Page 66 of Devious Roses
He shakes his head. “You’re a foolish woman who pretends she’s rational. If… if you were smart… you’d leave.”
It’s then that I notice it—the shift of his eyes. They move somewhere behind me. Somewhere in the distance beyond where I’m standing.
I glance over my shoulder, at first bemused.
“Is that where she went? She’s hiding out in your closet? Sasha, come out right now!”
“Mrs. Mancino, if you were smart, you’d—”
His protests fall on deaf ears as I arrow for the door. It might be what others would consider a foolish move, but I need answers as to what the hell is going on.
I tug open the door, unsure of what to expect.
“Delphine,” she murmurs. “This is between Polk and me. Leave.”
My gaze lowers to what’s held limp at her side within her right hand. I take another few steps back as she walks out of the coat closet and deeper into the office.
“Sasha… what are you doing with a gun?”
“What does it look like? I’m taking my fate into my own hands,” she says. “You know what we’ve talked about in group—we’re not victims. We’re always in control.”
I chance a glance in Polk’s direction, then look back at her. “Yes, but this isn’t… put the gun away. I’m going to handle everything.”
“How?” she demands with a tremble to her voice. “Nothing’s changed! He’s still threatening me! He’s still having me followed! They’ve been outside my window at night!”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about, you looney toon. The ravings of a cheap whore,” Polk retorts.
I shush him, my eyes set on Sasha. “I’ll have my husband’s men look into the people watching you at night. I’ll make sure nobody does. I’m going to make Polk stop.”
“You’ve failed! You’ve failed just like everybody else. There’s no protecting me from this…” she says, tears glistening. “He won’t stop. So I’m going to make him.”
“Sasha, put down your gun.” I speak calmly, slowly, in terms that are easy to follow.
Still, she does the opposite. As I request she puts away her weapon, she lifts her arm up and points her firearm directly past me.
At Polk.
“You’re going to pay for what you did to me,” she croaks. “You’re going to suffer!”
“You’re both foolish!” Polk says. Though the way his focus shifts between the two of us, it’s undeniable he’s nervous. His Adam’s apple quivers in his gangly throat as he keeps his distance. “You think I’m some boogeyman? I was doing my job!”
“What part of your job involved what you and your friends did to me?”
“You’re a nonfactor!” he yells over her. Then he glares at me. “If you think there’s any way this ends with you and your husband riding off into the sunset, you’re wrong! You never should’ve come here! Don’t you see I was trying to give you an out? I was trying to free you from a man that’s going to bring you down. Look at how far you’ve fallen. You’re no longer the woman you once were, Ms. Adams.”
“So now I’m Ms. Adams. For weeks you’ve taken joy in calling me Mrs. Mancino.”
“You’re a stupid, stupid woman. If you weren’t, you’d have run away a long time ago. Now you’ve teamed up with this cheap whore. Do you really think that’ll work in your favor?”
“I’m not a whore!” Sasha screams, shaking on the spot.
“You are! That’s all you ever were! That’s all you’ll ever be! You spent years drugged out of your mind spreading your legs for whatever man would have you! You and that bastard son of yours you should’ve aborted can go straight to hell!”
Sasha’s gun goes off with a bang that makes me jump. It resonates inside the office and beyond. Outside these four walls, Mrs. Upton screams, and others on the floor break out in a flurry of noise at the active shooter situation.
I’m stunned for seconds to come after the gunshot. My gaze is on Polk as the bullet strikes him in the chest and he goes down, never to finish his threats.
“What have you done?!”