AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Until then, pizza it is.
22
ARGOSS
“You’ve reached the voicemail of Felicity Nguyan. Please text me or leave a message after the beep.” I’ve heard that outgoing message so often that the mention of her maiden name now makes my eye twitch. Had she simply forgotten to change it, or did she not care enough to switch to her married name?
“Okay, Felicity, I’m getting sick of this immature little game. Just call me,” I growl. It’s probably the tenth message I’ve left, but she hasn’t returned any one of them.
There’s an odd, empty feeling in my chest when I think about it, like I have been hollowed out and filled with ice-cold water. I hate that sensation and wish it would stop.
Doesn’t she know that I need her?
For the residency, of course. Nothing more than that.
I slam my phone on the table. Last night, I put in a request with the bank for me to receive a notification every time she uses her credit or debit card, but aside from one ATM withdrawal yesterday, she hasn’t spent any money.
Felicity is smart. The withdrawal was a couple of thousand, so she’s probably planning to pay in cash for the next couple ofdays. I don’t have much else that I can use to track her until she turns on her phone, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely without resources.
I pick up my phone and text Greiko.Felicity and Lucy are gone. Need you to find them.
With a swig of whiskey, I press send. The three dots appear, disappear, and then appear again. Finally, Greiko replies.I’ll be right over.
It takes him twenty agonizingly long minutes to knock on the door. I open it and step aside to let him in.
“Took you long enough,” I grumble as I lead him into the kitchen. I pour myself another stiff drink and offer the bottle to him.
Sitting on one of our barstools, he takes the bottle and pours himself some, throwing it back before setting the empty glass on the counter with a soft clink. “What happened?” he asks.
“Your fucking wife happened. She left a note on Felicity’s car telling her that I was lying to her, and Felicity found my forged papers. We fought, she took Lucy, and she hasn’t answered any of my calls.”
I knock the drink back. It’s a good thing that demon metabolisms are so much faster than humans. Otherwise, best case scenario, I’d be under the table right now. Worst case, I’d be dead of alcohol poisoning.
I point an accusatory finger at Greiko. “It’s your wife who messed this up for me, so now it’s your job to help clean it up.”
“No.”
I whip my head up to stare at him. “What was that?”
His gaze is firm when he glares up at me from his stool, and the muscles in his jaw tense. “I said no.”
“Did Cyella get to you already?” I demand.
Greiko shakes his head. “You really think I’m an idiot, don’t you? I’ve seen the way you treat me, and I’ve tolerated it becauseI thought that was the best I could hope for. You may hate her, but Cyella knows my worth and treats me better than you ever will.”
“So, this is some kind of petty revenge because you don’t feel appreciated enough?” I ask, clenching my fists. “Of all the childish, immature, whiny –”
“It’s not petty revenge,” Greiko cuts in, getting to his feet. His fists are clenched. “I’m not helping because you don’t deserve my help. More than that, you don’t deserve Felicity and Lucy.”
“What are you talking about?” I retort. “Of course, I deserve them!”
Greiko looms over me, and suddenly, I’m reminded just how massive the Swampster is. “Argoss, that’s just it. You take and you take and you never think about what you should offer. You throw money at Felicity and think that’s enough to boss her around and leave her in the dark. Because what you need is always more important than what anyone else needs, right? Like if you need a marriage, you’ll just trick her into one. Buy her off. Doesn’t matter what she wants, right?”
“I did plenty for her!” I growl.
“I was hoping you changed when you were so eager to marry that girl and adopt that child. For a second, I thought you really got it. You understood what it meant to care about something, anything, more than you cared about yourself. She’s such a sweet girl, and I really hoped she could help you see the light and be a better person. But you’re the same asshole as always.”
“Asshole?” I fume. “We’ve been friends for four years, haven’t we? Have I forced you to stick around? Am I beinginconsiderateof your feelings, too?”
