Her eyes bugged out of her head and she took a step inside. I shook my head, and she nodded before going back outside.
I knew I could count on Stella to take the kids out the side gate so they wouldn’t see Jim. One crisis averted, I turned back to the bane of my existence.
“Leave,” I said, pointing to the door.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked, brows furrowed.
I prayed for patience and non-murderous thoughts to survive this conversation. “Of course I’m not mad. Why would I be mad about you owing a motorcycle club money and getting me caught up in your mess? And let’s not forgot the money you stole from me. In case you missed it, we’re not together anymore, so my money is not yours.”
Surely nobody would notice if I hid his body in the backyard.
“Whoa,” he said, putting his hands up. “I didn’t intend for them to come after you. And looks to me like they made themselves right at home here. Maybe I should be the one who’s mad.”
“What did you think would happen? They would just ask nicely for their money back? And since you have no say over who I spend my time with, you also have no right to be mad.”
What a selfish banana sucker.
“Of course not. But I didn’t know they even knew about you. That’s why I’m here now. To rescue you.”
I put my hands on my hips, needing something to hold on to or risk punching him in his smug face. “You led them straight to me when you showed up at my house. Of all the stupid things you’ve done in your life, that one was the most selfish. The last person I need to rescue me is you.”
Useless cumbubble.
“I didn’t think they were still following me,” he responded, showing me his annoying dimple.
“Did you ever think about how much danger you put your kids in?”
I didn’t think the bumhole could sink any further in my opinion of him. But he just managed to go from a zero to a minus three thousand.
“That’s why I’m here now. To get you far away from them.” He put his hand out, and I flinched back.
This shitlicker can’t be for real.
“So you come back weeks later? After they could have done God knows what to me?” I yelled, hands balled into fists. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
He stepped back, eyes wide. “Whoa, why are you so angry?”
What. The. Fudge.
“Get out,” I shrieked, my body vibrating with fury.
He shook his head but retreated farther. “Fine. But just for the record, I think you’re being unreasonable. And I tried to help.”
“Out,” I screamed, my voice too shrill for my own ears. He was never good with confrontation, and I knew he’d leave.
Jim opened his mouth in a last effort to plead his case. He’d never known when it was time to quit.
He didn’t get a chance to say a word, because in that moment all hell broke loose.
The front door smashed open, and men in balaclava masks appeared from all directions. “Police, get down on the floor.”
I stood frozen, hoping this was all just a figment of my imagination. Jim was taken down in a full-body tackle, landing with a crunch on the ground. I watched with wide eyes as men streamed into my little house, holding guns and yelling.
When I didn’t move fast enough, I found myself crushed to the ground as well, my landing somewhat softer than Jim’s but still leaving me breathless from the impact. “Put your hands behind your back,” someone instructed.
I complied, my brain not able to comprehend what was going on. The same person who cuffed me lifted me back to my feet and led me out of the house. I prayed Stella didn’t show up with the kids and they’d see me like this.
“I don’t ever want to see you again,” I whisper-hissed at Jim. “This is by far the worst thing you could have done to me, you selfish twatwaffle.”
What if they arrested me? I had to take care of my kids, not hang out at the police station. And I didn’t even know if they would charge me with anything. Was I helping a criminal when I let him into my house?
“Ms. Lindberg?” A guy came up to us, his attention on me.
“Yes?” I answered, glad my voice sounded steady.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come to the station with us. You’re not under arrest, but we need to talk to you.”
I blinked at him, not wanting to piss him off but also not wanting to go to the station. “Can’t you talk to me here?”
“We’d rather you come to the station.”
I didn’t think I had a choice and relented. The movies always said to cooperate or look guilty. “Fine. But I need to make a call to make sure my kids are okay first.”
He took the cuffs off me and opened the door of an unmarked police car. “Of course. You can call them on the way.”
“I need my cell. My friend’s number’s in it.”
He helped me into the car and leaned down. “I’ll get it for you if you tell me where it is.”
“It’s on the kitchen table,” I said, and he closed the door.
The officer came back with my phone a few minutes later. He got into the driver seat and handed it back to me.
“Thank you,” I said, pulling up Stella’s number.
I prayed she had her phone with her.
“Nora, hey,” she answered, breathless. “Is it safe to come back yet?”
“Not yet. Can you keep the kids for a few hours?”
There was silence before Stella came back on. “If you’re in trouble, cough once. If you just want some alone time with your hot guy, make a kissing sound.”
“I wish it was one of the two. But I’m on my way to the police station.”
“Did you finally murder the bastard?”
“Unfortunately, he’s still alive. But they want to ask me a few questions and
