Without A Trace

Fourty.

The next morning Anna and I sit at the table playing a card game. I slap my cards down on the table with a smile as I pull my cigarette from my lips.

"Read em and fuckin weep Anna," I say as she throws her cards at me.

"You're a fuckin cheat Cora. I fuckin swear it," She says shaking her head and taking a drink of her whiskey.

I turn my head to the corridor as I hear the heels of Ivys shoes click against the ground. She buttons the blazer of her suit and takes a seat in the chair next to me. She crosses one leg over the other and lights a cigarette before taking a long drag out of it.

I raise my eyebrows as she gets closer, "Bold color choice for you Ivy," I say looking at her red business suit. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it," I say with a smile.

"Yeah well," she says taking another puff of her cigarette with a smile on her face, "New bold personality, new bold color choice eh?" She says looking at Anna and I.

Anna giggles to herself before gathering the cards and giving them another shuffle. She starts to deal the cards back out before we hear a piercing laugh from a little girl.

Michael walks in the room with Pippin in his arms. He runs his eyes over his wifes body before meeting her eyes again. Pippin smiles brightly at her mother before pointing to Michaels black eye, "Daddy got hurt at work Mama."

Ivy clenches her jaw slightly looking at his bruise and then back to her daughter, "Thats okay though Pip. Daddys a tough guy eh?"

She smiles hugging her dad and giving him a big squeeze around his neck, smushing her face against his, "Even tougher than Uncle Tommy."

Michael raises his eyebrows before looking at his daughter, "I must be pretty tough then if I'm tougher than Uncle Tommy."

"The toughest, and the strongest daddy," Pippin says with a smile and places a kiss on her dads cheek.

She wiggles down out of his arms and runs outside, pulling Lewis out there with her. He chases her around the yard, her excited scream filling the hallway as he scoops her up and attacks her face with kisses.

Michael smiles at his daughter and brother before putting his hands in his pockets and meets Ivys blue eyes, "You look beautiful love," he says softy.

"I know," she says getting up, grabbing mine and Annas hands and pulling us into the small office.

Michael sighs and stands there before leaning against the counter, resting his hands on the counter top. He clenches his jaw angrily before throwing his hand to the side, knocking down bottles of whiskey causing them to crash against the ground.

"Well alright if you wanted a fuckin meeting all you had to do was ask," I say sitting in the chair.

"I want to go to Pippins school. I want to have a meeting with her teacher about the kids bullying Pip," Ivy says leaning against the wall.

"We'll have to go in while the kids are at recess. Can't be disturbing the kids during class hours Ivy," Anna chimes in taking a sip of her glass. She hears bickering coming from Esme, one of our race bookkeepers and John.

She rolls her eyes, "Fuckin hell," she leans out of the door, "Esme! Fuck off wont ya? Get the fuck out of here or sit your fuckin ass down and do your job before I walk over there and strap you to that fuckin chair and put tape over your fuckin mouth." She leans back in the doorway before taking another sip out of her glass, "Sorry, continue."

I nod my head, "Alright, we'll go to the school then when the children are at recess. We'll talk with Pips teacher and get a list of names of the parents who's kids are bullying Pip. Then we'll have a meeting with the teacher and the parents. Like a conference," I say taking a drag off my cigarette. I look over through the window where Thomas tapped against it. He crosses his arms over his chest unhappily with his cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

I roll my eyes, "Excuse me ladies, Mr. Ray of Sunshine looks like hes about to shit rainbows in my direction at any moment. Duty calls." I say before standing up with my cigarette. "I'll meet you girls by the door when I'm done," I say before walking out of the door and following him to the big office.

"Shut the door," he barks at me before taking a seat in his chair. I sigh and close the door behind me before taking a seat in my chair, taking a puff off my cigarette.

"What is it this time my love?" I ask him before wiping the ash from my cigarette off my brown dress pants before crossing one leg over the other.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing with the girls?" He asks staring at me. He leans over his desk slightly and points at the door, "What the fuck was that with Ivy last night? Hm?"

"I dont know what you're on about Thomas, truly," I say before pouring myself a drink from his desk into a glass. "I would appreciate it if you didn't play mind games with me and just ask a straight fuckin question," I say before looking my husband into his blue eyes. I take a sip out of my glass and tilt my head to the side before narrowing my eyes at him, "You have my full attention your highness."

He scoffs slightly before shaking his head and pausing for a moment, "I'm going to pretend that you're not pushing my buttons right now Cora."

"And I'm going to pretend you're not wasting my time by not cutting to the chase," I say checking the time on my pocket watch, taking a puff of my cigarette before looking back up at him.

Thomas bites his lip annoyed, "Michael told me what Ivy told you last night. He was listening against the door." He pauses tapping his glass slightly looking in my eyes, "You don't need us? Is that right?"

I smile before getting out of my chair. I walk over to the side of my husbands chair and lift his chin to look at me, "Love...I don't need you. But it is all of you, who need us. Aye?" I say looking at his lips before looking back at his blue eyes. "We're very capable women Thomas. And if thats a threat to you, then maybe you need to reconsider the rank of this family." I say before placing a small kiss on his lips. "Now if you excuse me, I have business to attend to," I say before setting my glass down and walking out of the office.

I walk over to the girls and put my pistol in the holster, "Right then," I say putting my cigarette back in my mouth, "lets head to the school shall we?"