The Divorcee Murder Club

Veinticuatro ~ 24

                  I wish I could tell you I maintained my confident arrogance upon exiting the warehouse and renting an Uber. 

Instead, I’m upchucking on the side of the road, and the Uber driver is cursing under his breath because I got some vomit on his seat. He’s getting a big tip, but the amount is getting smaller with every irritated sigh he releases. Seriously, man. It’s not like I can help that my stomach decided to flip inside out after murdering two pedophiles.

“Ok. I think I’m good.” I wipe my mouth.

“About time,” he grumbles and shifts the car into drive. 

My hands are shaking, and I’m afraid this whole situation has ignited the side of me I prefer to keep hidden. The side of me that keeps a man prisoner in a dungeon and forces him to eat his lopped-off nipples.  Because the truth is, I am very capable of killing without remorse. I’ve done it before today. However, it’s a darkness that terrifies people. Once they learn what I’m capable of, they no longer look at me the same way. Instead, I become a bacteria sample they study under a microscope. 

For the longest time, my ex-wife never judged me, but the moment I slammed my fist through her girlfriend’s coffee table, I saw the shift in her eyes. I saw the moment her entire soul decided she needed to fear me. And I don’t know what I’d do if Mindy ever felt the same way. 

By the time I return to her apartment, dusk has taken over the sky in streaks of scorched orange and dusty pink. Traffic is quieter, and TV screens glow against curtains in the neighboring windows. 

When Mindy opens the door, her beautiful hazel eyes land on me, and her mouth goes from a smile to a jaw drop. Then she yanks me inside and quickly shoves me towards a bathroom in the dark hallway. There’s a hum of conversation coming from the living room, which zaps to silence as soon as she locks us inside the small powder room. Mindy flicks the light on, and that’s when I see my reflection in the mirror. 

Holy shit. Blood is peppered across my face and shirt. I’m surprised the Uber driver didn’t say something.

“What happened?” Mindy exclaims and reaches for a hand towel on the vanity.

“Uh… um…”

“You look like a murder scene.” She runs the towel under the faucet and begins dabbing at my cheeks as lines of concern spread across her forehead. 

“I uh…” Think. Dumbass. Think. “A dog ran out into the street and got hit by a car in front of me.”

“Here?”

“No. Over at my place. It happened right in front of me. It was a mess.” 

“I can see...” She pauses from cleaning my face and takes my hands into her soft palms. “You’re trembling. You didn’t have to come here after witnessing something so horrific. I would have understood.”

“I’d rather be here with you.”

And I mean that. Mindy’s beautiful face and her kind sweetness are everything I need right now. Her hazel eyes search mine, and the creases above her brows soften at my words. I thread our fingers together, causing her body to sway closer. If only she knew how far I would go to keep her safe. If only she knew I would kill for her. 

However, at this moment, I don’t want to think about her stupid ex-husband. Because I get the impression she’s feeling the same thing I am right now—like I’d give anything for the rest of the world to dissolve so nothing else can come between us. 

Even as I stand here speckled in someone else’s blood, there’s no denying how this would be a great moment to kiss. So I lean in and nuzzle my nose against hers. The scent of her shampoo is intoxicating as I grip the back of her head with my fingers which slip through soft waves of hair. She leans in closer, and there’s the slightest graze of her mouth, testing to see if I’ll reciprocate.