Ravish?
“Or…or…or stabs me two hundred times, and keeps my head as a trophy. Or…”
“Kendall!” Fee screeched. “Stop it. Are you listening to yourself? You’re becoming hysterical.”
“No one’s threatening to have sex with you before shooting you twenty times.”
Fee shook her. “No one’s threatening to do any of that to you. Stop it before you make yourself sick.”
“I’m so terrified,” she screamed. “Tell me how to save my life. Johnnie’s life. Christopher is going to blow the back of Johnnie’s head off, take me without mercy, and then cut me into small, little pieces, taking chunks out of me while I’m still alive.”
“Listen to me,” Fee shouted, shaking her again before taking her wet cheeks between her hands. “It’s over. All right? I promise you have nothing to worry about. If my brother wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”
Her lips trembling, Kendall thought for a moment, then swallowed. “W-would I?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he spare me? He shot Johnnie.”
“He shot him, but he didn’t kill him. You know why? We’re family. Family. We. Are. Family. Christopher’s really big on family. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, what you’ll do, he won’t hurt you. He holds family in the highest regard. You’re Johnnie’s wife and you’re pregnant. If one of those facts doesn’t save you, then the other will.”
“Right.” Kendall pulled away from Fee’s hold and squeezed her tissue into a ball. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, like a light went off in her head. “You’re right.” New confidence strengthened her tone. “If he killed me, he’d hurt Johnnie. He wouldn’t do that. No matter what I do, just like you said.” Smiling, she sat up and hugged Fee. “The barbaric Neanderthal.”
“Kendall!”
“I…all right…I’ll lay off the name calling.”
“Please do. Now, what would you like to do until Johnnie returns? Do you want to shower and then spend some time with Rory and Matilda?”
“Spend time with them doing what?”
“Reading to them or playing peek-a-boo.” In the year after Rory’s birth, Kendall had been a good friend, a loving mother, and an attentive wife. “Whatever you’ve done with them in the past.”
Sadness entering her eyes, she bit down on her lip. For a moment, Fee thought she’d agree, that she recalled how she’d been just a few months ago.
Kendall shook her head, dashing Fee’s hopes. “That’s what I pay Ella for. I need a shower, then we can have a light lunch. Please, tell Jane to prepare something for us. I guess Charlotte and I will have to rethink how to get my partnership back.”
Shocked into speechlessness at Kendall’s announcement, Fee dropped her mouth open. Minutes ago, Kendall had been in genuine fear for her life. Until Fee’s reassurances buoyed Kendall back to her scheming.
When she settled down, she’d realize she wasn’t at risk, but Charlotte was.
Fee headed to the kitchen, satisfied that her cousin-in-law and ex-boss no longer feared Christopher. The woman not only felt better, but intended to proceed on, as though Daphne’s killing never happened
Fee might admire Kendall, but she’d never understand the workings of her mind.
Later that evening, Fee leaned against Cash’s sofa and sighed, filled up from delicious sandwiches. She’d left Kendall on a high note, acting as though the shooting never happened. Reassuring Fee of her return to normalcy, Kendall insisted Fee leave right after their mushroom omelet. Aware of the futility of arguing with Kendall, Fee left. She’d intended to stay in for the rest of the day, until Cash called and invited her over.
“Kendall said she’s responsible for Daphne’s death.”
“She is.” Stretch refused to offer leeway.
Kendall wasn’t Cash or Stretch’s favorite person, another issue Fee took partial responsibility for. If she’d kept her mouth shut, they wouldn’t have been further alienated from Johnnie’s wife. Fee had been so worried about Kendall following through with her blackmail she’d had to warn her men.
Fee cleared her throat. “Daphne didn’t have to agree to Kendall’s demands,” she argued, still unable to imagine what would possess Daphne to such a stupid decision.
“Daphne did it for the money,” Cash explained, as if he read Fee’s mind. “It does her no good now. Something I tried my best to explain to her. She was so fucking hardheaded.”
Fee didn’t want to begrudge Cash mourning a dead woman. Except, a burst of shameful jealousy went through her. Cash wasn’t a man who showed his feelings. But the regret on his face and the sadness in his eyes spoke volumes. He must’ve cared about Daphne more than he admitted.