Page 2 of Healed
“To be fair, I don’t think he’s even aware. He’s not exactly clear minded. And he’s not really with her when she’s stumbling out of the house to go wherever she goes.”
“Have you tried to talk to him without her around?”
“No. I’m not going to cause any trouble. We’ve got it better here than we’ve ever had it. A little loud music can be ignored while it lasts.”
“No, it can’t. Not all night long. And certainly not outsiders making my people uncomfortable in their own homes.” He turned back to Remi’s house and strode across the yard to the front door again. He pounded on the door almost hard enough to splinter it. “Remi! Get the fuck up now or I’ll take this damn door down!”
Brandt waited barely a full minute before he attacked the door, punching and kicking at it.
Suddenly the door was opened and a disheveled female stood there, scowling at Brandt. “What is your problem?” she demanded. “We’re sleeping in here!”
“Get out,” Brandt demanded, pointing at what he assumed was her car in the driveway.
Immediate outrage colored her face. “This is not your house! You can’t tell me what to do.” She slammed the door and started back toward the bedroom.
The door splintered, and pieces of it just barely held on by its hinges, as Brandt stepped into Remi’s house. “Get in your fucking car and get the fuck off my property, before I bury you on it and make you a permanent part of the fucking scenery!”
“This is Remi’s house!” she shrieked at Brandt.
“Which is on my property. Get the fuck out of here now,” he snarled, advancing on her, just barely holding onto his human form.
“What the hell is going on?” Remi asked groggily as he stumbled into the living room. “What happened to my door?”he asked, as he squinted from the sunshine coming through the place the door used to be.
“Get off my fucking property,” Brandt ordered, his voice deep, growly, and deadly as he stood so close to the female that she surely felt the threat rolling off him.
“Hey! What’s the problem, Brandt?” Remi asked, as he moved to stand between Brandt and the focus of his anger. “She’s a friend of mine. Don’t treat her like that.”
“She’s disrespecting me. She’s disrespecting your neighbors, and she’s a fucking bitch. She’s goes. Now, or I’ll remove her myself.”
“Livi, maybe it’s best if you go for now. I’ll call you later after I straighten all this out,” Remi said, his gaze locked angrily on Brandt the whole time he was talking to Olivia.
“I’m not leaving so he can badmouth me while I’m not here to defend myself!” she snapped, glaring at Brandt. “You think you can come in here and break down a door and make me run? I don’t think so! I have 911 on speed dial and I’ll file charges on your ass so fast your head will spin.”
Brandt smiled coldly as he shoved Remi out of the way and started for Olivia.
“No! No, Brandt! You’re not hurting her!” Remi yelled, forcing his way between them again.
“You get her out of here, or I’m going to handle it,” Brandt said. “And, please. Please ignore me so I get to handle it.”
“Olivia!” Remi yelled.
She jumped in response to Remi shouting her name, and turned her angry gaze on him. “Do not yell at me! You will respect me! I won’t take disrespect from anybody!”
“You need to go home. I’ll call you later.”
“You said I should consider your house home! Now he’s saying this is his property. You need to get things straightbecause I don’t play games like this! Either I belong here or I don’t!”
“Go home. Leave! I’ll explain everything later.”
“Leave? Okay, I’ll leave. But don’t expect me to come back here later!”
“Oh, we don’t. Because if you come back here, he’s out, too. Neither of you will be allowed back!”
“Oh, really? Well, we’ll just sue you for all you’ve got!” Olivia threatened, yelling at Brandt over Remi’s shoulder.
Remi managed to force her out of the house and get her in her car. He shoved his hand in his pocket and withdrew a handful of cash, handing it to her through the open window before he spoke to her and nodded at whatever she was telling him. He stood in the driveway and watched her as she rounded the corner at the end of the street and waved at her as she finally drove out of sight, then he walked back toward Brandt, locking eyes with him angrily as he approached what used to be his front door. He slapped at the broken, splintered traces of wood hanging onto the hinges. “Really, Brandt? What the hell were you thinking? You destroyed my door!”
“Then answer the fucking door! What the hell is wrong with you?” Brandt demanded.
