Page 56 of Wrath

Stitch gave his daughter a stern look and growled,“Mia.”

“You would’ve done the same thing! I told her to stay down, Dad.” Mia shrugged. “Not my fault that she kept getting up.”

“She’s a fucking lunatic!” Rosa charged over to me and roared, “You need to keep your bitch on a fucking leash!”

“Watch your mouth, Rosa.”

“See?” Mia asked innocently. “She’s the one. Came over here making claims she had no business making. She’s lucky she’s still standing.”

“You seriously need help!”

“And you need to stop trying to mess around with what’s mine!” Mia’s cheeks flushed red as she snapped, “I don’t fucking share!”

Stitch leaned in and snickered with a whisper, “She never has. Ask her brother. He’s got the scars to prove it.”

“This is insane!” Rosa looked at me, hoping for some sympathy or understanding. When I had none to give, she turned her attention to the cops. “She assaulted me, and I want her arrested!”

“Yeah, well, she assaulted me first! I want her arrested, too!”

“Just hold up for a minute.” The officer turned to me as he asked, “This is your property?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“And you know each of these women and have been involved with both of them in some degree.”

“You could say that.”

“Then, I say this is your problem to deal with.”

When the officer stepped over to uncuff Mia, Rosa lost it. “What! You’re just gonna let her go! You gotta be kidding me.”

“The way I see it, you both were at fault and in time, I believe you will see the error of your ways.” His tone turned serious as he warned, “But if you don’t and we get called back here, I’m arresting each and every one of you. I’ll make sure you get punished to the fullest extent of the law. Is that understood?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

He then turned to me and asked, “Understood?”

“I got it.”

“Good. Then, we’ll leave you to it.”

With that, the officers got in their cars and pulled out of the drive. As soon as they were gone, I turned to Mia and said, “I’m gonna need a minute with Rosa.”

“Something tells me you’re gonna need more than a minute.”

“I’ll make it quick.” I took Rosa by the arm and led her towards her driveway. When we were out of earshot, I growled, “This bullshit ends now!”

“It would’ve ended days ago if you’d just told me that you were fucking that whore!” This whole thing was my fault, so I held my tongue as I listened to her say, “I would’ve left you alone, but you never said a word about any of it.”

“You’re right. That shit’s on me, and just me.”

“So, what’s really going on? Are you really seeing her?”

“You’re not hearing me, Rosa. This is done. Whatever this was isn’t happening ever again.” I motioned my hand back towards my house as I snarled, “And that has nothing to do with her.”

“What is it with her? What makes her so damn special?”

“Leave her alone. Don’t talk to her. Don’t look at her...”

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