Page 58 of Midnight Wedding

I turn to find the bald manager. He looks from Sona to me, and his eyes go wide. Blood’s seeping down my arm and dripping to the floor.

“I’ll fucking kill you next time,” Sona yells as I shove past the man. I snap my mask back into place. I’m bleeding all over my shirt and pants as I hurry back through the kitchen.

This was an absolute massive fuck-up.

I got stabbed by my goddamn sixty-year-old aunt.

Fuck, I’m going to be hearing this one until the day I die. Which might be soon, considering how badly I’m bleeding.

“You got my tips yet?” the dish boy shouts as I pass him. I pause to toss a few dollars from my back pocket in his direction.

“When they come looking for me, tell them I went out the other way.”

He stares at the wad of cash. “You fucking for real?” His eyes go wide when he realizes how much is there. “Yeah, okay, sure, you crazy bastard. Hey, are you bleeding?”

I keep going. Maybe the kid lies and buys me some time and maybe he doesn’t. Either way, I need to hurry. Hotel security’s going to be looking for me in a couple of minutes.

Last thing I need is to get arrested by some cheap fucking rent-a-cops.

I grab a towel on my way back out and jam it against my wound. It pulses with each step and I’m gritting my teeth as I speed walk back through the hotel. God, this is mortifying. I’m tempted to go back and stomp on Aunt Sona’s fucking skull.

But getting caught and spending my life in jail would be counterproductive.

Tigran’s sitting in the lobby bar looking bored and drinking a beer when I approach.

“Time to go.”

He turns to me and lets out a sigh. “What happened?”

“Sona stabbed me.”

“She… fucking what?” His eyebrows raise, and he’s trying not to grin.

“Come on, you asshole.” I grind my jaw and storm away, chased by his amused laughter. I’m more embarrassed than goddamn injured. Never going to live this down. “I need to get fucking stitches.”

Chapter 21

Lena

It’s late when I hear voices down the hall.

I get out of bed and look blearily at the clock. A little past midnight. I bundle myself in a sweater and a pair of sweatpants and sneak out of my room. The voices are coming from downstairs. I linger at the top of the steps and listen briefly.

I recognize Tigran’s voice. “…wearing this awful caterer’s outfit and he thinks this stupid surgical mask is going to hide his identity. You know, like when Superman puts on a suit and glasses and suddenly nobody knows who he is?”

“That’s thepatron. Superman all the way.” I don’t know this voice.

Tigran again: “I told him it was idiotic, but Arsen always does whatever he wants. So anyway, he storms off and gets in trouble like usual. I’m sitting at the bar minding my own business and getting a little drunk when he shows up again. And get this. The dumb asshole isbleeding.” Tigran’s laughing now and my blood runs cold. Arsen’s hurt? What the hell? “Yeah, seriously,turns out the crazy old bitch tried to stab him to death! Can you imagine? Old Aunt Sona jabbing away?”

My heart goes crazy. Fear spikes into me. I hurry down the stairs before I’m smart enough to stop myself. “Is Arsen okay?” I blurt out once Tigran comes into view. He’s in the main entry hall talking to an older man I’ve never seen before. Both of them stare at me like I’m a ghost that just appeared from the walls.

“Uh, shit, did you hear that?” Tigran asks.

“Just tell me if he’s okay.”

“He’s fine.” He looks a little ashamed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been joking about it.” Then he grins slightly. “But your husband got stabbed by a sixty-year-old woman. It’s kind of funny.”

“Tigran, you prick,” the other man says softly, shaking his head.

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