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It’s both adorable and devastating.
“They were happy,” she whimpers. “And my mom still went and did that. And you and I are happy, like…” she scowls, “most o’ the time. But I’m not always very nice, and we work a lot. So maybe you’ll want someone else, too.”
“I don’t.” I shove the key into the lock and push our door open. Then I reach out and wrap my arm around Minka’s hips to bring her in. “I love all of you.”
I kick our door closed and smell cat shit in the litter tray, but I don’t stop to deal with it.
“I love you even when you’re working yourself to death.” Carefully, I bring her to the couch and set her down so she doesn’t fall. Then I toss her meds to the coffee table and come back around to cup her face. “I love you when you’re mean. Because guess what?” I lean in and press a kiss to her still-pouty lips. “You’re always right. Fuck,” I huff, “but you’re always right.”
“I’m right about Fletch too.” She glances around the apartment, as though searching for him. “He wouldn’t tell the cops what we did.”
“Well…” My heart aches, because this one time, she’s got it wrong. “He did, Minka. He told me so.” I push up to stand, and jog along the hall to pack.
We need clothes. ID. Passports. And enough money to get us wherever we’re going.
“He had the decency to warn us, at least,” I speak over my shoulder.
“Ohhhh, Chloe…” Minka’s voice rolls along the hall so it almost sounds like a growl. “I always hated you, you nasty bitch.”
“I’ll have Cato and Felix take her,” I call out. “She can go to New York until we get ourselves situated.”
“Then they can cook her over an open flame,” she sniggers. “And listen to her scream for help.”
I snatch a bag from our closet but straighten out and shake my head. “There’s something fundamentally wrong with you when it comes to that cat, Mayet. What happened to you as a child that led to this?”
“My mom slept with another dude!” she retorts. “And then I was stupid enough to fall in love with you, but I thought you were sleeping with a slut name Chloe.” She snarls again, so in my mind, I see her making mean faces at the cat. “I was so mad and sad. It stank.”
“She’s acat.” I roll my eyes and drop to my knees to collect things from the bottom of our closet. Guns. Passports. Cash. Finally, I swipe my little book of contacts, and smile when I think of Minka’s jealousy over the names inside. “She’sourcat, Mayet. She’s family.”
“No, she’s a pussy. Aubree’s my family.” Her anger makes way for devastation that guts me like a knife. “And Fletch, too. And Moo. And corndogs.”
“Where is he?!”
The apartment door swings open and slams against the wall so loud, I spring to my feet and grab a gun.
“Archer Malone!” Fletch growls. “I know you’re not here getting ready to run, asshole.”
“Get out of my apartment!” I take the bag and move to our dresser to grab clothes for Minka to change into. “Get the fuck out now, or you leave with a bullet in your ass.”
“I already miss you!” Minka cries out for the guy who’ll put her behind bars. “Don’t let him take us away, Charlie!”
“Motherfucker!” His footsteps slam my way, his boots pounding on the floor, then I hear his racing breath. He charges through my bedroom door and stops with his hands fisted. “You’re running?”
“I’m protecting her.” I set my gun on top of the dresser and grab fistfuls of clothes. “Don’t listen to that shit she said about missing you. She’s stoned and can’t be held accountable for her words.”
“So that’s it, huh?” He storms across the room and shoves me back until I drop my bag. “You just leave?”
“You threw her to Bower!” I shove him back. “You threw my wife to the fucking captain of the Copeland PD! What the fuck is that, Fletch? Who does that?”
“I did what I needed to do! I willalwaysdo what needs to be done.”
“And at the bank?” I stand toe-to-toe with my best friend and will myself not to break. “She was in danger, Fletch! She needed you.Ineeded you.”
“I was right there!” He throws his hand back toward the hall. “I was the first to stand in front of those glass doors. I was with you every step of the fucking way. I was doing what I could—”
“I wasinside! Taking care of business.”
“And I was outside, talking to some chick named Detective Asa, whodemandedI get her information. I was doing what I could for my best friend. Forbothof them. What more do you want from me?”
