I grab Russ by the collar and almost haul him off the ground. Only the toes of his expensive boat shoes are scraping the pavement.
“You little worm,” I growl in his face. “What in the fuck is the matter with you?” My voice rises, strained. “How can you have all this and just throw it away? How can you have this life and just toss it in the trash like it means nothing? Do you know how many people would kill to have a woman like this, kids like these? You have everything that matters in the world and you just shit all over it, and for what? A bimbo with big fake tits?”
I glance at the wife. “Sorry, honey. Surgeon did a great job, by the way.”
Karen leans over and whispers in Kelly’s ear. “I told you.”
“Quent,” Rose says, firm and soft at the same time.
I blink. It’s the first time she’s shortened my name.
I let go of Russ’s collar. He takes a step back.
Then he smiles.
Oh fuck, what did I do?
“I’m sure this will look lovely for the judge. Did you get that honey?”
His wife draws a cell phone from her purse and taps the screen. “I got it.”
I can feel the heat rising to my skin. Rage boils in my stomach, sending volcanic blasts into my chest. My fingers flex, ready to dig into something and rip. It’s everything I can do not to pound Russ’s face in right now, just hammer on him until he looks like somebody shat on a meat pie.
Russ draws an envelope from his pocket and thrusts it at Rose.
“You’ve been served.”
“What?” Rose snaps, grabbing it.
“There will be a new custody hearing. I presented the court with evidence of your neglect and unfitness as a mother. You leave my children alone and unattended for hours—”
“Two hours!” Rose shouts. “They’re latchkey kids, you fucking imbecile. There are a dozen kids in this neighborhood that do the same thing!”
“Mom—” Karen tries to break in.
“Take your sister and go in the house. Now.”
As Karen drags Kelly back up the front walk, Russ looks at me. “I was asking my children where you were just before you arrived. From what I see here I can piece it together. You dumped them out the front door and left them unattended for hours—”
Hours? It didn’t feel like hours.
“—to fuck this cretin.”
“Watch your mouth, Russ.” I growl.
He sputters and steps back.
“Who I’m sleeping with doesn’t matter,” she snaps.
“You are sleeping with him.”
“Yes. I have a boyfriend. I can be happy without you, you egomaniacal asshole. Fine, pull your bullshit. You’re not taking my kids away. I will fight you to my last breath. We both know you didn’t want either of them in the first place. This isn’t about taking care of them, it’s about hurting me. Play your games, fucker.”
She turns on her heels and strides toward the house.
I start to turn.
“You,” Russ snaps. “You’d better not put your hands on me ever again. I know people.”
I stop, stride over to him, and close the gap before he can pull back. I put my hand on his shoulder, dropping it hard and locking him down while I lean in to whisper in his ear.
“I am people, Russ.”
The look on his face would normally amuse me, but I’ll leave it to his new trophy wife to clean the brown stain out of his pants. I turn and rush after Rose, barely catching her.
She’s the picture of furious confidence until I close the door, and then she breaks down sobbing.
I throw my arms around her as the kids rush out. I motion for them to back off and Karen nods, leading Kelly away before the smaller one can blurt something out.
I guide Rose to the couch and sit her down with me, and she buries her face into my shoulder, weeping.
“Fuck,” she screams, pounding my chest with her delicate fists.
“I can’t deal with this now. I can’t afford a lawyer. I can’t take the time off. I don’t have enough hours in the day to deal with another hearing, I just don’t. He doesn’t even like the kids, he just wants to spite me.”
“I know.”
“What am I going to do?” she moans.
“I don’t… I don’t know.”
Rose clutches me like I’m going to disappear.
“You can’t leave yet.”
Fuck me, I can’t leave at all. I can’t leave her like this.
I hold her just as hard and cold dread slides down my back. I did a good job of hiding my trail, and Dale is a good man, but somewhere out there Santiago is drawing ever closer, like a shark tightening the circle before it bites its prey.
Unless I want Rose caught in his teeth, I can’t be here when he finds me.
She sits up with a sudden sniff, and scrubs her face clean.
“No time for that. That miserable bastard, he had to ruin the kids’ day. They must be upset.”
“Yeah.”
Rose gets up. “Stay for dinner.”
Her voice almost rises at the end. It’s almost a question. I spring to my feet and follow her into the kitchen, where I kiss her gently on the lips, savoring her flavor. I can taste salt from her tears. She pulls away and dabs at her face with a tissue, and then I spot Karen standing in the other doorway, watching us.