Page 16 of Vicious King

At around five thirty, the old neighbor woman who usually takes care of the boy after school comes walking over and lets herself inside. Rina smiles, and the boy waves at the woman, and I have a bad fucking feeling.

Thirty minutes later, a Mercedes G-Wagon pulls into the driveway, and I immediately take a photo of the plate and send it to Julian.

Me: Run these. Need all the intel you can get.

J: On it.

A man steps out of the vehicle. He’s average height and build, I’d say about five foot ten, one seventy, with brown hair. He reaches into the car and pulls out a bouquet of red roses.

I’m going to pull his intestines out of his ass and strangle him with them.

My hands fist at my sides as he walks up to the door, and when he rings the bell, Rina steps out onto the porch. She makes it clear that he’s not welcome inside, and she definitely doesn’t introduce him to our son.

Good choice, Sunshine.

She smiles and accepts the flowers, sniffs them, and sets them on the chair on the porch.

This asshole puts his hand on the small of her back, touching what’s mine, as he escorts her to his ride, and I’m already headed out to my own vehicle so I can follow them.

My wife isn’t going on a date without me.

Four

RINA

This was a giant mistake. Huge. I want to go home. Mildred talked me into not canceling, and now I wish I hadn’t asked for her opinion because I shouldn’t have come.

But we’re at a seafood restaurant—I hate seafood—and I just ordered a grilled chicken salad, so I’m in this for the next hour, give or take.

“How long have you been in nursing?” Alex asks me.

“Since college.” I shrug and take a sip of my ice water.

“You’re good at it.”

I offer him a genuine smile at that because I love my job. “Thanks. I enjoy it. I didn’t want to be anything else.”

Alex pops a shrimp in his mouth, and it makes me want to gag. If he thinks I’ll kiss him later, he has another thing coming. I mean, I wouldn’t have anyway, but now it’s absolutely off the table.

“May I ask personal questions, Rina?”

I lift an eyebrow. “Sure, as long as it works both ways.”

“Of course it does. I’m an open book.” He smiles and sips his iced tea. “Where’s your son’s dad? Does he ever see Charlie?”

I blink at him and sit back in my seat. “Just jumping in with the extra personal questions.”

“If you’d rather not answer, I get it.” He shakes his head and holds up his hands, but I press my lips together and decide that I can be honest.

“He passed away,” I reply softly, and Alex’s eyes go round. “About a month into our marriage. I’d just found out I was pregnant and didn’t even get to tell him.”

“Fuck.” It’s whispered, and then he shakes his head. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Rina. That was a callous question, and⁠—”

“It’s fine. Most people assume that he must be a deadbeat dad, since he never comes around. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. He would have been an awesome father.”

I glance to my right, skimming the room because I have that feeling again, that I’m being watched, and notice a blond head a couple of tables over, and goose bumps erupt over my skin.

I’ve felt like I’m being watched for a while now, and there have been several times that I would have sworn I saw Carson. Hell, earlier today when I got home from work, I would have bet a year’s salary that I smelled him in my bedroom.