Page 19 of No Promises
Noosh gaped back the television screen. Destry had contorted his face into one of sorrow.Disingenuous bastard.Noosh’s hands, sweating, curled into fists under thetable.
“Too often, because of the prevalence of privately-owned firearms, we see domestic situations escalate to murder twice as quickly when a firearm isinvolved.”
“Because it’s not so bad when they just beat, stab, strangle, or otherwise abuse their partners, is it, fuckwad?” Noosh said bitterly. Ally shot her a strange look, and Noosh realized she’d said too much. Impartiality. A journalist’smantra.
She wanted to stand up and scream that this man had subjected her to horrific abuse even before he’d broken into her home and tried to kill her. That he was the last person on earth who should be bloviating about violence against women. Her nails dug hard into herpalms.
But still, she knew no one would believe her. And if he ever caught wind of her talking about him, Noosh knew Destry would come back to finish her for sure – and make her suffer even more thistime.
Noosh dragged her attention back to the screen. Destry paused and looked around at theaudience.
“In these cases, there are too many victims, too many people who deserve to hear their names heard, and it seems wrong to highlight any one case, but I was listening to a late-night radio show here in New York a few evenings ago and heard the story of a young woman who was shot and almost killed in herhome.”
No. No.This couldn’t be happening. He wasn’t really going to call her out on live television, was he? He wouldn’tdare… Noosh realized everyone in the room was looking ather.
Destry smiled kindly into the camera. “Sarah Marsh was almost killed by gun-violence six months ago and has been kind enough to share her journey with the listeners of Allison Monroe’sLate Night with Allyover the past months. I understand that the perpetrator has never been found. What must it be like for Sarah Marsh to know that her would-be killer is still out there? That, whether or not he is known to her, he could…tryagain?”
Noosh felt as if a wrecking ball had been slammed into her chest. So, not only was he calling her out, but he was also threatening to kill her. On live television. The shock was constricting her chest and she couldn’t breathe. She stood, staggering as she pushed her chair back, and stumbled from the room. She heard Liam and Ally come after her as she moved towards the restrooms. “Please, let mebe…”
Ally, of course, didn’t listen, and steered Noosh into the bathroom, ordering a startled woman out. The woman took one look at them both and skittered away in alarm. Ally locked the door behind her and wrapped her arms around a sobbingNoosh.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, get itout.”
Noosh couldn’t stop the tears, but she had enough control to know that she couldn’t tell Ally the real reason she was crying. She played it off as being reminded about the shooting and being upset at hearing that her killer hadn’t been caught, and Ally seemedconvinced.
Ally shook her head. “I was all ready to give the guy a parade until he said that. He’ll lose some of the ground he gained by saying it. Insensitivejerk.”
It was such an understatement of Destry’s evil nature that Noosh couldn’t help give a laugh, wiping her tears. “I’m okay. It just sometimes catches up withme.”
“I’m not surprised – I’m just shocked it didn’t happen sooner. You guys not heard of PTSD over there inBlighty?”
Noosh smiled. “Oh, we have. We just have that stiff upper lip thing goingon.”
Ally smiled and let her go so she could splash water on her face. “Noosh, we can arrange counseling, it’s not aproblem.”
Noosh hesitated. “I just don’t know if I’m ready, Ally. Not yet. I’m trying to get back on an even-keel. So much haschanged.”
Ally grinned. “Like a certain handsome Italian-American?”
Even the mention of Christo made her whole body relax, and she smiled shyly at Ally. “He is…verysweet.”
“The sweet Mafioso’s son.” They both laughed. “Come on, details…are you seeing himagain?”
Noosh nodded. “We’re going to his place upstate thisweekend.”
Ally’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
Noosh chuckled, some color returning to her face. “I want to say it’s not like that…and, for the moment, it isn’t. Sort of. Because of myback.”
“Plenty of things you can do without, um, strainingyourself.”
Noosh giggled, her cheeks now burning pink. “Oh, Iknow.”
Ally hugged her. “He’s gorgeous, and he clearly likes you a lot. I’m glad, honey. You deserve a goodone.”
Noosh returned to her desk,ignoring the curious stares of her co-workers, knowing that only Ally and Liam would be brave enough to question her. She checked the time. It would be about four p.m. in London, and seeing as Destry obviously knew where she was, she risked a call to herparents.
“Hello, love, how are you?” Hearing her mom’s soft voice made her want to cry again, but a half hour later, she hung up with a smile on herface.
