“You won’t have much time for thinking soon. That place gets busy as fuck. Money? Well, I can’t help you with that too much,” he laughs.
I laugh, too. Truthfully, I’ve missed the crew. It’ll be nice to kick back and ride Spaz’s ass like old times.
“Well, money isn’t everything.”
“It’s a lot. …So, I guess the beer’s on you?”
“Shocker,” I say, laughing. “Yep. Got it. See ya soon.”
Chapter Sixteen
Cora
He shut the door in my face.
He shut the door in my face.
He. Shut. The. Door. In. My. FACE!
I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I haven’t gone to work. I haven’t talked to Derek, or Kim, or my parents. I have been inside my home, on a fucking rampage. Okay, fine. Be rude at work, be the corporate hero that all the fucking peons want to be. Fine. Quit! I’ll tolerate that late little bit of indecency. But he fucked up slamming the door in my face. That was the last straw. I don’t know who he thinks he is. Or why he thinks he is so high and mighty and above me, but he is wrong. Everyone is wrong, and I will prove it. I have the upper hand in this. I will NOT be ignored. Picking up the vase on the kitchen table, I throw it against the wall, watching the broken pieces fly in every which direction.
He wants a war, I will give him the battle of his life. I grab my phone and call Sean. It rings. And rings. And rings.
“Pick up, you piece of shit!”
“The she-devil herself calls. What’s up?” He says, picking up after the sixth ring.
“If you can be here in ten minutes, you have fifty-k in your bank account the second your foot passes the threshold.” I bark out, then hang up.
I know Sean will not deny fifty thousand dollars. He has a family and a grandchild on the way. Being the only one working, I know for a fact he will not ignore that amount of money. Matter of fact, Laura’s file is sitting on my kitchen table. The same one Derek got that Sean was able to add to. She was in foster care, adopted at age ten by the parents she has now. She was originally named Maggie at birth, but changed her name after being adopted because her name was a reminder of her former self, so her file says. She was abused by her ex-husband, which explains why she recoils so quickly when someone is angry. She is still a pussy in my eyes. She is also my target. Micah likes her. I don’t know why, because she’s just some poor scum from the slums. She has not a damn thing going for her. Nothing! Looking over her file, her big black doe eyes stare back at me.
I want to cut them out of her head and make her eat them for fucking this up for me. If she wasn’t in the picture, Micah would be mine and none of this would be happening right now. My house wouldn’t look like a fucking hurricane blew through here. My appearance wouldn’t resemble a crack head and my hair, my God, my hair needs to be washed and to be rescued by my hairdresser. I’m falling apart because Laura got in my way. Knock, knock, knock. I smile. I knew he would be here. I kick a piece of broken furniture out of my way as I walk to the door. When I open it, Sean makes a sour face.
“What the hell happened to you?” He asks, stepping back a little.
“Get in here. Did you bring your stuff?”
“I did.” He replies, walking inside. I close the door behind him and lock it. “What’s the emergency?”
“I need you to look into Micheal Duclos for me. I want everything you can get on him, and I want it done now. I will throw in another ten.”
“How do I know you're not lying to me about the money? You’ve never paid me this much,” he says uneasily. Picking up my phone, I open my bank app and hit send money. Typing in Sean’s info, I hit send. A minute later, his phone chimes and he looks. His eyes bulge out of his head.
“Fifty thousand dollars has been added to your pending account. Please confirm,” he whispers.
“Do what I ask and you can get the other ten.”
My foot taps with my impatience. He knows not to fuck with me, so why he is testing me now, has he even more pissed off? After Sean sets everything up, he begins his work. My phone continues to go off with messages from Derek, Kim, and my parents. I ignore them, again. They will see me when I have what’s mine. They will have their Coocky Bear back once all this is settled. I pick up Laura’s file again, ripping out the employee photo she has added there.
It’s of her child who looks just like her, how fucking adorable.
