McCarthy hums. “The time-share, right? She fucked you over on the time-share.”
My ex nods.
I can barely breathe. What’s McCarthy doing?
“Is that the only reason you’re after her?”
“I mean… yeah, I guess.” Andreas is nervous now.
“Cross your heart and hope to die?” McCarthy’s voice drops.
Andreas nods uncertainly.
“Good news. The time-share is no longer a problem, so you can stay away from what’s mine.”
“You can’t. That’s not how time-shares work. She has to pay.” Andreas sputters.
McCarthy slams his hand on the table. He’s not worried about getting banned from the brewery. “I said, it’s not a problem.” McCarthy reaches over to Andreas. Long fingers slide Andreas’s phone out of his pocket and toss it on the table. “Check the news.”
Andreas swallows.
My mouth is dry.
Fingers shaking, my ex types into the phone, presses a button.
I hear the faint sound of sirens and a reporter talking unintelligibly.
“See, not a problem anymore.” McCarthy smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes.
“It’s gone.” Andreas looks up at McCarthy in horror.
“Gone,” McCarthy mocks. “Burned to the ground. Massive fire. No casualties.”
Andreas glances over to me, face ashen.
McCarthy grabs the collar of my ex’s shirt and drags him forward. “Don’t look at her. Don’teverlook at her, or talk about her, or so much as type her name into Google. Do you understand? If you so much as think about her, I will blow up your house. There won’t even be enough of you left to put in a to-go container.”
My ex nods and jumps up, a hand over his mouth.
McCarthy watches as Andreas scurries away. Then he grabs the back of my chair and slides it and me back in place. He takes Andreas’s seat.
Smug.
He stretches out his long legs and regards me. “You can say thank you, Cupcake.”
“I’m not going to thank you. You burnt down a building.”
“I did the people a favor. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get out of a time-share? Those things are predatory.”
“I didn’t ask you to—”
He reaches out, grabs the collar of my shirt, and yanks me forward.
“Don’t fuck with me.” The words are snarled against my mouth. “I will protect the people I care about.” He releases me with a shove. “Now, you tell me—you understand?—if he contacts you. You’ll tell me immediately.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me. Answer the question, or keep your pretty mouth shut.”
