Perverse Riches

Chapter 10

He's following me. I can feel the presence as I drive Bezzy home after a shift. It's not Leo, his gaze makes my body warm up. It's Morgan, I'm sure of it. The hair in the back of my neck is standing up on edge. If he thinks to scare me, he's so wrong. I'll pick my teeth with his bones just like I did with the Hercules brothers and Russian Ian. Instead of going straight for Lee, I store Bezzy first and close the garage. When I come out there's an SUV across the street that wasn't there before. It's dark inside but I can sense someone inside.

He wants to play? Let's fucking play. I can do this all day as long as Rosalie is safely away. Tara doesn't bring Lee back yet, for which I'm grateful as I leave the door unlocked. My fingers close on the knuckle daggers hidden above the fireplace and I hide them in the waistband of my pants. Then I start making dinner like nothing's wrong.

It doesn't occur to me to ask for help. Leo arrived in town this morning, two weeks after our talk. We've spoken a little bit every night and it's nice to be able to do so. My therapists are also aware of his return into my life, both the cognitive therapy one and the normal one, and they are supporting me in whatever I chose. He's probably tired from the move but that's not why I don't call Leo. I'm so used to taking care of shit on my own that it's just second nature to do so.

I start making dinner, potato, onion, and carrot mash with a steak left overnight in lemon juice. Drinking a glass of orange juice I wait, feeling it won't be long. Morgan is rash. He's been absent for seven months giving me the space he thinks I need but now that he knows I've chosen another over him his patience is at an end. I don't change clothes so the bulky fabric hides the blades, and I'm discreetly warming up my muscles.

Nothing happens for a good long while. I text Tara to please stay with Lee a little longer, which she doesn't mind, then I turn on the TV and separate a bowl of mashed potatoes and carrots for Lee before adding the onions and turn on my phone on voice recorder.

I'm expecting it but my heart starts racing nevertheless when the door is kicked open. Calmly, I turn off the stove and the oven and turn around. Morgan is at the door, looking completely unhinged. "You bitch. All I ever wanted to do was take care of you. Get out of there." He takes a small hatched from his belt and points it at me threateningly. Oh, yeah. Let's dance baby.

I get out from the kitchen alcove, safely away from the extra knives taped on the wall. They're as much danger for him as for me. I stop near the table, leaning against the wall. "What do you want?" He doesn't like my casualness.

"Off the wall. What do you mean what do I want? I want what's mine. YOU." He shouts. Good, he's angry. I can work with angry.

"I'm not yours. I don't like you, love you or want you. I just want you to leave me alone." He takes two threatening steps forward, thinking to intimidate me with his height and built.

"You're mine. You've always been mine, and if you don't like it I'll forcefully make it so." Spittle flies everywhere from his mouth.

"You will not." I say calmly. I'm ready. My hands are by my sides and aligned to grab the daggers, but I'll only use them if he doesn't loose the ax.

Morgan leaps forward with a roar, aiming at my neck with the hatchet. I kneel out of the way and kick his crotch. He stumbles back. "You BITCH." He roars again and I can hear Lee starting to cry through the baby monitor. Tara has heard. The police are coming, there's not much time anymore.

Morgan comes after me again. I jump over the couch, putting it between us. "Do you think that will help? If you're not mine then you aren't anyone's, you hear me? I'll kill you." Why, thank you, now that you've made it clear...

The sirens' wail becomes audible. I grab my daggers, slipping my fingers in the knuckle guard. "I will not die."

"You're wrong." He vaults over the couch and I'm ready for him, using the other corner of the couch as a leap point to kick him in the throat. He falls back dazedly, unable to breath. His eyes are crackling so much I'm surprised lightning doesn't smite me.