State of Emergency

CHAPTER 61


Marie held her hands over her baby’s ears to shield him from the horrible woman’s rant. Even Pete’s perpetual scowl had fallen into a twitching frown of nervous puzzlement at the latest volcanic eruption.

“This is not like him.” Lourdes tromped back and forth in the living room, spinning at each corner to turn and stare accusingly at Marie and Pete in turn. “He always calls me back. It is not like him at all.” Tears welled in her black eyes. Her lips quivered like a frightened little girl’s. Wheeling, she looked down at Marie, her words gushing out in a fountain of emotion. “He knows what his calls mean to me. Why would he do such a thing? Do you think something has happened to him?”

Marie relaxed her hold on Simon, letting him squirm around to face her. She didn’t know what to say. One minute this woman was threatening to kill her and eat her baby, the next she wanted to confide her innermost fears.

Lourdes buried her face in her hands. “Why won’t you call me, Valentine?” she sobbed in frustration.

Marie suddenly realized that if something had happened to Zamora, the same thing could have happened to Matt. Her chest tightened and for a moment she thought she might be having a heart attack. She’d heard of women her age whose hearts had just given out under severe stress—and heaven knew what she was going through qualified.

As horrible as the woman was, there was something so genuine about the way Lourdes wept. Sadness was sadness, even in the heart of a madwoman.

“Maybe he’s lost his phone,” Marie offered, attempting to console her. “Matt sometimes misplaces—”

Lourdes’s head snapped up. Her bloodshot eyes seethed with anger. “You dare compare Valentine with your stupid excuse for a man! He cannot even protect his own family.” She spat on the floor to show her contempt. “I am surprised he was man enough to father your child—if the boy is even his.”

Marie flew off the mattress in a rage.

“You hateful bitch!” she screamed, clawing at Lourdes’s face. “Shut your mouth! My husband is twice the man your prissy little Valentine is.”

Lourdes put a hand to ward her off, but not before Marie landed a wicked punch that split her bottom lip.

Beyond furious, Marie kept punching and clawing, finally grabbing a handful of black bangs.

All she could think of was killing the awful woman—beating her to death with whatever she could find.

Pete pulled her off before she got another swing in. He gave her a hard backhand across the face to get her attention, then threw her brutally against the wall. She staggered, and then fell backward, landing on the mattress next to a screaming Simon.

“Sit your ass down and stay there,” Pete said. He looked back and forth at the two women as if he didn’t know which one was crazier.

Lourdes touched a finger to her split lip, licking away the blood. Her black eyes locked on Marie, who stared right back at her.

A twisted smile crept slowly across the dark woman’s bleeding lips. “You surprise me,” she said, nodding in approval. “I had thought killing you would be a bore. I am so happy that you will at least fight back.” She held up her hand. “Wait, I want to show you something.” She disappeared down the hall to return a moment later with a length of stainless-steel chain. On each end was a gleaming steel hook.

“If I do not hear from Valentine very, very soon, I am going to play a game.” Lourdes swung the chain in a tight circle in front of her face, causing the hooks to whir in the air. “Maybe I will play the first round with your little worm. . . .”