I shove a picture off the wall and use the thumb tack to place the photo on the wall. Lighting a cigarette, I place the bright red ember to those big doe eyes that are gawking at me. Laughing at me. Haunting me. They are the same eyes Laura has. Black, round, and endless. The hot cherry burns through the paper effortlessly, leaving behind a black burn mark. I roll my eyes and walk back over to Sean.
He is busy typing away, doing what I paid him to do. And the second I step up beside him is the exact second that Micah’s past comes on the screen. I wish I could say I was shocked. I wish I could say that now all of this makes complete and total sense to me. But I’m a complicated woman and this is still a jumbled mess. Slowly, though, like putting together a puzzle, all the pieces fall into place. Sean prints out paper after paper. I grab each one in impatient movements. Once the printer stops, I turn to Sean.
“Pack up and get the fuck out.”
“What about—”
I glare at him, silently telling him to leave or regret testing me. He tucks his tail back in between his legs and scurries out the door once everything is packed up. I lock the door behind him and jog back to my kitchen table. Shoving the centerpieces off, I place each piece of paper I have side by side. One side Micah’s, one side Laura’s. I look at every piece of paper. Every word. Every sentence. Every picture. I run my fingers gingerly over each one and ensure that nothing is missed. Not a single detail go unnoticed. Just when I feel that my anger is about to swallow me whole, I see it.
I notice something the very thing I need to make this work. The final piece of the puzzle. The big, black, doe eyes of a puzzle. This just got so much fucking better.
***
The phone rings and I wait patiently for someone to pick up on the other end. Taking a drag of my last cigarette, I hang up and let out a deep, smoke-filled breath. Just when I’m about to take things to the next level, my phone rings, and I pick up quickly.
“Cora Graham,” I say easily.
“Hey, Cora. It’s Laura. You called?” Her voice is just as weak over the phone as it is in person.
“Yeah. Can you come to my house. I have a few things I need help with. I know I’ve been missing at work, but something personal came up. I’m all better now.” I sniffle. “My address is three-twenty-three Willow Road. Super easy to find.”
“Uh.” She is hesitant, her hushed voice gives that away. But I know how to get her to come over. Because when money talks, everyone listens.
“I will toss an extra few thousand plus two holiday bonuses. I know this is against normal protocol, but I need you.” I close my eyes and bare myself for what I’m about to say. “I need you, Laura. You’re the best PA I’ve had and without you, the account I’m working on won’t do so well.”
I silence my gag. Nothing but lies are flowing from my lips, but it’s what I have to do to get her here. If I can get her here, I can use her as a pawn to get to Micah. And that’s all I want. I just want Micah. I will do what I have never done and play the part of the broken and wounded animal. Micah will see that Laura is just as rotten as I am, even if it just a fake act I put on her. She will show her true colors, and I use that to my advantage.
“Sure, Miss Graham. I’m sure my mother will watch my daughter.”
“Thank you. You are saving me!”
With that, we hang up and the first part of my plan is put into motion. I throw my phone onto the kitchen counter and run into my garage, grabbing the rope from the far, left wall and a butterfly knife from the junk box Derek never came to get. His useless shit is now a treasure to me because I’m going
to need it. When Laura gets here, she will bow down to me and do everything I ask of her. If she does, she will walk away unscathed and her child will not be motherless. She can go back to her worthless life, and I can go back to my enviable lifestyle. Everything will be okay. Everything will be fine, just as soon as I have her and Micah here in the palm of my hand.
Setting up a chair in front of the front door, I sit down and wait. I have no idea how long it will take for her to get here, but she will come. Just as Sean did. Because the poor feed off the rich like hungry, starved animals feed off road kill. I am happy to provide for them as long as they do as they are told. All it takes is one false move on their part and that’s it. Game over. They lose. But fuck it. I know how this world works. It’s not eye for an eye. It’s soul for a soul. Cruel, sure. But that’s just how it works. The world turns with cruelty as its axis. It thrives off the damned and the pitiful and the poor and leaves the rich alone because we are just as powerful. If not, more.
