Page 37 of Vicious Sentiments

* * *

There were several different sets of young girls gliding across the stage. Most had sad music, and while I don’t know a thing about ballet, there were apparently a few mess ups which were only brought to my attention by a gasp here and there from over obsessed mothers.

I was a little disappointed in Julian, who didn’t once look up from his phone and was more than surprised by Cape’s rapt attention. He even sat forward and smiled—a genuine smile—when Marney’s set took place.

I knew right off which girl was the one that Marney thought of as her sworn enemy. The girl had a turned up nose and very well did command much of the stage, but it was Marney who really shone. She was elegant and lithe and even though she stuck to her area, it was clear she was more talented than the other girl.

When her set was finished and soft claps filled the room, Cape stood—the only one in the room—and clapped more forcefully than anyone else. I noticed Marney break restraint and beam at him right before the curtains closed.

Julian is still sitting, hammering at his phone when the rest of us stand.

“Bro…” Cape says, reaching around me and waving a hand at him, signaling that he’s holding up the line by not getting up.

Julian looks up, blinks a few times and then stands, shoving the phone in his pocket. He looks like he wants to say something to Cape and then thinks better of it. He grabs my hand and yanks me past Dillon towards Margo.

“We have a problem,” he says to her after she’s done chatting with another woman in the aisle.

“Don’t we always?” She forces a smile at another woman who passes by.

“I’m serious.”

“Well whatever it is, it will have to wait till we get home.”

Julian’s jaw flexes as Cape pushes past him.

“Meet back at the house,” Julian says to his brother’s back as Cape stalks away, gaining disdainful looks from people.

“Not my problem,” he hollers back without turning around.

I feel Julian’s body tense and his hand go rigid in mine.

Chapter Twenty-Four

We make it back to the house first and Julian gets right on the phone.

“Break it down again,” he says to whoever is on the other line. No hello and no small talk.

My own body has become rigid with tension from the drive back, mirroring Julian as if I have any idea what’s going on. I hover at the island while Julian paces around it. Nothing he says gives me any clues.

“You know what that means. Don’t make me spell it out.”

“If that was the case then he wouldn’t be.”

“That’s what Denny is for.”

“Keep him for now.”

“No. Alive.”

The front door finally sounds, echoing through the house and Julian slams the phone down on the counter. I jump, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

Margo is laughing as she rounds the corner with Dillon in toe, his arm hooked through hers.

“Did you not hear the part about a problem?” Julian says. “You guys took your sweet time.”

Margo waves a hand through the air, untangling herself from Dillon. “I wasn’t the one driving and we dropped Marney off at a friends.”

“Took the scenic route,” Dillon says, leaning against the archway, arms crossed over his chest.

---