the long drive and everything else that was going on in my life to keep my eyes open, and awakened with a start just a few short hours later.Everything from the last few days came rushing back to memory as the dregs of sleep and whatever dreams I’d had dissipated, leaving me alone and afraid once again. Last night had been brutal, all those people judging me, calling me names, exposing things about me I never wanted the world to know.Someone had made a timeline of my life with pictures. From the first time, I met Ryder to the day of our wedding. It caused a great stir in the comments; people were laughing at me, calling me pathetic as a light was shone on the truth that I’d gone to such lengths to keep hidden from the public.There were things mentioned that even I had forgotten, but because of that shit, I was made to face ridicule, and now everyone was singing the same tune, and I was being painted as the vil
The phone rang just as I came out the shower. I’d been in there for much longer than was necessary, thinking about the way my life had changed so drastically in only a few short weeks. It seems impossible, and I still find myself having these moments where I want to pinch myself to make sure that it’s real.In that space of time, I’d gone from wishing for death to wanting to live more than anything. From living in the worst kind of hell imaginable to being the happiest I’ve ever been in my existence. The only thing plaguing me now was how easy it had been for me to lose everything the last time and worrying about how not to let it happen again.I doubt I’d be such an ass twice, but I hadn’t expected things to go south the last time either, and that’s what’s worrying the hell out of me. How blind I was to the people and situations around me. Drugs had played a part in it, sure, but I won’t use that as an excuse for the mess I’d made of our lives.I wasn’t in any hurry to answer the phon
“Where are we going?” She whispered the question as we were being driven through the quiet early morning New York streets by the two very stoic men up front.“I have no idea; they didn’t say. Are you nervous?” She turned to look out the tinted window while keeping her hold on my arm, where she had hers wrapped around my elbow.“Not really. Isn’t that strange?”“I know what you mean. I was thinking the same thing earlier.” I don’t feel this at ease around men I hire myself and have known for years.“Have you noticed, though, how quiet the street was when we left the apartment?”“It’s early.”“Yeah, but this is New York; there’s always someone outside, no matter how late or how early it is. I don’t think there was even a pigeon on the sidewalk.”I’d noticed that, too, and didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to spook her, but I was pretty sure the two men up front had something to do with that. I wouldn’t be surprised because all of Lyon’s men seem to have some sort of tactical trai
I should’ve seen it coming, but even I didn’t think she was this stupid. Janie flew up from the chair in a rage and went after Elena, talons bared and teeth gnashing like something out of the wild. And before I or either Jared or Travis could reach them, Elena swung and knocked her down with a punch to the face. The screeching was almost unbearable in the empty room as it bounced off the walls like an echo.Elena, my little angel who I believe has never hurt a fly, stood over her and pulled her hair back hard with her hand raised, ready to wail on her again, but then she suddenly stopped and jumped away from Janie as if she’d been prodded by something. Unfair as it was, I was about to let Janie have it for whatever it was she had done to hurt her, but then Elena spoke, and it was the horror in her voice that had me stepping forward to take a closer look.“What the hell? What happened to your face?” I almost laughed at Elena’s question, thinking she was being facetious since she was the