Chapter Seventeen
My foot begins to bounce up and down as I become impatient. It’s been half an hour since I called her, and I know the slums aren’t far from here. Hell, this part of town used to be a part of the slums until they bulldozed half the houses and fixed it up, creating this beautiful environment I live in now. The sun is going down, and I know that I have to act soon, or another day will be wasted. Shit, who knows, maybe she isn’t even coming. Still, I can make do without her. I can pretend to be her and con Micah into coming over. But I need her. She has something I don’t, and I need her to get it. Where the fuck is she? No sooner does that thought cross my mind, the doorbell rings. I jump to my feet and flip open the butterfly knife.
Thank fuck Derek was a boy scout.
“Coming.” I call out happily.
Moving my head side to side, I prepare myself. If she struggles, she is only going to hurt herself. She is too small to take on someone like me, anyway. Unlocking the door, I grip the handle of the knife and swing the door open. In one swift movement, I step forward and effortlessly slide the sharp metal blade into her side. Her hands grip my shoulders as the pained reality of what just happened registers with her. She lets out a gasp as I remove the blade and step back. Laura falls to her knees with her hands covering the wound that is bleeding between her fingers. Before she even looks up at me, I kick the side of her head and she topples over, knocked out cold.
Flipping the blade back into it’s protective covering, I grab her feet and drag her inside. I won’t let her die. I won’t hurt her any further unless it comes down to it, but I need her because without her, Micah won’t come. Dragging her tiny frame is proving to be a bit difficult. She is heavier than I thought. I don’t give up. I push through the pain in my muscles and finally drop her feet down in front of the chair I have set up for her. Sitting her up, I grab underneath her arms and hoist her into the chair with a grunt. This is one moment when I’m happy that Nial doesn’t let me skip leg day.
Taking a deep breath, I lean my head back and let it out. Laura seems to be about my size clothing wise. Taking her shirt off, I slip out of mine and put hers on. I do the same with her pants and shoes. Looking at her hair, I cringe. I can’t match that and nor would I wish to. Decided, I leave my hair alone and tie Laura to the chair. Her stomach is covered in bright red blood streaks as her wound continues to bleed. Her yellow lace panties now look orange as the blood runs down her side. I laugh. If she had stayed on the seventh floor and left well enough alone, she wouldn't be in this situation now.
Once she is securely tied to the chair, I walk back to where my pack of—fuck! The pack is empty. I forgot. Oh, well. I shouldn’t be smoking, anyway. Not like I have been these past few days. The occasional smoke is fine with me; I can handle that. But I have gone through four packs in two days. Fucking gross. I can't help it, though. It’s my vice, and it helps me de-stress when I need it. Running my hands over my face, I walk back to Laura. She should be waking up any minute now, and that’s when I will call Micah and have her do what I need her to. I set up a chair in front of her and wait, which is what I seem to be doing a lot of lately. Thankfully, I don’t have to wait too long. Laura rolls her head to the side, and I peer up at her. A devious smile crosses my lips when her fearful gaze lands on mine.
“Scream and I slice your throat,” I warn her.
She squeezes her mouth shut as tears fall down her cheeks.
“I’m gonna make a call, and I need you to help me. If you want to see your precious waste of space again, you will comply.”
Her nostrils flare as her breaths in as much as she can without breathing through her mouth. It takes her a moment, but she nods. Standing up, I retrieve Laura’s phone from the counter and walk back to her. I dial Micah’s number and wait for it to ring, putting it on speaker phone.
“Now, listen. You will tell him we are in trouble. Someone broke in while we were working and we are now being held hostage.” Ring. “He will come for you. I know he will.” Ring. “Just do as I ask, and you will live.” Ring.
“Laura, is everything okay?” Micah says, answering the phone. We can hear music and men in the background. I nod to her, giving her the okay to do as she has been told.
“I need… I need help. Someone broke in while Cora and I were working. I need you to help us.”
