by Malcom, Anne
Rosie seemed to sense something in his expression. “I know that I’ve got beautiful full lips, but my proverbial mouth is very very tiny. I’ve got some understanding of why shit needs to stay locked down.” Her eyes shimmered. “Trust me.”
And fuck if he did. Him, the man who’d also promised himself that he’d never trust anyone again.
“I’m not going to hold this over your head, use it as blackmail for you to buy me an almond milk matcha every morning, in fact, I’m never going to mention it again,” Rosie continued. “You have my word on that. I’m only bringing it up right now because you’re painting a fence. And I am certain that Elena and Nathan are now part of my family, regardless of what happens between you all. I’m cheering for it all to turn up roses. For yet another Greenstone Security man to bite the dust. For another good woman to find her version of an ever after. But I needed you to know I know your history. I know how deep that’s cut you. Killed parts of you. Important parts. And as much as it pains me, and it does, there are no words for how sorry I am about what happened to you, I’m not going to insult you by trying to find them. I know it. So I know that people who’ve felt the kind of pain you have and survived, they’re people that deserve something beautiful.” She directed her gaze to the house.
Lance’s chest clenched as Rosie’s words sent the past hurtling into the present. Ruining it.
“And they’re beautiful,” she continued, moving her gaze back to him. “You deserve that. In a perfect world. But we both know this world is ugly and cruel and unfair. I’ve seen enough of that. I’ve also seen enough damaged men and women defy the odds to give me hope for you. As much as I’m a hopeful romantic, I’m also a realist. I know there’s a possibility of this ending. I really frickin’ hope it doesn’t. I’m also here to tell you you need to figure out quick smart whether you’re gonna be here to build a fence in the front. Mow the fucking lawn. Take these two out of this shitty suburb into a beautiful house that we both know you can afford.”
Lance didn’t say anything about her not so subtly telling him she’d checked out his finances. It wasn’t invasive now he knew she’d ripped apart his past, showing it for the falsity it was and finding the real.
“You need to figure out if that’s gonna happen or if you’re gonna disappear like I’m sure you’ve already been planning on doing since the second I told you I knew your past,” Rosie said. “I’m not going to judge you for that. I get it. I really frickin’ get it. But I won’t get it if you fuck around here. If you be the coward I know you’re not and half-ass this shit, make them feel attached and then rip yourself out of their life. Make it end bad. Hurt them. Because as I said, they’re my family now. And no one hurts my family. As much as I like you and your quiet ruthless vibe, as much as my heart bleeds for the absolute shit life has given you, it’s not going to stop me from ripping your dick off if you needlessly hurt that woman or that little boy. Capisce?”
Lance knew that a lot of friends, fathers, brothers or children might give a version of ‘if you hurt my blank, you’ll be sorry.’ He also knew that almost all of them didn’t have it in them to follow through on the empty threat.
This was Rosie.
She had the follow-through.
She wasn’t just being metaphorical.
Though Lance was confident he could take almost any man on, kill them without thinking or guilt, he wasn’t sure he could do that with Rosie. Not just because she measured up about even with him in her skills to fight.
No, because he’d shared a beer with her husband. Watched her kid grow. Seen what she added to the good in the world and what she took away in the ugly.
He could hurt a lot of people without the trouble of his conscience. But he wouldn’t be able to do it with Rosie. Which meant she would be quite literally ripping his dick off if he hurt Elena and Nathan.
It didn’t matter. If he truly ever hurt the two single most precious things that had come into his life when he thought it was all but over, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself anyway.
Rosie was eyeing him as if she could read his thoughts. And though Lance didn’t believe in any of that bullshit that Polly spouted on the daily, he was a little shaken by the power of the woman’s gaze.
She was waiting for his affirmative, to make sure her words had sunk in, her threat had landed.
He nodded once.
She nodded back. Then the ruthless look dropped from her face quickly and seamlessly replaced by the beautiful smile that distracted most men.
It was jarring, chilling really. Because the warm smile and the threatening glint in her eyes were both genuine. She was able to be warm and kind and in the next breath snap your neck if she felt you deserved it.
Dangerous, that woman.
She reached over to squeeze his shoulder. He didn’t flinch from her touch, recoil from it. Something in him felt calmed. Comforted.
She left it there for a beat and then turned away, back toward the house.
Yeah, dangerous woman.
His eyes found hazel ones, staring at him across the yard.
Another dangerous woman.
One who could ruin him in even ways Rosie couldn’t.
So he ruined himself.
He ruined everything now, so he didn’t destroy their lives later.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Elena
When a week passed of nothing, I went to Keltan. I knew that Greenstone was renting the place that Nathan and I were calling home, and according to my insurance company, would be for quite some time. Lance had declared he would “take care of it” whenever I tried to bring it up. I’d obviously tried to argue. He’d silenced me by kissing me. Or touching me. Or by being Lance.
He was not here to do any of those things.
I was going to be the one to take care of things from now on.
Which was exactly what I told Keltan over the phone regarding taking over the rent.
He’d tried to argue. Of course he did.
