Page 24 of Ruling Scar
At twenty-six, I can make my own decisions, but Mom’s face is strangely tight. The smiles and laugh lines smoothed away. This is how she looks when the memories of her kidnapping come to mind.
This is another reason I consider my accident lucky. The scar’s a bitch, but it healed.
Mamma’s scars are invisible to most. Her obsessive protection over us is one of the few ghostly reminders that her trauma never fully disappeared.
They kept her locked up for three days. Her guards shot in the head in front of her. Most of the details I’ve heard second-hand from other people. I think she’s worried about hurting us if she tells us about how they hurt her.
People don’t talk about it, but the question lingers. Was she really going to be locked away for three days and come away untouched?
Some scars don’t fade because they’re so deeply imprinted on your soul.
Adeline licks some sauce from her thumb. “You know mamma, Lennie’s a lot cooler than you think.”
Mom narrows her eyes at her youngest. “Cooler? What do you mean by this?”
She shrugs, coyly. “It’s just who needs a guard when you’re best friends with a triggerman.”
My mouth drops open as Adeline spills my secrets.
Mom places a hand on her hip. “Triggerman?” She looks at me for answers.
Adeline provides them. “She hangs out at Fujimori’s all the time.”
If this is meant to help me with the guard situation I don’t see how.
But Adeline leans into it, stirring a simmering pot of sauce. “Can you imagine what would happen to the guy who pisses off Ren Callahan’s best friend?”
Mom looks between us. Adeline’s nonchalant while I bite my lip.
“Fujimori’s?” Mom asks me, her eyes widening. “What is this about, Lennie?”
“Nothing, I just. . .” Don’t feel like explaining again how I was too scared to go to book club. “I went in one day is all. It turns out Ren and Isolde are super nice. So are all the Fujimori’s.”
Honestly, it’s too bad they’re not our family friends instead of the Zimins.
But disappointment creases her brow. “Why didn’t you mention it?”
“Cause you’d go batshit,” Adeline dryly states.
Mom throws a dishtowel at her. “Fine, go on this date. But if he harms you—”Mom’s face tightens—“you tell Ren to hire Russet to shoot his cock off.”
It’s not a statement I thought I’d ever hear my mother state, but I take the win.
I kiss her cheek, knowing her worry is out of love. Then I shoot Adeline awhat the fucklook.
“Learn how to play the game,” she mouths back.
I don’t get it but whatever.
Leopold sent me the address of the meet-up spot and to make Mom happy, I let one of our guards drive me into the city. It means I’m running late when he drops me off, but with his natural cheerfulness, Leopold brushes it off.
“We’re right on time,” he assures me, before giving his name to the hostess. “Do you need to get that?”
He stares down at the phone in my hand lighting up with a message.
“No, it’s fine.” I catch Elijah’s name, but darken the screen. For once, I have something more exciting than a random text from him.
Talking to Leopold is easy and I’m comfortable enough to eat when he orders an appetizer. Knowing the same people helps, but even after catching up on the years since university the conversation flows.
