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“Maureen, let’s go.” I started up out of my chair when Billy dug his fingers into my shoulder and forced me back down.
He hovered over me, snarling. “I haven’t forgotten about the little stunt you pulled the other day. You almost broke my jaw, bitch.”
Maureen hissed. “You attacked her first.”
I glared up at him. “Take your hands off me or I will break your jaw for real this time.”
A few people in the café started to peer out the window at us.
Chad gave him a nod. “Let’s get out of here. Too many eyes on us.”
Billy flashed a toothy grin through the café window and stepped away from me. “Yeah, don’t want anyone thinking we’re friends with these bitches.”
I wanted to scream and cry but I wouldn’t let him see me do either.
“Fuck off, Billy,” Maureen spat.
He kept his malicious gaze on me. “This isn’t over, Bailey. I will make you pay for punching me.”
I swallowed hard and didn’t break eye contact as he backed away. I wouldn’t show him how terrified I really was. I was angrier than I was scared, anyway.
Maureen was fuming just the same. She drank the rest of her latte in quick jittery sips. “This harassment has got to stop, Bales.”
I covered my hand with hers, forcing her to stop tapping. “Why didn’t you tell me what he did to you last year?”
She shook her head and looked away. “Because I felt like an idiot. I got so wasted, I didn’t even know what I was doing. I haven’t been to another one of his parties since.”
“Oh, Maur. You’re not an idiot. He took advantage of you. You have every right to get drunk and still be safe. You should report him before he does it to someone else.” My heart broke for her. And I felt like a horrible friend for not noticing that she was not herself lately.
“What I should have done was bite his dick off.” She folded her arms to her chest. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I just want to forget about it.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’m here to listen if you ever want to talk about it. And I’ll go with you to the station if you change your mind.”
She shuddered and then flashed me a smile. “Okay enough depressing stuff. Let’s talk about our girls’ night. I’ll make a list of what we need.”
Maureen was always good at flipping a switch. She could turn off emotions she didn’t want to feel quicker than I could take another sip of my coffee. We spent the next hour planning the menu and drinks list for our girls’ night over another round of pumpkin spice lattes.
I wished I could compartmentalize the way she did. As much as I tried to exude a light and easy vibe, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that Billy had planted. He was getting more aggressive with each run-in. I really didn’t want to tell the guys, but Billy’s threats were scaring me.
But if they found out, they would want to lock me away in Wickford Mansion forever to protect me. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea, though. This town had caused me nothing but grief.
On my way back home, I took the long route so I could drive past the mortuary. It was boarded up and the weeds were overgrown but it was still mine. Since I never reopened it, the locals had to drive to the next town over, Ever Graves, for their funeral needs. I just wasn’t ready to deal with it. I doubt they’d come to mine anyway even if it were open for business.
I idled out front for a moment, basking in that feeling I could never fully grasp. It was an emptiness. An ache that hadn’t gone away since the fire. Sometimes I wondered if reopening Bishop Mortuary would help. It might make me feel closer to my parents in some way.
My breath hitched as a shadow flickered in the front window. Probably just the reflection of my headlights playing tricks on me.
I shuddered and threw my car back in drive. Fuck. Living with four ghosts was making me see things everywhere. I glanced back before pulling away and the shadow flickered again.
Yup, definitely something in there. Of course, I would own a haunted mortuary. Fuck me.
Grim
“Where is that fucking bastard?” The back of my shirt was drenched with sweat as I raced around the house. I knew he was the reason Bailey had been acting differently. And after Poe filled me in on his run-in with her earlier, I figured Raine was fucking with her hard.
I took the stairs two at a time, heading all the way up to the third floor. “There can only be one psycho in this house and that motherfucker is me,” I called out. “Come out and face me, fucker.”
Saint caught up to me just as I barreled through the first bedroom door. “What the hell are you doing, man?”
