Tangled Fury

by K. L. Middleton

  “Do I look like I’m laughing?”

  She stared at me for a second and began walking away, mumbling something under her breath.

  “Felicia.”

  She turned around.

  I laughed. “Gotcha.”

  She shook her head and smiled back. “You’re such a shit.”

  “I’ve been called worse. Now, get back to work before you find out why.”

  Still grinning, she walked out.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Sera

  “He’s been arrested?” I repeated, still unable to believe it. It seemed too good to be true.

  “Yes, for Drunk Driving,” said Thane.

  “I guess it doesn’t surprise me. He does have a drinking problem. Among other things.”

  “Fred is hoping they’ll get more information out of him.”

  “I just hope they can pin something more substantial on him. And get him to talk about Sam.”

  “Me too. Has he ever been pulled over for drinking and driving, before?”

  I nodded. “Yes, but it’s been several years. It was before we were married. He said he’d gone to a wedding and they’d nailed him afterwards.”

  “I hate to be the downer here, but if they can’t find Sam or proof that he’s done anything to him, or your mother, then he’ll get out.”

  “I know,” I replied, sighing. “I just hope that Fred doesn’t admit to knowing where I’m at. I know that I’m breaking the law by keeping Emma away from him, but he’s a killer. There is no way that I’m going to let him near her, and I’m certainly not going to trust the court system to see my side of things.”

  “I understand and I don’t blame you for taking off with Emma.”

  “You know, if you want to let me go, I wouldn’t blame you.”

  “We’ve been through this before. I’m not going to let you go. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know anything other than what is on that resume you provided.”

  I relaxed. “Fair enough.”

  He stood up. “I guess we just have to wait and see what Fred finds out. I’m going to run across the street, to the deli, and get myself a hoagie. Would you like me to pick you up anything?”

  “No,” I replied. “That’s okay.”

  “You need to eat and you didn’t bring anything with you.”

  I sighed. “Okay. I’ll have a salad.” I stood up. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get my purse.”

  “Save your money. This is my treat.”

  “You’ve already been far too generous.”

  He grinned. “You say that now, but when you have to pay for your booth lease, you’ll be thinking something else.”

  I laughed. “It is pretty steep.”

  “It’s less than what we charged the last nail technician. Look, things have been crazy, so if you have any problems paying…”

  “Actually, I’ve been pretty busy. I don’t think I’ll have a problem at all.”

  “Good. But, today I’m buying lunch. What kind of salad dressing?”

  “I’m not picky. Surprise me.”

  “I thought surprising you was hard.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Fred mentioned that you had some kind of sixth-sense.”

  “Oh.”

  He laughed. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

  “I’m not embarrassed. Not at all,” I replied and then smiled. “You don’t believe in that kind of stuff, do you?”

  “Did the spirits tell you that?”

  “No, the smirk on your face pretty much summed it up.”

  “Look, if you and Fred believe in the supernatural and psychic mumbo-jumbo, more power to you. Me? Now, I’m a realist.”

  “Somehow I figured.”

  “I’m sure you did,” he replied. “Anyway, I’m not trying to cut you down, or anything. I actually find it amusing.”

  “Is that right?”

  He just smiled.

  “Well, at least you didn’t say what you were really thinking.”

  “And what was that?”

  “That Fred was gullible and I’m just a little… kooky.” I wasn’t even sure where it came from, but from his reaction, I hit the nail right on the head.

  His smile fell.

  This time, I welcomed the little voice in my head, especially with the dumbfounded look he now had. “What’s wrong, Thane?” I asked, stepping towards the doorway. “Caught off guard by a little mumbo jumbo?”

  He was still silent.

  Winking, I left his office with a triumphant smile.

  ***

  Sera

  Thane and I left the salon just after three-thirty. He was quiet and I wondered if I’d upset him earlier.

  “You okay?” I asked, waiting for him unlock the car doors.

  He stared at me over the hood of his vehicle. “I’m fine. Why?”

  “You’re just being very… quiet.”

  He gave me a half-smile. “Are you saying that I’m usually a chatter-box?”

  “No. It’s just that you seem… withdrawn,” I replied, getting in.

  He slid into the seat next to me and shut the door. “I’m just tired.” He pulled his seatbelt around his waist. “Neither of us received a lot of sleep last night. You must be running on fumes, yourself.”

  “That’s true.”

  As Thane started the engine, I stared at his hands and was reminded of how good they’d made me feel the night before. I pushed the thought away and looked out the window, thankful that he couldn’t read my thoughts.

  “Should we pick Emma up from the school?” asked Thane, as we pulled out of the parking lot.

  “No, the bus drops her off right outside of the house,” I reminded him.

  “Good,” he replied, fiddling with his stereo. “Would you like to listen to some music?”

  “Sure,” I replied, laying my head back against the seat.

  We rode to Fred’s house, listening to some Blues music, which caught me of guard. I had imagined him to be more of a country music fan and the fact that I was wrong was almost refreshing. It also made me realize that I didn’t want to know everything about him. That surprises were good.

