Page 32 of Suspicions on the Stage
I shake my head, dismissing the ridiculous thoughts outright as I start walking again. While I’m concerned about my reputation affecting others, I’m not worried that I’m not good enough for anyone. Magnus wasn’t great for my self-esteem, but once I figured out who he really was, I let go of that shit fairly quickly. You can’t let a malignant narcissist control your view of yourself—you’ll never win. Their ego demands subjugation of everyone around them, so they feed it properly. Besides, other than the wealthy grandmother, none of them have parents that are getting nominated for awards.
The bell on the door chimes as I pull it open, looking around The Beanery to see who’s here. It’s busy right now, with a few different groups of students at tables and a low buzz of chatter filling the air. I don’t see Slade, so I make my way to the back corner table I like. Staying out of the limelight, especially on campus, is always my preference since the trial. I settle in quietly, scrolling through my phone and making notes on things for the afternoon until, finally, I sense someone looking down atme. I wait a moment, not wanting to allow whoever is there to interrupt my flow simply because we’re in public.
When I look up, my eyes almost roll back into my head. It’s the woman from the fucking grocery store who gave me shit when I was helping my poisoned polar bear. Today she’s wearing a tight sweater and tailored pants with her university ID dangling from a lanyard with various pins on it. They’re not branded, so they must be protective. Her expression is smug, and I have to stop myself from sighing as she glowers at me. It’s obvious she wants to make a scene and I’ll be damned if I’m going to give her the oxygen for this bullshit on campus.
We’re not teenagers, for fuck’s sake. I don’t even know this bitch.
“Well?” she finally says as she tosses her long brown locks over her shoulder in a move thathasto be practiced.
I simply stare at her blankly, not reacting to the tone and aggressive question. It’s clear that Magnus encouraged this sort of dipshittery on campus, whether it’s his flunkies, floozies, or fall guys. Everyone I’ve met that sides with my ex is the very definition of what someone would call ‘that guy’ or ‘that woman’. By depriving her of the drama she so desperately wants, I’m stopping the cycle before it begins. Plus, it doesn’t matter what lies and petty accusations she wants to hurl at me; I know for a fact that if I were to actually show the proof of my ex’s behavior, a lot of his disciples would run for the hills. There would still be some low self-esteem hangers-on, but mostly? The truth would set them on their stupid asses.
Unfortunately, I’m reluctant to drag myself through that much by admitting it, so this is my rock to keep pushing up the fucking hill.
“Are you going to evenspeakto me, or is it true that you think you’re too good for all of us peons atState U?”
Moving my head back and forth, I crack my neck loudly to distract my gorgon from the desire to wreak vengeance on this deluded fool. I chant soothing words to Desi in my head, trying to keep her from popping out and causing this to escalate. My mantra is working so far, but I’m hungry and I could use caffeine, both of which are impossible to procure when I have a country-fried Karen blocking the path. My eyes move back to the screen of my phone and I use the device to pretend she’s barely a blip on my radar. If I get lucky, the affront will be enough to send her packing.
“Barista! Barista!”
It takes a Herculean effort not to cringe at the shrill shriek of the chick standing inches from me, especially since she’s summoning one of the staff here as if she’s on some reality TV show about bad celebrities. It’s tacky and elitist, but if I want to avoid engaging her, I have to let it go and keep scrolling my email. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to throttle her for being such a nuisance.
Light footsteps approach, and my head jerks up immediately as the vibe in the small corner changes. I know who that is, and I feel the calm trying to wash over me when he stops to talk to my semi-stalker. When I look up, I see Slade, his beautiful eyes confused as they dart from me to the chick and back. I bet she’s wondering why I haven’t taken her down a peg, but I can’t explain it to him right now. This is the last thing I need, especially since Jackson is working to calm down the fervor of Lucas’ faux arrest.
“Hello, ma’am. How can I help you?” my mate says. His voice has atouchof the siren in it; I can hear it in the musical undertone of the words.
