I got all of five minutes to do my happy dance. “Vanessa, get down here. Now.”
I went down the stairs a little wary at the tone in his voice. “Did you just call my mother?”
What the hell, I didn’t hear the phone ring. He must’ve turned off the ringer in the bedroom the sneak. I folded my arms and looked ten shades of innocent. I wasn’t giving shit away unless I had to.
“Answer me, did you call? After I told you I would take car of it?”
“I don’t know, what did minotaur say I did?”
“She said you threatened her, now she wants to come over and talk…where are you going? I’m talking to you.”
“I have to check the cupboards, see how many cans of tuna we have left.”
“What you’re hungry?” His voice dropped a couple decibels. Damn this baby thing is the shit. Too bad I had to burst his bubble.
“Nope, I keep them handy to throw at your hag of a mother and your bitch face sister.” I kept walking with him following behind me muttering about hormones and some shit else. I checked my stash before turning back to him.
“Call that bitch back and tell her to come.”
Chapter 11
“Babe, we’re a team remember? Help me out here; stop lining up those damn cans and come sit down.”
“I can listen to you and count my cans at the same time, go on.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the table.
“Babe, I am trying to navigate this minefield the best way I know how. I just found out that my mother, a woman I’ve loved and respected my whole life isn’t…well, you know.”
“She’s an agent for the devil is what she is. And there’s only one way to eradicate such evil, a nice stake through the heart ought to do it.” He glared at me but whatever.
“Vanessa, do not forget that this is still my mother we’re talking about. You’re my wife, I get it, united we stand. Now that I understand what that means to you I’m gonna do my best to see that you get what you need from me, though I think you should’ve known this all along.”
“I’m not a mind reader and this little talk better not be leading up to you telling me things are going back to the way they were, because I will pack me and the little pin up and be so gone.”
“Hey, don’t threaten me, nobody’s going anywhere so calm your little ass down. Don’t pout you deserved that for acting like a brat.”
“If we’re dishing out what people deserve then I should get to run your mother over with the truck at least twice, that’s only fair.”
He was back to glaring and grinding his teeth. “Are you gonna stop?” I huffed and folded my arms. I did not like this conversation at all, let me tell you. Then again I hated any conversation having to do with the Cyclops.
“As I was saying, I’m trying to handle this situation in a way that’s best for all involved. You and the baby are most important in this equation, please remember that the next time my mother gets under your skin.”
“She doesn’t get under my skin, she’s more like an ass ache…”
“Vanessa for the love of…” He was on to pulling out his hair now.
“Listen, let me make this easy for you. If that troll from the seventh level of hell doesn’t give me back my nana’s ring ain’t nobody gonna have any peace. Me and Tommy will go on a rampage, and just so you know I hid him so you can’t take him away.”
“I’ll talk to her about the ring just please let me handle it will you.”
“Fair enough but I don’t want her here, she’ll just be getting her way and I can’t have that.”
“Where do you suggest? You want to go there?”
“Have you been hitting the pipe? I thought they screened you soldier types. Of course I don’t want to go there.”
“Fine we’ll meet at a restaurant.”
“Yeah because that worked out so well last time.”
“Okay I give up; what do you suggest?”
“A shooting range sounds good.”
“You know you could have some sympathy for my part in all this.”
“Oh yeah, what part is that?”