Page 37 of The Twins

“But not your vagina. Because you’re married.”

“Yes, Dad, my vagina will not become Grand Central Station. I meant my heart. My thoughts.”

“In just a couple months, your mother and I have noticed such a difference in Masud.”

“Besides his name?” He pinches my side, and I laugh loud enough to draw Masud’s attention from below. A dark brow rises as his sinful lips stretch into a slow smile.

“You are good for him.”

“I am. He’s good for me too. And I think we were wrong to exclude you and mom and the others for so long. I knew Masud was having trouble with his past, but it wasn’t until everything came out that I realized he’s been drowning, and I’ve been his only lifebuoy. I thought I was protecting him…”

“We do the best we can with the information we have. You and Masud did the right thing for you at the time. A new year is upon us; we remember the past to prepare for the future.”

“G’mar chatima tovah, vater.”

“And to you, my precious girl.” Dad kisses the top of my head then points down below. “And if you want to ensure a happy future, you might want to rescue your husband from the Steinbergs. I think they’re trying to set him up with their daughter.”

I watch with a big grin as my husband squirms. “I shouldn’t enjoy this as much as I do.”

Dad shrugs, “Well, you are part demon.”

He follows me down the steps to the first level of the synagogue. Moshe stands with Seril and Shon off to the side. He nods at me, then lifts his hand in the air and whistles lowly as he twirls his pointer finger to get everyone moving.

Masud happily escapes the older couple and their homely 20-something daughter, standing as close to me as humanly possible without touching. The heat of him and his fresh scent send goosebumps across my body. My nipples tighten and my pussy throbs. I haven’t been with anyone else since before I got shot, and since the night of Ruthie’s wedding, I have put on almost nightly performances for my husband. It’s better than any sex I’ve ever had, watching him fight himself, his slips of control, the long shaft of his cock swelling until he bursts covering me in his seed. The way he cums untouched…didn’t know that could be so hot.

The evening heat of early October in North Carolina and the memories of my husband leave my skin tacky with sweat. Our guards materialize as the family steps outside to enter our vehicles. Normally, we don’t go out like this, all together, but Yom Kippur is a high holiday. The family who atones together, kills together…or something like that.

I look over my shoulder and smirk, finding my husband’s eyes trained on my ass. “Did you at least get her number?” It takes him a moment to realize I’ve spoken, then when my words register, he scowls something fierce. His mouth opens but I can’t hear anything as the ground shakes beneath me, dropping me to my knees on the concrete steps, a blistering heat forcing me to drop my face down and squeeze my eyes shut.

Chaos reigns when I look at my surroundings after the initial blast. Several of our vehicles are overturned and on fire. Masud covers me with his body, his arm jerking with each pull of his finger on the trigger of his gun. Quickly, I track the other vulnerable family members; Aunt Esther, Seril and Shon are hidden behind Moshe, Uncle David, their arms raised as they shoot across the street. Tevye and my dad cover Vandy and Arlo. My nephew screaming as his face floods with tears, Vandy’s arms banding around him to keep him safe. Inside the safety of the synagogue, the Goldman Girls and Boys peek out, as Ezra, Yakov, and Jonah unload their own weapons. Harper and Sophie are huddled behind a short stone wall near the handicapped ramp.

It takes me seconds to assess the situation. Then I’m lifting Masud’s pant leg and grabbing his gun from the ankle holster. In the streets, people are running around, sirens sound in the distance, but I focus on the dwindling group of men firing at us and take out a few myself.

A car revs its engine and its tires squeal and stall as it tries pulling onto the road. Smoothly, Moshe shifts his aim and shoots the two driver side tires, then the driver side window shatters and the car jumps the curb and crashes into another building. Moshe confidently strides down the steps, gun raised as the rest of us cover him. Ezra rushes out of synagogue and joins Moshe. I scan the area and drop my weapon to my side, as do the others when the coast is clear.

Masud forces me to my feet, his hands running all over my body frantically. My eyes stay trained on my cousins as they pull a man from the passenger side of the crashed car. Ezra grips the man’s hands behind his back and shoves him face first into the building. A couple guards join them, zip tying the man’s hands and hauling him down the street to one of our vehicles not blown up.

My vision blackens suddenly. My face pressed tightly to Masud’s chest as his arms wrap around me so tight I can barely breathe. I don’t complain though…this is the first time he’s ever held me like this. I revel in the feel of him beneath my cheek when I turn my head to take in some much needed oxygen.

Beside us, Tevye clutches Arlo, his face in the little boy’s neck, his other arm around Vandy’s back. His eyes meet mine over their heads and I swallow hard at the wealth of emotion in them. Around us, my cousins and aunts and uncles, my parents take comfort in their significant others.

It doesn’t appear that anyone is hurt in our immediate family. But I believe a few guards are injured. I pray none are dead.

“Tovah!” Dad is at my side in a second, taking me from Masud’s hold and into his own. “Are you alright?”

“Of course, I’m alright. Did you not see me take down a few of them?” My dad relaxes as I hug him back.

He moves to my side, one arm slung over my shoulders, as he surveys the damage. “What were we just talking about? Learning from history. You’d think someone would have warned them that attacking us on Yom Kippur never works out like they think it will.” Several of us chuckle, grateful for the levity in the wake of so much destruction.

“ROYAL TENENBAUMS!” Moshe yells and everyone starts moving quickly. We have people who will clean this up, but Moshe and his kapitans will stay behind to handle the police and fire department, while the rest of us head to the compound for lockdown.

“I will take you to the compound and then head over to the consortium to prepare,” Masud tells me, ushering me into our vehicle.

“I want to go with you.” Masud kisses me hard but quick, pulling back after he’s done buckling me in. When did that happen? Why did that happen?

“I know you do. My wife is so inventive when it comes to inflicting pain. But this…” he glances at Ezra helping Dottie and her sisters into another vehicle. “This isn’t meant for us.” I know he’s right. This man, Joseph Baird came after the whole family, yes, but his target has always been Dottie. This is Ezra’s kill.

“Can I at least cut off a finger or something on the next guy?” Masud kisses me again and shuts the door on a laugh. He sits up front, my mom, Vandy, and Arlo joining me in the back seat.

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