“I have your coffee, Kendall.” Fee set the mug near her.
“Gorgeous, I have to leave,” Johnnie told her. “Christopher’s called a meeting, and I have to be there.” He turned to Fee. “Can you stay until I return?”
“Oh, absolutely,” she answered without hesitation, her heart breaking for Kendall.
Standing, Johnnie bent and kissed her on the mouth. “See, sweetheart? No one’s angry with you, especially not Fee.”
“Thank you, Fee,” Kendall said on a sniffle. “I’m so sorry I fired you.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Fee said, sitting next to Kendall, in the seat Johnnie had occupied. “We’re family—”
“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” Johnnie interrupted, planting another kiss on Kendall’s lips before strolling out of the room.
“Oh, Fee.” Kendall sucked in a breath.
“It’s okay,” Fee reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing. “Go back to bed until you feel better.”
“Yes, but come with me. Please, don’t leave me. Christopher might’ve called Johnnie away from the house to come in and murder me.”
“No! Christopher wouldn’t shoot you in cold blood. You have to stop stressing.”
Instead of responding, Kendall got up and stumbled out of the room, leaving Fee no choice but to follow her. In the bedroom, Fee once again admired the gray and black décor, huge bed, elaborate chandelier, and stone fireplace. While Fee headed to the sofa, Kendall threw herself across the bed.
“Remember the baby.”
“That’s so easy for you to say. All of it! You haven’t pissed off that fucking barbarian. I never thought he’d kill her! He’s an abusive liar. He always claimed he’d never hurt women. I knew he did. My worry for Meggie was justified, but all the stupid cunt ever does is protect him.”
“Kendall, stop! Meggie isn’t what you called her. My brother isn’t abusive. From what I understand, he warned Daphne to back off several times.” According to Meggie. Since she had no reason to lie, Fee believed her. “Daphne chose to continue with her stupid games for whatever reason. Her death is on her. It isn’t your fault and it isn’t Meggie’s fault.”
“It is my fault. I believed Christopher when he said he didn’t hurt women.”
“If you believed him, then why is it so hard to believe Meggie when she says my brother doesn’t abuse her?”
“What does that matter?” Kendall cried. “I trusted him, and Daphne trusted me, and I got her killed.”
Getting up, Fee went to the bed and sat on it, rubbing Kendall’s back. She ran through what might soothe Kendall’s guilt and panic. “It wasn’t your fault,” she insisted again, needing to reiterate that until it got through to Kendall.
“Then whose was it?”
“Daphne’s,” she reminded her.
Kendall face-planted on a loud moan.
Worried, Fee furrowed her brow. “Um, and Christopher’s.”
“How did you reach that conclusion?” Still face down, Kendall was hard to understand, her words muffled by the comforter.
“Daphne didn’t have to comply with your schemes.”
Kendall lifted her head and glanced over her shoulder. Fee continued to rub her back. “Well, no, but how is it Christopher’s fault? He’s your brother. Why would you even blame him?”
That should’ve been obvious. “He’s the one who shot her,” Fee said on a sigh. “She complied with your demands to fuck over him and his marriage. You both knew that wasn’t smart. Anything affecting Meggie is taboo. She gambled her life for money, and lost.” It had to have been a lot of money for Daphne to risk herself as she had.
“So Christopher shot her,” Kendall sneered, vacillating between despair and disgust. “He disregarded the fact that she was a woman. Now…now…oh my God!” she sobbed. “He’ll probably kill me.” Her voice trembled as tears slid down her cheeks.
Fee had never seen Kendall in such a state, disheveled and falling apart. She’d never seen her so vulnerable and genuinely afraid.
Leaning over, she got a tissue from a silver holder and passed it to Kendall. “Dry your eyes,” she said gently. “Christopher won’t kill you.”
“He will! He hates me. He’s been wanting me dead since first meeting me. What will become of my children when he murders me? I don’t want Meggie raising them. She’s the first person Johnnie will run to. Then she’ll have both of them.” Kendall bolted upright and grabbed Fee’s shirt. “Oh my God! You have to hide me before he hunts me down, ravishes me, and then strangles me.”