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“Oh, she comes with claws. I like you. You’ll be a pleasant addition to this family,” Chiara says.
I sigh. “Sorry, I don’t know what got into me.”
“A man. We’ve all been through it. They poison our goodness.”
At Chiara’s answer, we laugh.
Alessandra points at my ears, “The earrings look incredible.”
“You can tell your husband you want them for Christmas, but these are unique so...” Chiara winks at me.
“Really?” Alessandra responds.
“I’m a businesswoman.”
I smile at their dynamic. I don’t remember what it was like having friends. After each stint at the hospital and bout of therapy, my life was lonely. I am dragged back into the present when Aurora offers me the bottle of champagne. “You want some?”
I nod, wanting to chase away these depressing thoughts.
She pours me a glass. I take a sip and moan. “This is so good.”
“Cato knows the good stuff.”
“You plundered our bar again?” Chiara pretends to be indignant. They giggle. A smile remains on my face the entire time they interact until their phones ring and the good mood vanishes. Aurora and Alessandra rush upstairs without saying goodbye. Chiara balls her hands at her sides and downs a second glass of champagne.
“What happened?”
“Our men’s business happened.”
At the door, she says over her shoulder, “It will get loud, just a heads up.”
I close my laptop and put it in my backpack. I stop at the foot of the stairs when Chiara yells at Cato, “No, you’re not going anywhere!”
“Nothing will happen. You’ll never get rid of me.”
I lean against the wall. Even if I don’t see them, I sense her fear and the determination in his voice.
“Send your men to do the dirty work. Please.”
“Did you forget who you married?”
Having heard enough, I panic. Tiptoeing upstairs, I stop again. Cato has Chiara backed into a wall. He crashes his mouth on hers in wild passion. I force my eyes to shut to give them privacy, but I need to pass them.
I fake a cough, and Cato snaps his head toward me. It’s incredible how quickly his eyes went from scanning for a threat to relaxing.
“I’m sorry, see you soon?” Chiara says to me from his embrace.
I nod and wave goodbye. The entire way home, I have so many questions running through my head and not enough questions. Why would anyone accept this insecurity, this lifestyle? Inside the house, Marie welcomes me. “Everything all right?”
I shrug, numbly. This day turned from great to stressful. What happened? I need to know. The uncertainty makes me panic, and I brace against the wall, breathing through my rising anxiety.
Cameron’s right in front of me, cupping my face.
“Look at me. What happened? Who the fuck do I need to kill?”
That’s it, isn’t it? Killing. There’s a difference between doing it online in a game and in real life.
“How many did you kill?” I whisper.
