What the hell? What was Gladys talking about?
“You’re the reason Reuben broke up with me, you know.”
Um, what? When had Reuben ever been with her? Juliet was careful not to look over at the cubicle where Kiesha was. She didn’t want to clue Gladys in, just in case she didn’t know they weren’t alone.
“We were going places. He loved me. And then he got a phone call and had to go rushing off to save you. Poor little Juliet was all broken and needed her brother to fix her. We were supposed to go to college together. But he broke up with me because he needed time for you.”
Was that true? Reuben never said anything. They must have started dating during senior year when Reuben moved to Wishingbone while his mother dated some rich party boy and was overseas a lot.
“It was always about Juliet. It was your fault that he left me. It was your fault I didn’t get that promotion at work.”
Now she was delusional because Juliet had nothing to do with that.
“He knew you didn’t like me. He made sure I didn’t get that promotion. You and I have never gotten along, but you didn’t have to get Darin and I fired!”
Wait. She’d been fired? And Darin too?
Uh-oh. She could guess who had done that.
“I know it was you. Can’t you take some criticism? Apparently not. Jesus, you can’t even just die quickly, can you?”
Wait. What?
“That’s right. I tampered with your food at the diner. I’m working there now. Washing dishes. I saw you enter, and I knew about your allergy. I’d been watching you when I could, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get revenge. So I chopped up some shrimp into tiny pieces and put it in your sandwich. But you just wouldn’t die!”
“Kiesha!” she cried in her broken voice. But it was enough. The door to the toilet opened and Kiesha came out with a yell. She had a stun gun in her hand, which she pressed to Gladys’ arm, then she shocked her. The other woman collapsed onto the floor with a pained cry and Kiesha stood there, staring down at her. Then she grinned wildly.
“Oh my God! I’m a total badass!”
The door suddenly opened, and a huge man stepped inside. Bigger than Brick, he had an olive complexion and short, black hair.
He turned his gaze to her. His eyes were dark. Cold. Emotionless.
Oh, shit.
“Hey, who are you?” Kiesha demanded.
Juliet moved closer to Kiesha, prepared to step in front of the other woman and defend her. Because she had a bad idea that she knew who this guy was.
“Hey, Goliath.” Kiesha waved her hand in front of his face. Bad idea. “You’re in the wrong bathroom, Big Foot. See? No pee boxes.”
Okay, under other circumstances, she might have laughed at that. But this was not the time to laugh.
“Who are you?” she managed to ask.
Kiesha shot her a look, tensing. No doubt she could see the stark fear on Juliet’s face.
“I was hired to send a message. To your brother. He thinks he’s clever, but he should always remember there’s someone smarter, stronger, and more deadly.”
The guy started reaching under his jacket.
“Shit! Wait! I have a taser in here,” Kiesha cried, reaching into her handbag. “Just wait. Don’t worry, bestie, Kiesha is here!”
This guy wasn’t going to wait. Fear flooded her as he drew out a gun, right as Kiesha pulled out a pink, bedazzled taser.
Too late. She was going to be too late.
Then the door slammed open, hitting the guy in the back and knocking him forward. Kiesha pressed the trigger on the taser, and the prongs latched onto his chest.