  When we reached the house, he shut the engine off. “Well, the bus should be coming any minute.”

  “Yes. Um, you know, you really don’t need to stay with us. Now that Ray is locked up.”

  He frowned. “I told Fred that I’d stay with you until he returned. Just because Ray is behind bars, doesn’t mean he’s going to stay there.”

  “No, but he’s also not going to be showing up here anytime soon.”

  He tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel and stared out the window. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone.”

  “Seriously, we’ll be fine.”

  Sighing, he turned to me. “Tell you what - I’ll go home and catch up on a few errands. Then, I’ll pick you and Emma up. We’ll go out to dinner. My treat.”

  “I don’t know…” I protested. “You said so yourself, you’re tired and frankly, I feel like curling up on the couch and watching television.”

  “And you can do that. After you eat. You need to feed that little girl and what if you fall asleep? What will she eat then? Some of Fred’s sardines?”

  I laughed. “Believe me, she won’t go to bed hungry or smelling like fish. Besides, she’d never let me sleep if she was truly hungry.”

  “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. Do you like seafood?” he asked.

  “I told you -”

  “Are you really going to turn down lobster and a chance to relax while someone else serves you dinner? Better yet – are you going to turn down a man who dropped everything to make sure that you were safe last night?”

  “Talk about a guilt trip,” I said, dryly.

  “Is it working?” he asked, giving me one of his cocky grins.

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up at six.”

 
“Okay. Are you sure you want to do this? Don’t you have a girlfriend that you could be treating to dinner? Instead of a woman with a kid and baggage?

  “Ouch,” he replied, putting a hand to his chest. “You’re cruel, woman.”

  I laughed. “I’m sorry. You’re being so nice and I’m throwing it in your face. See, I told you that I was tired. Tired and snarky.”

  “Another reason I’m doing this. To save Emma from having to deal with it alone.”

  I laughed again. “Is that right?”

  “Of course. Now, like I said – I’ll pick you up at six. Don’t stand me up.”

  “We won’t.”

  “Good. Oh, and call me right away if you hear from Fred,” he said, as I got out.

  I looked down at him. “You, too.”

  “Of course.”

  “Goodbye.”

  “See you soon.”

  I shut the door and watched as he drove off. As I turned to walk towards the house, Arlene pulled into her driveway.

  “Hey,” she called, waving me over.

  I walked across the lawn. “Hi.”

  She turned off her engine and got out of the car. “Have you heard from Fred?”

  I told her what we’d learned.

  “Oh, thank God! That’s great news. At least we know Ray can’t get to you.”

  “I know. I just wish we knew if Sam was okay.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Don’t you already know, my dear?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She smiled. “I hope that you don’t mind, but Fred told me all about your E.S.P.”

  I laughed. I hadn’t heard that term for a long time. “He did, huh?’

  She smiled weakly. “Yes. On the way to the airport, we talked about it.”

  I smiled sheepishly. “You must think I’m… a little nutty.”

  She reached over and touched my arm. “Nutty? Not at all. My sister and I went to a psychic many years ago. Not one of those fake ones, either. She was amazing and didn’t even charge us.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes. She told us things that she should have never known. Things that my sister didn’t even know about me. It was quite embarrassing.”

  “Why?”

  She laughed. “I wish I could remember. It happened so long ago. I was probably sixteen at the time.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yes. I’ve always been fascinated with the supernatural. I think it’s wonderful that you have a special gift.”

  “To tell you the truth, whatever psychic gifts or abilities I have, I can’t seem to control them. Things come to me, but… not very often.”

  “I’m sure there must be a way to hone your skills. They have books that you can buy on how to open up your psychic powers.”

  “Yeah, but were they in fact written by real psychics?” I asked, smiling wryly.

  She laughed. “That’s the question, isn’t it? The writers could be just trying to make a buck and really have no clue as to what they’re talking about. There are so many scammers out there. It gives you real psychics a bad rap. You know, you should try to practice your skills and when you have more control, make a career out of it.”

  My eyes widened. “Good grief… no. I could never do that.”

  “Why?”

  “If I was wrong and they acted on something that I had told them, it could turn disastrous. I’d never forgive myself for leading someone the wrong way.”

  She sighed. “I see your point. You’re a good woman, Sera. That’s what we love about you. Not a mean bone in your body.”

  “Well, thank you, Arlene.”

  “Don’t thank me for stating the truth.”

  I smiled.

  The school bus turned around the corner and headed towards us.

  “Perfect timing,” said Arlene. “Which reminds me… last week I promised Emma that I’d let her help me bake a cake for my sister’s birthday. It’s tomorrow and I’d like to drop it off at her house in the morning. Would that be okay? If Emma helped me with it, tonight? You can even join us, if you’d like.”

  I was so tired that the thought of baking wore me out. “No, that’s okay. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I’m simply exhausted.”

  “I know what you mean. I didn’t either. But, when you get to be my age, it’s hard to sleep through the night anyway and you simply just get used to it. I tell you what – I’ll make dinner for Emma. We’ll do some baking, and I’ll bring her back by eight. Would that be okay?”

