Page 8 of A Touch of Frost
“I’m desperate here.” I pleaded with her.
“What do you want, Mozart?” Black Widow pushed. “Really.”
It took very little time to explain it to her. When I was finished with the story, she arched a brow then scoffed.
“I don’t know where Frost is.” Her voice never wavered. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. She’s finally over you. Leave her alone.”
“You don’t understand. Someone’s life is in danger.”
“And you don’t understand, just how many fucks I don’t give!” Black Widow snapped.
“Widow, please.”
“Let the fuckers who put that life in danger, save it.” Black Widow snapped. “I don’t want to put my friend into a position of getting hurt again. She did her time and for that she lost everything. I don’t expect you to know how that feels.”
“I wasn’t the one who took everything away.”
“No?” Black Widow dumped her gloves on a small desk then whirled to face me. “Fine, let’s forget for a moment she broke her own heart falling for you. Let’s skate on by the fact she started that whole bullshit side gig of special ops, foryou. You didn’t stand up for her—not you, not the assholes on your team. None of you spoke out about the bullshit the SEALs dumped on her. I thought you were your brother’s keeper—oh wait, she doesn’t count because she has a vagina.”
I had nothing to say to that.
“So, now what?” Black Widow’s eyes blazed angry fire. “You come waltzing in here, demanding her location like you think you’re entitled to access to her..” Black Widow cocked a hip. “What happened Mozart? Huh? None of yourbrotherswant to take this on?”
“Widow.”
“No.” Black Widow shook her head vehemently. “No! Fuck that! And fuck you!”
I dragged my fingers through my hair. “I’m not asking for me. Please, I’m begging you.”
“You’re begging.” Black Widow scoffed. “Oh, this is fantastic.”
“We need all the help we can get right now if we’re going to get the Doc home again.”
“Mozart—I legit have no idea where she is.” Black Widow pushed. “Do you think I like having off time and can’t spend it with my sister? I see all these girls with their best friends going shopping and getting their hair and nails done, taking selfies for Facebook. But here I am, wandering around, searching faces to see if one of them would be her.Prayingone of them belongs to her. Sometimes, I swear to God I feel her watching and I turn and there’s no one there. Do you think I like that feeling?”
I said nothing.
“But she’s hurt. And she’s angry. And I’m pissed off because she can’t even tell me where she is, but I get it. When the people you trust the most, who are supposed to have your six take everything away, you would feel some kind of ways about it.”
Finding Frost was impossible without Black Widow.
“I’m sorry.” My voice cracked.
Black Widow scoffed while peeling off the exterior of her uniform to expose her actual uniform underneath. “This for your own good.”
I rubbed my tired eyes.
“She’ll pop up again when she’s ready.” Black Widow told me. “But I’m afraid it may be too late for your friend.”
“Yeah.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. She watched me with contemplative brown eyes.
“Listen.” Black Widow exhaled loudly. “If she gets hurt again because of y’all, I’ll body you. And trust me, I won’t be as kind as Frost was before she left.” Black Widow’s eyes flashed fire. “Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
Black Widow stared at me for an eternity before leaning in. “The last time we spoke was about four weeks ago. She wouldn’t tell me where she was, but I suspected it was Naples.”