“Keltan, I know you’re trying to be nice here,” I interrupted him as he made excuses. “You have been beyond nice to me and my son. You’re also a super proud, strong, badass guy that can not only take care of himself and his family but has made a business of taking care of other people,” I continued. “Now, it’s apparent that I can’t do that. You’re the reason I still have a family. Not only that, you’ve given me some awesome new girlfriends, your wife included. So the things you’ve given me are almost endless and very definitely priceless. I’m not as strong as you are, but I still have some pride. Please don’t damage it by not letting me pay my way in the house that my son sleeps in. You’re a nice guy. I know you wouldn’t do that.”
There was a long pause on the other side of the phone. A muttered curse. “I’ll send you the details,” he muttered.
I sagged in relief. It was a small victory, but considering all the losses I’d had lately, it was a big one. “Thank you.”
“Just wanna get something clear,” he said. “You are strong. One of the strongest women I’ve met. I’m blessed to be married and to know some fuckin’ strong women too. Don’t you talk about yourself like that. Also, no matter what appearances say to the contrary, I’m not strong enough to protect my family from everything. Now, given the fact I almost lost my wife ‘cause of that, you know I’ll die makin’ sure I protect them from everything in my power. Life has a way of happening so even the strongest of us can’t protect the ones we love. Just happy to be in the position where I can help you with that.”
I leaned against the kitchen counter so I didn’t collapse on the floor—I was only allowed to do that once—and stared out at a white fence. It taunted me. Flayed me.
I fucking hated that white fence.
I hated that I couldn’t hate Lance as much as I despised that fence.
“Thanks,” I said to Keltan, once I’d regained my composure.
“You hold tight, okay?” Keltan said. “We’re gonna keep you safe. Keep your boy safe.�
��
He was right.
They’d done that.
Greenstone Security kept us safe.
Just not my heart.
But that was my job to protect.
And I didn’t do it.
* * *
The Greenstone women had rallied around me since Lance left, none of them saying a word about his absence.
Karen had plenty of words to say about it. As did Eliza. None of them good. Granted, Eliza was the one that found me crying on the living room floor when she’d walked in, originally to steal some pie I told her I had.
She bore the brunt of my breakdown.
Karen arrived at some point too. I didn’t remember much about that night.
Just the pain.
Breathing through it.
The next morning, I was resolved not to be the woman collapsing on the ground under the weight of her sorrow. I would not let misery seep into this house that was only just turning into a home.
So I put on my brave face.
Lied to my son, for the very first time, told him Lance had to go on a trip to help someone and that he’d be back soon.
I didn’t have the heart to say he’d never come back.
It was not great parenting, but it was the best I had.
Nathan had been distracted enough by his new obsession with football—though five-year-olds didn’t play full contact, as if that was something I’d let happen if they could—with the constant visitors we had, and with Duke, helping where he could.
Nathan was currently distracted by chasing Rogue around the garden while Rosie and I talked inside.
It was about something important, I knew that. Especially since she’d poured me wine without even asking if I wanted any.
“I’ve found more,” Rosie said, voice gentle, eyes the same.
I braced. Because Rosie was a lot of things, and though she was kind with one of the biggest hearts I’d ever experienced, she was not what anyone would call gentle.
So I braced. Because if Rosie, of all people, thought I needed gentle, then something hard and painful was coming.
“More what?” I asked, trying to sound strong, prepared.
I took a sip of my wine to help with that.
She reached over to squeeze my hand, the one not holding a glass of wine. “More women. More survivors of that roach I refuse to call a man.”
I blinked, quickly, understanding exactly what Rosie meant. What she was saying. There hadn’t been much more news about Robert, apart from he was visiting his father in Virginia and they couldn’t pin the fire on him. We still had a full security detail.
I clenched the stem of my wine glass even harder. “You mean it wasn’t just me?” I said, my voice breaking just a little.
“No, sweetie, it wasn’t just you,” Rosie replied.
A tear rolled down my cheek. A symbol of pain for those women. For myself. And another one came out of shame. Hearing Rosie say that I wasn’t the only woman Robert did this to gave me a sort of comfort that I wasn’t entitled to.
“I’m glad,” I whispered, afraid to admit the ugliness out loud, but needing to get it out of my head. “I’m glad that I’m not the only one, that it wasn’t because of me being wrong, or not good enough, or whatever. It was him.” I looked up at her, fear swirling in my stomach like acid. I was terrified she’d be staring at me in disgust, in judgment. But her hand squeezed mine again and there was nothing but kindness on her beautiful face.
“Does that make me a horrible person?” I asked her, already knowing that it did. “Being glad that all these other women suffered like I did, so I’m not so alone in this?”
A tear trailed down Rosie’s cheek, I watched it in wonder. Not just because not an ounce of her considerable amount of makeup moved with the liquid. No, because of the tear itself. I didn’t know Rosie well, hadn’t spent a whole lot of time with her to establish what was ‘normal’ with her. I knew her well enough that there was no such thing as normal in her life.
I was also pretty sure that she was not a woman prone to tears.
“You are not alone,” she said, voice firm and eyes narrowed. Her hand squeezed mine tighter, showing just how much strength such a tiny woman had. Then again, I didn’t need all the bones in my hands bruised to know that the woman in front of me was strong.
