Page 26 of Boardroom Ties

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Shit.My cousin Dani is an unrepentant FaceTimer. No matter the situation, she wants eye-to-eye contact while we chat, all the time, forever and always. It doesn’t matter if I’m indisposed or if she’s in the middle of a clothes-free Tinder rendezvous—she demands it. And if she catches so much as a glimpse of my bruised, bloodied face right now, she’ll raise holy hell.

On the other hand, that might be a good thing. She’s a feisty little one. She’d take care of my Raymond problem for free.

But there’s so much she doesn’t know. If I wouldn’t let Matvei—a man who clearly knows his way around a murder—get involved, then I’m sure as shit not letting my ray of sunshine, kindergarten teacher cousin Dani get involved, as spicy as she may be.

So I text her instead.

Sorry, can’t talk rn. At dinner with R’s work people. Kill me.

The three dots pop up right away.

Dani Shmani Fee Fi Fo Banany

booooo

call me when ur free

i have tea

What kind of tea?

the BEST kind. pipin hot

i met a guy

he’s a FIREMAN, cass

a literal fireman

this is the stuff wet dreams are made of

Omg you lucky girl

right??

ok go back to ur boring dinner

brunch sunday? usual place?

I chew my lip. By Sunday, the bruising will be at its ugliest. Green and yellow around the edges, black in the middle. No amount of foundation is going to cover this.

Can we do next weekend instead? Swamped this week.

u always say that

fine

love u <3

Love you too.

Thank God. That could’ve gone way worse. I’m happy for Dani. After everything she went through last year with that shithead ex-fiancé of hers, she deserves a happy ending.

As formysupposed Prince Charming…

I open up Raymond’s text and laugh out loud. I shouldn’t; it’s really not that funny; but, well, leopards never change their spots, you know?

And abusive husbands, apparently, never change their utter lack of remorse.

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