I mouth to her to tell him not to call the police. That I have a silent alarm.
“Don’t call the police. The alarm has been set off already.”
She chokes back her sobs as she stares at me.
“I’m on my way. Where are you?” He spits out in a huff.
“Cora’s.”
“I’ll be there soon. Just hold tight.”
I hang up my phone and drop it to the ground. Taking my left foot, I stomp on it until the screen goes black and is shattered. It feels like a weight has been lifted off of me now that I have the final piece I need on its way. I get up from the chair and walk around Laura, taunting her. I told myself I wouldn’t, but she needs to know not to play with things that don’t belong to her. Placing my hands on her thighs, I squeeze hard. My nails dig into her pale skin.
“I’m disappointed in you,” I tell her, “I was sure you were a good intern. One that would stay out of my way and on her floor. I’ve had one other like you that I had to get rid of because she wanted what was mine. If only you would have stayed out of his office.”
I stand up and draw my fist back, swinging it full force at her face, striking her temple. The impact makes as sickening crack, and her head instantly swells where my fist hits her. I laugh as I pace back and forth, stealing glances at her and reveling in how helpless she looks. I should have done this to Tracie when she got in my way five years ago. It would have been a lot more satisfying than forcing her to move out of the country.
“When he gets here, I will show you what I real woman can do to please a man like him.”
She just lets out a strangled sob and looks down. Good. I want her scared. I want her to know that she can’t fuck with me. I want what she has. I want those eyes. Because with them, Micah will love me. He will love me and not her.
Taking the butterfly knife out of the back pocket of Laura’s jeans, I open it. Gripping her hair in my left hand firmly, I place the knife beside her right eye.
“This is going to hurt, Maggie!”
Chapter Eighteen
Micah
“Drive fucking faster!”
I never should have gone out with these morons in the first place. Paul has lost his mother fucking need for speed since high school, apparently. If I hadn’t taken those two last shots of vodka, I might have been good enough to drive safely. Hurry. The. Fuck. Up.
There is no way Laura wouldn’t want me to call the cops if someone broke in the house. Something else is going on. I can feel it. And who the hell would want to break into Boss Lady’s house anyway? What would they steal? Cold cream and fucking hate heels? This is bullshit. Still, because I don’t know Laura as well as I’d like, an
d the urgency in her normally meek voice, I tell myself I’m better off just showing up and making the call when I get there. I learned long ago to react immediately to certain types of calls. I’ve been paying for it since.
My head spins as I try to pull up Cora’s address through the company email, ignoring Granny Paul and his inability to step on the gas pedal. Thankfully, Bob hasn’t thought to boot me out of the Graham Incorporated system just yet. When I find it, I shout unneeded directions at Paul—who rambles on about knowing the old stomping grounds too well from dating a girl out that way years ago. And me, well, it’s where I met Heather. Don’t think about her now.
“Okay. Enough memory-fucking-lane. I need to get there fast. Can’t you try Pine Ave? Might be quicker. Fewer lights.”
He groans. I can almost hear him telling me to shut the fuck up in his mind. “I’m doing my best dude. Chill out. Since when do you even care? I thought you hated this bitch. Isn’t she why you quit your fancy job?”
“I’m not going there for her. I’m going there for Laura.”
“Who the fuck is Laura?”
Good question.
“Just an intern from work.”
“Why is she at the Rich Bitch’s place anyway?”
Better question.
“I don’t know. She’s her fucking PA or something.”
I should have taken my own car. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. Fucking coward. What if?
“What is a PA?”
“Oh my God, asshole. A personal assistant. For Christ’s sake. Take a fucking left before I throw you out and drive there myself. I could get there faster on my fucking feet.”
“Okay, shitbag. If that’s how it’s gonna be. I can only go so fast. I’m not taking that left. They put up a fucking detour. You’re welcome.”
He glares at me, adding, “We don’t do ‘personal assistants’ at the parts counter. Just know that.”
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