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“You need to be very sure you want the answer to that question,” he finally ground out, and I swallowed before nodding.
“I do,” I replied confidently, never looking away. “I need to know that Ricki is safe. I need to know that piece of shit is not going to be lurking around a corner weeks or months from now, just waiting to get back at her for some imagined slight.” Shifting my eyes to where she worked, I took in the smile on Ricki’s face, the overwhelming sense of peace she now carried when she was in her element. I’d do anything to ensure she stayed that way, just as happy and content in her life as she was at this very moment. “I held that gun on him, knowing all the things he’d done to her, knowing what he still wanted to do to her, and I knew that I was capable of whatever it took to keep her safe, Enzo,” I said quietly, looking back at the man who was staring at me, assessing my sincerity. “I still mean that. So if you tell me that he’s no longer a threat to her, that wherever he is now, he’ll never again darken her door step—hers or anyone else’s, for that matter—then I’ll accept that at face value, and you and I will never speak of it again.”
For a second, I wasn’t sure he’d even answer me, his entire demeanor giving off massivefuck youvibes. But then he looked over at his wife, laughing easily with Ricki while Tillie watched on, and I could see him visibly relax.
“I know what it’s like to be afraid you’ll never see your woman again,” he rumbled out as something dark flashed in his eyes. I was reminded of the night we’d met, and the vague snippets of information Ricki and I’d garnered from his conversation with Frankie, and I wondered what the hell the two of them had gone through that had him looking at her like that.
I guessed I’d never know.
“So when I say that Javier got exactly what he deserved, and that no one will ever have to worry about dealing with that sniveling little pus bucket again, you gonna understand what that means?”
The amount of relief I felt was immeasurable, and I extended my hand in gratitude.
Enzo stared at it for a moment before placing his hand in mine and giving a shake.
“Those girls may be a while,” I pointed out. “What do you say you and I go next door and get a drink. I have a bottle of whiskey with our names on it, if you’re interested.”
“You got any tequila?” he asked, and I barely managed to hide my cringe.
“I’ll see what I can find.”
We had barely stood from the couch when the door burst open again, Violet storming inside like a small, blonde tornado.
“Ricki!” she bellowed, and everyone froze. “Oh my God, Ricki!”
“Vi?” Ricki said, her machine paused over Frankie’s back as we all stared at the stricken look on Violet’s face. “What’s the matter?”
“Everything!” she cried dramatically. “He’s just the worst, Ricki. Honestly, I can’t stand him!”
“Your neighbor?” Ricki clarified. When Violet nodded, Ricki shook her head. “Well, duh. You’ve hated him since the day you moved in there.I’vehated him since he said we couldn’t keep our goat there. What happened now?”
Taking a deep breath, Violet appeared to steady herself before she blurted out, “I slept with him.”
The End
