I stood and faced the man who was doing a really, really good job at p.i.s.sing me off. "You want to know the truth of why I didn't talk to her? Because your sister's a f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h. In fact, all of them are b.i.t.c.hes to me. They're so f.u.c.king selfish. All they care about is keeping you to themselves. They don't care if you're happy. That's your job, after all. To make them happy. Don't you ever wonder why I'm never around when you're sisters are?"

He blinked, surprised at my vehemence. "You don't like my sisters?"

I laughed in amus.e.m.e.nt at how truly cuckolded he was when it came to his sisters. "Do me a favor. Next time you see them, bring up my name. In fact, I know you're supposed to do lunch with them tomorrow. How about you call me when you're done, and we'll pick this up again there."

I didn't spare him another glance, annoyed that he wouldn't even ask me what had happened.

I probably wouldn't have told him if I'd been a little less sleep deprived.

No one told him what to do when it came to his sisters.

They had their big brother so wrapped around their fingers that it was comical.

The man did absolutely anything and everything he could when it came to them. So much so that it was well and truly hard to get in there.

Somehow, though, I'd managed it this time around, and I could tell just by the expression on his face as I left that he'd be thinking about what I'd said.

Which was good, because I wasn't coming fourth to him any longer. I deserved first.

Chapter 14.

It's throat punch Thursday, and I'm offering free tickets.

-Cleo to his boss Cleo "You've got to be kidding," I said incredulously. "You're telling me, that if I don't get my girlfriend not to testify against the case that's in less than a month, that I'm going to be let go? Is that what I'm hearing?"

Did he know how illegal that was?

Seriously, was I hearing what he was saying correctly?

The man standing in front of me, the same man that I'd once had the upmost respect for, nodded. "Yes."

I walked forward until I was standing in front of him, nearly nose to nose. "f.u.c.k. You."

He blinked at me, surprised. "What?"

The funny thing was, was that he actually looked surprised that I hadn't taken him up on his offer.

"You heard me," I confirmed.

"But...but if you don't tell her not to testify, we'll lose everything anyway, and you'll lose your job," he stuttered.

I smiled at him. "Yeah? Well who says I want this job anyway? Do you know that I had at least eight other offers when I started this job?"

He swallowed thickly. "No."

"Well, I did. In fact, the hospital in Longview also offered me one. It'd be a little bit of a drive to go to Longview and back every day, but I could do it. That's not too far away. I think I'll go talk to them. Maybe we can start things rolling," I snapped.

I walked away from the man and my job.

f.u.c.k him.

He could take that job and shove it up his a.s.s.

I'd made it nearly all the way out to my bike when a thought struck me, causing me to turn and walk back inside and to the man's office.

He was on the phone. "No, I can't get him to. He just quit rather than ask her not to testify. I've done everything you've asked me to do."

Alonzo Potts, the man who'd just fired me, looked scared.

So scared, in fact, that he was almost ashen.

"He did exactly like you told him to do. In fact, he has a broken arm for it now," he pleaded.

The man must've said something horrible, because the look on the Alonzo's face when he hung up the phone spoke of anything but happiness. He looked downright terrified.

I left the same way I came, my mind whirling.

The same thought kept going through my head, over and over again.

What had she gotten herself into?

Cleo I was late for my lunch with my sisters.

However, I'd needed to inform Silas about what I'd learned and get his opinion on things.

He'd set to work on finding out what he could on his end, and he'd had an interesting possibility for my job as well.

I drove to The Blind Tiger with my mind on Rue.

Then what she'd said yesterday about how my sisters were selfish popped through my mind.

They'd really only met a handful of times. Surely she was just overreacting.

As I pulled into the parking lot and parked next to my sister, Meredith's, car, I made a note of the tires.

They'd need to be replaced.

I'd do that this week since I didn't have anything else to do seeing as I'd just quit my job less than two hours ago.

I walked into the dark room and went straight to the bar where my sisters were already in full swing.

Each had a half empty gla.s.s of something blue sitting in front of them, and they were all carrying on about something.

None of them saw me though.

Which annoyed me to no end.

I was always telling them they needed to be more aware of their surroundings than they were.

"No, she called and as soon as she heard my voice she hung back up," Molly t.i.ttered.

I froze, stopping two tables down and listening.

"That's funny. A year ago she did that to me, too. She'd called looking for Mikhail, and I'd told her he was gone," Meredith said around her straw.

I'd always wondered about that.

I'd gotten two calls from Rue after I'd left her. If I'd gotten anymore, I'd probably have caved and gone back to her.

At the time, I thought it was weird that she hadn't tried just a little bit harder to get me to come back.

Really, that'd probably been what kept me from her the most. I hadn't felt like she tried hard enough to get me to come back.

Call me selfish, but I wanted someone to fight for me.

"She called me a few times too," Mikayla said. "He'd actually been gone those times, though."

I gritted my teeth.

"What the f.u.c.k gives y'all the right to think I don't deserve to hear my own G.o.dd.a.m.ned phone messages?" I snapped. "If anyone called for you, I'd have at least told you."

They all jumped at the tone of my voice, none of them looking in the least bit guilty.

"Sorry," they said.

They didn't sound sorry.

"What do y'all have against Rue?" I asked as I took the empty seat at their table.

"Nothing," they said quickly.

"Nothing? Then why does she think y'all hate her?" I asked suspiciously.

"Probably 'cause we do," Molly muttered.

I turned to her sharply. "Why do you?"

"We just don't think she's good enough for you," Meredith answered reluctantly.

"You know," I said. "I didn't tell any of you who to date. When you married," I looked at Mikayla. "I didn't say a word about your choice of husband, even though I wanted to. Who was I to say anything if he was what you wanted?"

Mikayla had the decency to look sheepish.

"And you," I said turning towards Meredith. "I didn't say a word to you when you started dating that low-life. And when he left you pregnant and alone, who took care of you instead of saying 'I told you so?' I think it's time y'all let me make my own decisions."

They didn't have anything to say about that.

"She's a part of my life. She's going to be mine, whether you, or her, like it or not. Time to stop acting so selfish and be happy for me," I snapped.

They didn't have anything to say about that, either.

"She's going to be the mother of your nieces and nephews. She's also going to be my wife and old lady. Try not to be so b.i.t.c.hy about everything and think about somebody other than yourselves," I said as I stood.

"Hey, what about lunch?" Molly whined.

I looked at them, each of them getting a look before I focused in on Molly. "It's time to pay for your own lunch from now on."

Cleo I found her at her Nonnie's place.

"But Nonnie, I don't understand why you're doing this. I'm not even pregnant," Rue said to her Nonnie as she held up four blankets and what looked to be baby socks.

"You are," Nonnie said.

"I'm not," Rue argued.

Surprisingly, it didn't bother me to think about Rue being pregnant.

Although it'd be helpful if she waited until we got married first.

I knocked on the door, interrupting the women. They both looked up, Nonnie smiling widely, and Rue glaring.