AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I think you’ve seen too manyPiratesmovies. You cannot parlay with her. You are not Jack Sparrow. You’re not going to walk into the room with a crazy person and walk out ahead,” Essos says through clenched teeth.
“I do not think I’m Jack Sparrow. I think that it’s one route we haven’t tried, because honestly, we haven’t tried anything other than sitting on our asses. You told me to sit back while the menfolk handled things, and it’s gotten us nowhere.”
“And you’re just going to let her do this?” Xavier scoffs, addressing my husband and not me. “After putting her on lockdown? After all your talk last night of how you should have trusted your instincts to keep her in the house after the whole zombie thing?”
Essos snorts at his brother. “You’re funny if you think Iletmy wife do anything. I was reacting emotionally last night, and I was wrong.”
“So, she’s got you by the balls.Again.”
The room gets darker, shadows crowding in around us. I sit up in my chair and put a hand on Essos’s arm. The room is suffocating as the darkness creeps closer.
“It’s fine,” I murmur to him, and the shadows start to recede.
“You’re a dick,” Essos snaps. “Maybe this is why your wife became a murderous sociopath—because you don’t know how to be a good partner. I let my fear rule me, and it almost lost me my place in my wife’s bed. I’m not going to make that mistake again.”
By the time Essos is done speaking, the shadows have completely receded, and the bright sun is shining into the room again.
“Does this posturing have anything to do with your indiscretions?” Xavier sneers. He’s on a roll for pushing my every last button.
“And what does it matter if it does?” I snap. “You would know plenty about having a wife deal with indiscretions. You wonder why I want you to stay away from Cat?That’swhy. You’re incapable of keeping your dick in your pants. The last thing I want is for her to be saddled with you for the rest of her life while you make her miserable by fucking anyone and anything that looks at you!”
Now Essos is holding me back. During my tirade I actually jumped to my feet to yell, but I can’t find it in me to feel bad for hitting below the belt with Xavier. His shitty attitude is wiping out every good thought I’ve had about him over the past few days.
Xavier clenches his teeth, eyes narrowed on both of us. “Tell me again why you’re here and what you want from me.”
“We’re going out, publicly, to see the people. Talk to them, hear their grievances,” I explain. “I want to inspire hope.”
“What does that have to do with my ex-wife?”
“I’m sure if pretty princess Posey sees us out and about, she’s going to want to come out and grandstand.” I can’t keep the contempt from my voice.
“Why are you eager for a confrontation?” Xavier moseys over to the bar cart and pours himself a drink, offering one to Essos as well. Never mind the fact that it’s not even noon.
“Because she shouldn’t have bested me the first time. Because she cheated, and she can’t cheat if there are other people around.” I cross my arms, and Xavier laughs at me. My cheeks warm at his response. “Because when she came to Finn and me on the streets in the mortal realm, she seemed more off than before, and I want to know why.”
“Oh, you sweet spring child. She willalwayscheat. It’s what she does. She doesn’t fight fair. She hid herentireexistence from the God and Goddess Supreme! She murdered my father in cold blood. What about that screamsfair? I don’t doubt she’ll use the same tricks on you.”
“Your problem, Xavier, is that all your wife has ever wanted is to be loved—by you, and by the people. She’s not going to kill me when her smear campaign against us is going so well. I’m the Traitor Queen. I’m the Bitch Queen. I’m the Murderous Queen. And let’s not forget the names that they’re calling Essos.”
“The Pussy-Whipped King is my personal favorite,” Essos adds with a dry laugh. “Hard to fight the truth.” He winks at me.
My eyes roll so far into the back of my head that they might get stuck there. Gods, I love this man.
Xavier takes a moment to study the united front we present. I might be frustrated or even angry with my husband, but when it comes to most things, we work together. When we work in tandem, we can accomplish anything and everything.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance,” I confirm.
Xavier sighs heavily, and his casual grey sweatpants and T-shirt change to match the suit that Essos is wearing, one brother in black and the other in light grey. If a white suit didn’t give me flashbacks to prom, I would say Essos should be in one. He always was the better brother.
Xavier gestures at the door, and we depart, looking for a fight.
CHAPTER12
Idon’t know what I expected when I stepped out of our building, but this wasn’t it. Hardly anyone is outside. Our favorite bistro across the street is closed. Even our lobby didn’t have anyone behind the counter.
It’s an early morning on a weekend, and usually there would be a small street fair where people would be hawking their goods, including one of my favorites, a booth that made moth necklaces with gemstones. Occasionally, when small children would come and poke their noses over the table to peer at the jewelry, the artist would make the moths come to life.
