Page 32 of Till Death Do Us Part

“You want to try it?”

“Please, stop,” I said, and they both looked at me for a few seconds before Petra laughed. Vera did, too, holding a hand up for Petra, and she clasped it and dropped down onto the floor, clapping Vera on the shoulder.

“Can’t kill you with such a delicate little thing watching,” she said. “I’ll do it another time.”

“You’re welcome to try. No issue with Caitlyn and the cat?”

“Not with the delivery, no,” Petra said, folding her arms. “But some issues with Caitlyn asking questions. Lucky I’m a master of changing the subject. I’ve told her every fact I know about rainforests, but she’s starting to get upset that I won’t answer her.”

Vera glanced at me. “Well, Elaine?” she said. “She’s your sister. What exactly did you have in mind for this?”

“I…” I swallowed. “We have to tell her. We can trust her. I don’t want to leave her out of the loop.”

Vera and Petra exchanged looks. At length, Petra narrowed her eyes a little, and Vera avoided her gaze.

“No earlier than tomorrow,” Petra said. “I hear you two have a wedding in the morning.”

Even while it wasn’t real, it felt realer when Vera’s friend talked about it. I frowned. “We can’t just pretend to Caitlyn like this is all normal and a perfectly real wedding.”

“Ah, let her be happy for her sister and her badass new wife,” Petra said, clapping a hand on Vera’s shoulder. “But if you want her to know, we’ll tell her everything. But only tomorrow. Jenna’s coming around to check everyone’s condition, Caitlyn’s included.”

I wondered how often Mom had been… hitting her. What else had happened.

My heart broke into pieces every time I thought about it, and I boiled in anger at the same time.

No matter how much I gave Mom, it was never going to be enough. No matter what Caitlyn did, it was never going to be enough.

Vera could see the feelings in my face, because she put a hand on my back. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get inside and take a look around. I imagine you could use a shower and some rest. And then…” She smiled. “Then we’re getting some goddamn pizza.”

Chapter 14

vera

Elaine was delighted in the house as I showed her through it all, from the living room with the built-in entertainment center to the massive indoor/outdoor kitchen, and of course, the primary bedroom with a huge attached bedroom. She gushed about how it felt like something out of a movie, and I guess part of me felt bad, because I left her to take a shower, and then I was brooding sitting in the window nook up in the second-floor library when Petra found me.

She didn’t even say anything, just leaned against the side of the window nook, looking out the glass with me. Distant storm clouds were rolling in now, and I could smell rain in the air even before it was starting to come down.

“You’re starting to fall for her,” Petra said.

“I know the mission,” I said. “She’s just attractive.”

“Fucking bull. I know you too well to let you get away with that crap.”

I shook my head. “You’ve never had to kill somebody. It’s… not something I can really describe.”

“It’s hard. I know that.”

“It’s impossible. But at the same time, it’s easy. I don’t think I’ve really killed anyone. Maybe… maybe my father. Or maybe the first time. But in general, it’s not really me who does it.” I put a hand to my chest. “There’s something… in here. Something else. Someone else. And when it’s time to kill somebody, that person comes out. I might have feelings for Elaine. But that… that person, that thing inside of me… it doesn’t.” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “It’s never felt anything for anybody. Just cold, hard reality. Just looking at a person and figuring out every possible way to kill them.”

She put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “It’s for the family. We have to do this.”

“I know. I can’t betray my family.”

“If we even thought about changing course, Glenn…”

“I know. I don’t fancy my odds if he sends Quayle after me.”

She sighed, checking her phone. “Pizza’s here in five,” she said, stepping away. “See you downstairs. Don’t fuck this up, Wolf.”