Page 84 of Dark Endures

Maybe I should just quit.

Adonis won’t throw me out. He might even be able to help me find another job.

One that pays half this well? Probably not. But there’s no way I’m going to take this.

Absolutely not.

Today was a good day to wear makeup. My mother’s fearless arrogance is exactly what I need. I set my purse on the bench in the changing room and walk towards his office, allowing all the rage inside of me to bubble to the top.

The door is open like it always is. I don’t wait for permission. If he didn’t want to hear what I think, he would have hidden like the coward he is sending a lackey to take care of the repulsive task.

“Hello.” He’s smiling at me like he was waiting for me to walk in the door.

“How dare you?”

His brows wrinkle.

“And you couldn’t even do it yourself.” Tears well up unbidden in my eyes, which just make me madder.

Maddox stands up. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“What happened? You can really ask me that?”

“We have a problem.” Canyon storms in.

Maddox never takes his gaze from me. “Not now,” he bites out.

“This can’t wait.”

What is so important that it can’t wait for me to chew out Maddox and for him to fire me?

Maddox walks over to me. “I’m sorry. I need you to go. We’ll finish this conversation later.”

What?

“You need to go home.”

He practically pushes me out the door and locks it behind him.

That felt so final. I take my purse and walk out of the building, but don’t head home. There’s no way I’m heading back to run into Adonis.

My feet seem to have a will of their own when they take me to a little park on Willow Street that I’ve never visited before. This one isn’t filled with sculptures or fountains. Instead, raised beds with neatly tagged vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, and cabbages like I’ve never seen in the city before are everywhere. Scattered among the plants are a few benches. I sit down on one of them.

Whenever I do this, Louisella shows up.

Is that what I want?

Maybe some of her nuttiness will make me feel better.

“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.” She takes a seat next to me resplendent in diamonds and pearls today.

Just the little world around me. “Have you ever been pitied?”

“No.”

Of course, you haven’t. People are too afraid of you.

“Who pities you?”

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