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I used my time wisely and stood face to face with her. “You want him? Have him! And please, by all means, make sure he stays the fuck away from me. You are right, sweetheart. I am a street rat. And there’s something you should know about rats—” I slapped her hard, and she flew back, her hand on her swelling face, playing the victim perfectly “—we can fight just as dirty as we fuck. Come at my family or me again, and I’ll show you how bad it can get.”
Disgusted, I turned to Devin, tears of rage in my eyes.
“She almost killed my brother today to get to me. She almost killed Aaron!” He took another step toward me, reaching for me as the rest of the table looked on at the spectacle.
My arm shot out, stopping him as I gripped my hip, the pain starting to throb unbearably. I must have looked a complete mess, my clothes torn, my face streaked with tear stains.
“Nina—”
“Please, I’m begging you to stay the fuck away from me. You are not worth it.”
To make sure he got my point, I said it again, my eyes locked on his. “You. Are. Not. Worth. It.”
His eyes filled with something I’d only seen in brief glimpses over the past few months. Remorse quickly turned to rage as he looked over to witness his wife’s breakdown.
She reached out to him, and I turned on my heel, leaving without looking back.
§§
Shaking in the back seat of my town car, I dialed Taylor. I’d wondered if the police were looking for me due to my behavior at the restaurant. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Eileen painted herself a victim and sent them for me. Someone had the decency to return my purse to me at the hospital, minus the cash in my wallet, of course. They took a couple hundred in twenties but managed to spare my six hundred dollar phone.
Idiots.
She picked up on the first ring.
“Boss.”
“I need to talk to you now, privately.”
“Okay.”
“In person.”
“Okay, I can meet you. Where?”
“Downtown, somewhere public.”
“Should I be worried?” Her tone let me know she’d heard the desperation in my voice.
“Meet me at the market, the first closest to Bay.” I hung up without waiting for a reply. I knew she would be there. The Old Slave Market was situated in the heart of downtown Charleston. The hideous name came from the fact that it was supposed to have been where the buying and selling of slaves started in the 1600s, but the locals knew better. The real location of the slave trade was actually a few streets over. The market had since been remolded into a main tourist attraction where hundreds of vendors of art, jewelry, and other local treasures were sold.
Carson let me out in front of the first of four long buildings that made up the market. Taylor was waiting, her expression unreadable. I started walking next to her toward the entrance, and when I was sure we weren’t in earshot of anyone, I started barking orders.
“I want a new alarm system in my house and at Scott Solutions tonight. I don’t care what the cost is. Bribe them. I want a security team for me personally and stationed at Solutions all day, every day.”
She nodded. “Now we hav
e people we are afraid of?”
I stopped and turned to her. “Devin’s wife tried to kill me today. I can’t prove it, but she was there. I didn’t see the car, but I saw her after, as if she was trying to confirm I was dead. My brother was with me and got me out of the way in time, but he was badly injured. It’s time to be cautious. I don’t know when or if they’ll be coming for me again. It might be best if you lay low.” I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. I was still in shock this was the situation.
“Jesus, a hit. Who the hell does that?”
“I said the same thing when I bitch slapped her in The Chophouse twenty minutes ago.” Taylor burst out laughing, but I could see the hint of anger in her eyes.
“Good for you, and I will carry out all of that. Give me five minutes, and then you and I are going for a drink.”
“Taylor, it’s not safe to be with me right now.” We walked from one building to the next as the vendors began to break down for the night. The crowd was thinning. It was time to leave.
