Page 83 of Vicious Sentiments

“That’s not how things are done, sir,” Donna calls to him from beside me.

The man gives her a quick, shameful glance but then snaps his phone shut before scuttling away from Cape with his new fortune and climbing back in his damaged car.

“I don’t get paid enough for this.” Donna jerks past me and starts walking back towards the DMV.

Cape turns back around and tilts his head at the McLaren, eyeing the fender on the ground but instead of looking disappointed, he looks amused. My god, I have a feeling I’m not going to live this down.

He steps up to the hood and bends over, picking up the ruined piece of metal and ripping it off all the way. He chucks it into the gutter and smiles at me mischievously.

“Wanna drive home?”

Chapter Forty-Four

The second we pull in the driveway, and Julian’s house sparkles before me, I’m back to worrying. I don’t even care if Julian gets mad at me for ruining his car, as long as he comes home. Even though I don’t think for one second Julian would be upset with me. If anything, I expected Cape to be angry, but he handled everything for me. He even stopped to get lunch, forcing a jumbo sized frosty at me and ordering me one of everything on the menu when I told him I wasn’t hungry. So not only is Julian’s car missing a fender but it reeks of grease and burgers.

Cape didn’t seem to worry about it though as he shoved in fries, dropping them between the seats as he did so. He gave me a sheepish grin and said,been a while since I can eat and drive at the same time.I laughed and then devoured a twenty piece of chicken, feeling a little lighter because of his joke.

But now the food feels heavy in my stomach as we come in the front door of Margo’s. Dread twists my insides when I see Dillon waiting in the kitchen as Cape puts the rest of the food in the fridge.

“You need to listen to Margo,” Dillon says to Cape when he closes the fridge.

“I don’t have to do shit,” Cape responds calmly and turns his back on him.

“She’s upstairs packing a bag. She thinks she’s going to go downthere and do something.”

Cape stills and throws his head back, eyes closed to the heavens.

Dillon continues, “She’s not thirty anymore, bro. She can’t walk into that shit guns blazing.”

I want to dwell on picturing Margo at a younger age, laden with guns and every bit as much of a badass that I assume she was, but all I can picture is Julian, dead and in pieces like Madison.

“I’ll tell her to stop.” Cape opens his eyes and sighs.

“She’s not going to listen to you. You need to go fix whatevers happening.”

Dillon isn’t being rude. His face is resigned, serious, as if he really doesn’t want Margo going, but that doesn’t stop Cape from whipping around like a snake and getting in his face.

“I said, I’ll tell her to stop,” he barks. “I’ll handle it.”

I’m surprised when Dillon doesn’t waver. “The only way to handle it is to go find out what’s happening. If Julians dead then at least she can—”

“He’s not fucking dead!” Cape pushes him, and Dillon stumbles back. “Why the fuck would you say that?”

“Because it’s a real possibility.” Dillon rubs at his shoulder but doesn’t retaliate.

“Are you out of your mind?” Cape yells. “The only one that’s going to be dead is you if you don’t—”

“You think he’s dead?” my voice is barely audible, but they both turn to look at me. I’m clutching my stomach and I’m pretty sure I’m not breathing.

“Does Margo think he’s dead? Do you think he’s dead?” I look to Cape but I can’t read him.

Oh, god. No. No. No. My mouth starts to water and I feel dizzy. I try to grip the cold counter for support but it does nothing to quell the gut wrenching pain.

“He’s not dead,” Cape finally says, and I’m aware he’s coming to me but I back up and put my hands out.

“He’s fine. Dillon’s an idiot. Don’t—”

But before he can finish, my body automatically bends at the waist and I throw up all over the floor.

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