“And you are not a horrible person,” she continued, her voice steel. Sure. “There are many horrible people in this world. I know many of them personally. I’ve seen true evil in the flesh. Inside people. That means I know true kindness. Goodness. And I know that’s super fucking rare in a world of selfish, violent and nasty people. With as much evil as I’ve seen and known, I’m blessed enough to call some truly good people family. And that counts you. You are not a bad person for wanting to have people to share your sorrow with. You’re human. That fuckstick is the monster. And we’re gonna get him. Not my way, which would be cutting off his cock, battering it, deep frying in and then making him eat it like a hot dog before we let him bleed out.”
I stared at her, for how detailed this plan was, and how casually she said it.
“Though I’m very sad we can’t do it that way,” she said. “It’s smarter, and worse for him in the long run if we do this a different way.” She paused. “You know how popular a cop is in prison?” she asked conversationally. “Not just a cop, but a rapist?”
I shook my head slowly.
She grinned. “Well, prison has a system, a hierarchy, like anywhere else in this world. The politics might change in different places. Who’s on top. But it doesn’t really change who’s on the bottom. That’s monsters that fuck with kids, cops, and rapists. They do not get a fun time in their state-funded vacation. In fact, their lives could be described as a ‘living hell.’ Which I’m pretty sure measures up to what yours was.”
I chewed my lip, thinking about that, what she was saying.
“We’ve got three women to testify,” Rosie continued.
“Three?” I repeated. “He did this to three other women?”
All that gladness I felt disappeared thinking about three lives ruined. Three faceless women who will have to deal with what Robert had done to them for the rest of their lives, regardless of what happened.
Rosie shook her head. “No, that’s just who’s willing to testify. He did this to a lot more women. Some we couldn’t find, others were too scared to testify. Others had been paid off, threatened and weren’t willing to do it. I’m worried that some of the ones who’ve disappeared he went too far with. I’ve got my best guy on it. Trying to find them.”
I blinked at her again. “You mean you think Robert killed them?”
She regarded me. “You don’t think he’s capable of that?”
I paused. Remembered the times when he kept hitting me so hard, so constantly, I was sure he wasn’t going to stop. That empty, satisfied look in his eyes seared the back of my skull. It was evil.
“Yes,” I said, my voice almost inaudible. “I do think he’s capable of that.”
“Take another sip,” she ordered. “Wine is needed on almost every occasion, but it’s medically necessary here.”
I did as she commanded, because she was right. No way could I handle all of this without the subtle softening of the edges that wine gave.
Rosie waited until I swallowed. “We’ve got one of the best lawyers in the country ready to roll,” she continued. “They’ve got connections and balls that means she’s not gonna be scared by whatever shit his father pulls to try and scare her off. Plus, I’m guessing like father like son, he’ll be a coward. When he sees the extent of shit we have on Robert, he’ll back off, try to save his own ass. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s gonna suck. You’re gonna have to face him in a courtroom. Recount everything he did to you. But you are going to see him locked away for life. You’re going to be able to be the reason why he never gets to see daylight again. That he’s raped by a man called ‘Big Earl’ on the daily.” She grinned. “You’re going to be able to
fight back. Even better, you’re going to be able to win.”
I couldn’t help but take on some of her smile. The prospect of being in court, of having to say out loud, to a room full of strangers, what he did to me, it filled my stomach with bile. But the prospect of showing him that he didn’t break me, showing him that I was stronger than he thought, being part of the reason why he was punished for a multitude of sins, it was tempting.
But there were realities to think about. Realities that were rushing in.
“I can’t afford a lawyer,” I told her. “I’m already going to be spending the rest of my life paying off Keltan’s fee, along with insurance premiums on the house.” Just saying it all out loud filled me with bottomless panic.
Rosie’s smile disappeared and she looked kind of scary. “Okay, that’s something we’ve got to nip right in the bud. Keltan is rich as fuck. I know it’s crass to say, but I’m sure that when people describe me, crass is somewhere in the top ten. He makes his living off rich assholes who think their spouse is cheating, who need security, or fucked off the wrong drug dealer. Beyond that, he has a super famous writer for a wife and they are in no way hurting for money. None of the Greenstone team is.”
I knew that.
I knew that from the clothes they wore, vehicles they drove, the fact they all owned places in LA.
Rosie was still narrowing her eyes at me. “They didn’t do this because they want anything to help a woman get her son back,” she said, looking out the window. “We’re doing this because you’re a part of our family. I know you’re fiercely independent, that you want to stand on your own two feet. And girl, I see that, I love it and I look up to that. You’re a strong woman. But you’re not a stupid one.”
She raised her brow at me. “Understand what an insult it would be if you even think about trying to bring up paying Keltan for this. Any of it. We’re here because we want to be. I’m here because I want my kid to learn off you.” She winked at me. “You wanna pay us? Get that beautiful life of yours back together. Have more parties with that mac and cheese. Make guac for me. Give your boy the life you both deserve. It’s not weak to accept help, Elena.”