Mummies & Daddies (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 31

The bathroom resembled a slaughterhouse, tears trailing down Waverly's cheeks as she worked to remove every last trace of her sister's blood from the floor and the side of the bath. Nicole had been tasked with rolling up the rug so as not to be reminded of the grizzly scene that greeted them on first entering the apartment. She was used to witnessing the aftermath of fights, from broken noses, to missing teeth, to bottles smashed over heads after someone dared say something to offend. This was different. This was too close to home, the trail left by Wynonna in the wake of the attack shocking even for her.

"At least she's alive," Waverly said, on her hands and knees scrubbing the tiles, wiping her face on her sleeve, the now crimson cloth in her hand turning her stomach. "She could have bled to death."

"Probably looks worse than it is," Nicole offered, by way of futile consolation, heading to the kitchen to check what there was to eat. "I'll make us something. You must be starving."

"Not hungry," Waverly replied. "God. Sorry. We need to eat. What do we have?"

Nicole opened the fridge, closing it again. "Beers. I'll pop to the store. You okay here? I'll only be a few minutes."

"Yes, yes. Go, I'm fine. Don't forget Wynonna's list. It's on the table."

"How could I," retrieving her coat from the couch, pocketing the piece of paper. About to leave she heard Waverly's ringtone, followed by pleas to be left alone. Rushing to the bathroom she grabbed the phone, Mercedes' shrill voice in her ear. "I know you still have it bitch."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Mercedes countered.

"Sheriff Haught. Try the fucking FBI bitch."

Mercedes cut off abruptly, now regretting her call to Waverly, frustrated she might have been outplayed. She knew how to run a tight operation under the radar of those who could interfere with her family's alternative activities, except this time she seemed to be plagued with sloppiness and incompetence, mistakes creeping in, something she detested. Mistakes which could rebound on her.

Alex was at her desk in the museum, the thought of returning home that evening filling her with dread. Not that Tucker would be there, or that he would be physically violent if he was, his tongue the preferred method of torture, making her feel she didn't deserve love, rather that she deserved to be punished. It had been on her mind for some time, to simply take off, walk away from her miserable life. Each time she stopped herself closing the door on an existence which brought little happiness, one she allowed to continue.

She wanted to do the right thing, make good on the bad, make Mercedes pay for having made her feel she was nothing more than a possession. Tucker too, wanting him to pay for having deemed her beneath his love. Not that she wanted his love. She would never have agreed to marry him had the circumstances been different, had Mercedes not made it part of their deal.

Her phone waited on the desk, her fingers itching to call someone, anyone who would listen that she needed a way out of the world of hurt in which she now found herself. The only person she could think of was Waverly, except she didn't have her number. Nicole, she had Nicole's number. If she called her, told her about the Gardners, what the Gardners did behind a façade of respectability, maybe it would help her situation. Or, maybe it would bring even more hurt, make her world unliveable. Maybe she should just keep her mouth shut.

No sooner had she made up her mind not to poke the hornets' nest Mercedes called. "The valuation list, did you send it to Luxor?"

"Yes, why?" Alex replied, hearing the tone in her sister-in-law's voice. "You told me to."