Atonement (The Protectors 6)

“Mr. DuCane, I was so terribly saddened to hear about Jenna,” a woman at the bottom of the stairs said as I reached the last step and I couldn’t help but feel like she’d been lying in wait for me. It took me a moment to recognize her as one of Jenna’s teachers from the school I’d had to transfer Jenna to after the bullying had become too much for her at her old school. I’d invited her because, despite all the problems my daughter had had at school, she’d always had nice things to say about Jenna during the many parent-teacher meetings I’d had with her. She took my hand in both of hers and held on to it as she began telling me how smart and sweet my girl had been. I only half-listened because I knew most of what she was saying wasn’t true since by the end, Jenna had been skipping classes left and right and had been failing all but two of her classes. My gaze searched the small group of people for Dante.

“Thank you for coming, Mrs. Littleton,” I managed to say to the woman once she finally stopped talking, though in truth, I hadn’t heard anything she’d said near the end because I’d managed to locate Dante and my entire focus was on him. He was standing on the far side of the living room near the hallway that led to the den where he’d been sleeping. His back was to me, but I could see he wasn’t alone.

White hot anger went through me as I watched the woman he was with – the same woman I’d once planned to spend the rest of my life with – put her hand on Dante’s arm as she said something to him. Her back was against the wall and I saw her occasionally dash at her eyes as she kept her expression solemn as she spoke. Her hand was now stroking up and down Dante’s arm and I had to fight every instinct telling me to go over to them and rip it off him. Someone else stopped me to give their condolences, but I had no idea who it was or what they said because I only had eyes for Dante and Mel, who’d straightened and closed what little distance there had been between them. Dante’s arms went around her and I actually had to turn away for a moment. By the time I looked back at them, they’d separated and Mel had spotted me.

I took a deep breath as she pushed past Dante and headed my way. It was almost comical how people got out of her way. Her face twisted into an ugly mask of rage when she reached me and I didn’t bother to attempt to deflect her palm before it cracked against my cheek. A collective gasp went through the small crowd.

“Where is he?” Mel shouted as she reached up to slap me again. Since I’d barely felt the first slap, I didn’t try to stop the next one either, but Dante grabbed her by the wrist before she could hit me again. “Where’s my grandson?” she screamed, her voice so shrill I was sure it could break glass.

“What are you doing here, Mel?” I asked quietly, not caring that we were going to do this in front of an audience. I didn’t give a shit about anything anymore. I was done.

“I came to say goodbye to my daughter, you bastard! And to take my grandson home!”

I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that burst from my throat. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

Her green eyes flashing with hate, Mel straightened and I saw a mask of despair fall over her face. But I knew it for what it was because I knew all her ploys. She’d been using them on me for years before I’d wised up.

Big fat crocodile tears began sliding down her face as she whispered, “You can’t keep him from me. Not after what you did to Jenna.”

I was moving before I even realized it, but luckily Dante stepped in front of me, his hand coming to rest on my chest as he softly said, “Don’t.” His fingertips gently pressed into my shirt and the move somehow grounded me. I’d never laid a hand on Mel in the years we’d been together, no matter how many times she’d lashed out at me verbally or physically, but I’d been about to break that rule.

I locked eyes with Mel and said, “Get out.”

“No! Where’s Matthew?”

The woman actually began calling Matty’s name as if she expected him to come running to her. “You really want to do this here, Mel?” I asked when she finished her pathetic wailing. By now, we had everyone’s undivided attention and I knew the events of today would be all over town before the sun set.