Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Another slam before he yanked Ramous away and jammed him onto his feet. He spun him around like he was a doll, grabbed him by the shoulders, and thrust him my way.
“You say you’re sorry,” Austin commanded.
“Su-su.” Ramous’s jaw was slack, his hands up in front of his chest as if he were trying to ward away monsters.
“Say you’re sorry.” Austin shook him.
“So-sorry,” Ramous wailed. “Sorry. Sorry! Sorry!”
Austin flung him aside, letting go. Ramous staggered and then fell to his knees, pitching forward and bracing his hands against the ground.
“Sorry,” he said again, shaking. “Sorry.”
“He doesn’t mean it. He’s just scared,” Aurora said, anger hot in her voice.
“Are you okay?” Austin clasped both of my shoulders, looking into my eyes.
“Yes, I’m fine. This time I’m fine, yes. He’s been sexually harassing me for years, though. He’s disgusting.”
I turned to speak to the people in the front room. We’d just granted ourselves a disinvite from this party, I was sure of it. These people were the worst, but they were not physically violent. They’d call the cops if we didn’t remove ourselves posthaste.
But I had three things I needed to do before I closed the door on this part of my life.
“That man”—I pointed down at him, to where he’d rolled up into a ball with Broken Sue standing over him aggressively—“has been touching and groping the women in these parties for years. Every one of you knows it. Austin is the only one who has ever stood up for any of us. The only one in…years. What is wrong with you people that you’d allow someone like this in here? There are no little girls at this party, but they’re at other parties he attends. And yet you keep inviting this predator calling himself Uncle Ramous? Have you no shame? Have you no desire to do what is right and protect each other?”
Everyone looked at me, but silence met my words. Mimi stood off to the side, watching the scene, and Patty nodded mid-conversation with whomever she was talking to.
“Do better,” I told them. “You won’t have Austin at those other parties to put Uncle Ramous in his place.”
I turned and placed a hand on Austin’s chest, sliding it up to cup his neck and pull him down to meet my lips.
“Thank you,” I murmured. “Thank you for being there. In the past, I never had anyone to protect me. The contrast between then and now makes me appreciate you so much more.”
His arms came around me. “I love you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
He was clearly responding to my blech reactions through the bond. Maybe my anger.
“Yes. We’ll be wrapping all this up shortly and heading home. First, though…”
Time for the second item on the to-do list.
Matt stood with two other guys, Ben and Lucas, his closest friends since college. His face was scrunched into a wary scowl, and his friends looked nervous about the way Austin had physically handled that situation.
“A word?” I said to Matt.
His eyes narrowed just a bit, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You come into my mother’s home and cause havoc with your Mafia boyfriend and expect to address me in private?” His huff of derision was ruined by his audible swallow. His friends’ snickers rang false. “That was the sort of lowlife display I’ve always expected from you, Jacinta. I guess you’ve proven, once and for all, what you really are.”
“And you’ve proven you’re just as much of a coward today as you were the day we met, when a guy dumped soda on your jacket and I had to stand up to him for you. No surprise there, huh? What I was going to say is this—you and all your people are shallow, narcissistic nobodies with more money than sense. Your style is gauche, your suits fit poorly, and these parties are severely lacking in quality. What wine are you even pouring here? For a family that prides itself on wealth, you certainly look like a dying empire.” I paused for a moment. This speech was intended to hit them where it hurt the most. “My dealings with you and your family are mostly finished. Mostly because auditors will be looking into the court-ordered funds you should be paying Jimmy. I’ll also be providing him with funds so that he isn’t dependent on you. Other than that, have a nice life. I hope you reap what you sow.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond, feeling a sense of relief as I walked away. He didn’t shout after me. That wasn’t his style. He’d try to find some other way to get back at me, and hopefully by then I’d be a phone call away.
I wouldn’t be answering those calls.
Last order of business.
“Just what do you think—”
I ignored Lottie, veering by her to the family room where Camila was straightening up Jimmy’s things. Given she wasn’t socializing with any of the other guests or standing with Matt, I felt better about what I was about to do. Namely, reach back and try to help someone else out of this hellhole.