Page 77 of The Seven Rings
“Warned you.”
“You hit me!”
“You know I didn’t.”
Then he jerked forward, looked behind him with a hand on his butt. And sneezed three times in rapid succession.
Enjoying herself now, Sonya smiled. “Nor did I just kick you in the ass.”
A voice boomed out, female and full of rage.
Get out of our house, motherfucker!
Sonya’s phone, the iPad upstairs, the one in the kitchen all boomed out with Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
“I’d take that advice.” She strode to the door, pointed at the opening. And smiled again. “Run.”
He managed a shaky stumble to the door, and kept going.
On the run to his car, he called out, “You’ll regret this.”
Another series of sneezes ruined his exit.
“I really don’t think I will.”
Sonya closed the door firmly behind him.
Petty continued to sing, but at a lower volume.
“I don’t believe he will. Thanks for the assist, Jack, Clover. And you two.” She crouched to scrub Yoda and Pye all over. “You’re not an ugly little mutt, but my handsome hero. And you, a discerning and courageous cat.”
She walked over, then just sat on the steps.
“I feel righteous. And shaky. Righteously shaky. I’m just going to sit here until the shaky part passes. Shit. If I don’t call Trey and tell him about this, he’ll be pissed at me. If I call him and tell him about this, he’ll be pissed. But not at me.”
She let out a breath. “So pissed either way, and I might as well call and tell him.”
With Yoda snuggled beside her, Pye on watch on top of the newel post, she took out her phone. Since her hand trembled a little, she took a few more calming breaths.
“And I’ll have to tell Cleo when she gets home. And Owen has to hear about it. Damn it, I have to tell Mom in case he tries to harass her.”
She looked down at her dog. “Make one stupid mistake with one stupid jerk, and look what it gets you.”
She called Trey.
“Hey, cutie. Everything okay?”
“Yes. It’s fine, I’m fine, and I’m stressing that. But I wanted to tell you so we don’t have a round about it, Brandon Wise was here.”
“He came to the manor?”
“Yeah, he sort of bulled his way in, and—”
“I’m on my way.”
“Trey, he’s gone. I made him leave—with a little help from Clover and Jack. And Yoda and Pyewacket.”
“I’m on my way,” he repeated, in a tone that sounded absolutely calm. “Stay inside.”