I adore this kind, studious supe, but I don’t think he gets what happens when someone goes off the deep end with obsession.
“You can clean this place up and take out the trash.State Uis a respected institution and we don’t need a convicted?—”
Slade forces a bland smile as he interrupts her. “Ma’am, this cafe is open to all staff, students, visitors, and alumni. We don’t discriminate and since the only one making is a scene is you…”
Her gasp is so high-pitched that I’m surprised the glassware nearby doesn’t break. It’s fake, but it gets the attention of more of the crowd. Now we’re being watched by everyone who isn’t wearing headphones, and I want to bang my head on the damn table. This is exactly what I hoped to avoid, and though Slade is handling it as he should, whatever-her-name-is, the loudmouth is making sure this is an event people will talk about for days, if not weeks.
Men are such a pain in my ass, but women? We’re constantly fucking each over as much as men do privately, then waving flags of solidarity when others are watching.
I would literally rather scrub my nipples off with a Brillo pad than deal with this shit, but I don’t have a choice now. My mouth opens to shoot back a cutting retort, but Batshit McCrazypants whirls on Slade like a valkyrie that’s found her prey. Her frame tenses as she puts her hand on her hip and clears her throat loudly, then stabs the air between them with one perfectly manicured finger.
“Excuse me? Just who do you think you are? My family?—”
“Nope,” I mutter to myself as I push to my feet. “Not today, Satan.”
This woman can insult me until the cows come home, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her malign my mate. I step closer, invading her space as I glare down at the still yammering idiot, then tap her on the shoulder. She whirls around, her eyes widening as she comes face-to-face with the several inches I have on her and my furious expression. The flow of words stops for a second and I use that gobsmacked pause to give her my most chilling smile. It’s the one I gave Magnus before I darted forward to tear into him, and I know it reduces even the strongest supes to a quivering mass of fear.
“Listen and listen well, Karen,” I say in a low, deadly tone. She looks like she’s going to protest that I’m not using the right name, but I hold my finger up and continue. “I don’t care what your name is. I don’t care who your family is. As it’s been publicly proven, I don’t even care what thelawis. What Idocare about is the way you’re treating Slade.”
My ‘enemy’ crosses her arms over her chest, looking indignant, but too scared to try speaking again. It makes every fiber of my being, including my gorgonandmy gargoyle, happy, so I lean down a little to punctuate my point. “Forget that treatinganyonein any industry this way is insanely offensive and out-of-touch. That’s true, but it’s not why you’re going to do as I say. You’re obviously not someone who gives a rat’s ass about how elitist and cruel you are, so I’m going to appeal to the one thing thatwillget through to you—power.”
Slade’s lips twist as he watches me, his delicate features warring between proud and pleased. I’d wink at him, but I need this chick to back the fuck off and stay there so that there isn’t a ‘nexttime’. This is her second attempt at trying to mess with what’s mine and I don’t give third chances—not anymore.
“If you come near me or anyone in my vicinity because of a delusional loyalty to a dead asshole again, I will use every connection, every ounce of my powers, and every drop of my energy to make sure that I prune your family tree so thoroughly that earth will be scorched beneath it forever. Gargoyles and gorgons both have very,verylong lifespans and we hold grudges. Your ancestors will regret not swallowing you for so long that poets will write epic songs about it that will outlast most supernaturals. And trust me, there’s not much more that can be done to make my life miserable after my last trial, sweetheart. I’m a woman without a fuck to give and a lot of fury still ready to be released.”
“You can’t?—”
I throw my head back and laugh throatily, so amused by her squeaking plea that I can’t stop myself. When I get control of my humor, I give her another evil smirk. “I can and I am, dear. If you think I’m kidding, you should realize that I gave you one chance to get over this crap and move on. This time, I’m making damn certain you understand the next time we cross paths, you’ll be leaving in a body bag.Capiche?”
“What does that even mean? You’re not Italian!”
Dear Medusa, give me strength… This woman is going to die in the middle of the coffeehouse.