  “That sounds wonderful and I’m sure she’ll love the idea.” I know that I did. I decided to cancel dinner with Thane so that I could take a hot bath and unwind. I wasn’t really hungry and the thought of having some time to myself, sounded very agreeable.

  “Good.”

  “She shouldn’t have any homework, so why don’t I bring her in and get her cleaned up. Then I’ll walk her over,” I said, as the bus stopped in front of my house.

  “Sounds like a fine idea,” she replied, as we both watched the door swing open.

  Emma stepped off of the bus with her backpack over her shoulder, grinning at both of us. She ran across the lawn and I pulled her into my arms. “Surprise!” I said, kissing her forehead.

  “You both were waiting for me?” she said, as the bus pulled away.

  “We certainly were,” said Arlene, smiling down at her. “And guess what?”

  “What?”

  “Tonight is the night we have to bake that cake I was telling you about.”

  Emma’s eyes lit up. “The birthday cake for Elsa?”

  “Yes. It’s her birthday, tomorrow, so we need to get started on the cake, tonight.”

  “Yaay!” hollered Emma. “Can I lick the bowl, too?”

  “The batter isn’t good for you,” I reminded her. “Raw eggs, you know.”

  “But my friend Jackie’s mom lets her do it,” she pouted.

  “I’m sorry, honey. You might get a tummy ache.” I looked at Arlene, who was smiling at Emma sympathetically. “Maybe you can have a couple licks of the frosting, though. If Arlene lets you.”

  Arlene’s eyes widened. “Of course she can. The frosting is the best part anyway. Right Emma?”

  Emma grinned. “That’s right!”

  “Let’s go inside and change out of your school clothes,” I said to her. “Then, I’ll walk you over to Arlene’s.”

  “Okay,” she said, taking my hand and leading me towards the house. She looked over her shoulder. “Arlene! I’ll be over in a minute. Don’t start the cake without me!”

  Arlene laughed. “Don’t worry, dear. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Thane

  I was just stepping out of the shower when my cell phone rang. Naked and dripping, I pulled the towel around my waist and picked up my phone, which was near the sink. It was Sera.

  “Hi, what’s up?” I said into the phone.

  “About tonight… Emma is having dinner next door with Arlene. So, I was calling to cancel our plans.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  “Because, I’m not really hungry and I think I’m going to just take a bath and veg-out for a while.”

  I pictured her naked, in a bathtub and thought about taking another shower. This time much colder. “You’re seriously just going to veg-out?” I replied, trying to erase the image of Sera, naked and glistening with water, out of my sex-starved brain.

  “Yes. Is that okay? I’m extremely exhausted.”

  “I made reservations. For Oceanside. Had to call in some favors, actually. That place is hard to get in. You have to make reservations usually about two months in advance. And that’s just for weekdays. Sorry, but you’re not backing out that easily.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Come on, Sera. You should really eat. Your daughter needs you to be healthy and strong for her, right? Plus, think of it this way - we can be together if Fred calls.”

  “I don’t know. Emma is supposed
to be back here by eight.”

  “Oh, hell, I’ll have you back before then. We’ll tell them that we need to hurry at the restaurant.”

  “Would that really make a difference?”

  “It will if I tell them.”

  She laughed. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “The only thing I’m sure of is that my dinner reservations are not going to be canceled and I’m not calling my buddy up, who had to do some finagling to get us in. He’ll chew my ass out. Now, you and I are going to dinner… and that’s final.”

  “Those are fighting words,” she teased.

  I grinned. “Damn right they are. Now, if you really are psychic, you’ll know how angry I’m going to be if you’re not ready for me by six o’clock.”

  She laughed. “Fine. I’ll be ready.”

  “Good.”

  “By the way, did you receive any calls from Fred, yet?”

  “No. I’d have called you.”

  “I figured. Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you in about forty minutes.”

  “You’re damn right.”

  ***

  Thirty-five minutes later, I pulled up to the house and as I was getting out of my car, she walked outside.

  “Damn,” I muttered under my breath as she drew closer.

  She was definitely a vision. One that I hadn’t been prepared for.

  Earlier, Sera had been wearing tan slacks and a simple white blouse. She’d since changed into a strapless white dress that hugged her curves and stopped at her shapely thighs. Add a pair of high-heeled, silver sandals and an ankle bracelet, and I knew there was trouble was brewing under my zipper. One that even a cold shower wouldn’t be able to quell.

  This was a bad idea, I told myself, stepping around the car to open the door for her. Taking one of my employees out to dinner. One that looked like her and was already getting under my skin.

  “Hi,” she said, looking slightly flushed.

  I forced a smile. “Wow, look at you. Quite a change from earlier.”

  She looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, is this appropriate? I wasn’t sure how to dress. I figured, since it was seafood and hard to get into… I’d better forgo my normal clothes. I don’t really go out much and this is really the only summery dress that I own,” she babbled, obviously nervous.