Page 17 of Keeping My Enemies Closer: Pt. 1

“That’s up to you,” I told her.“If you don’t sell the house, then we continue to live here, eat here, and be grateful to have gas and electricity.If you do sell the house, then whatever happens after that is up to you, Mom.”

She bristled again, clearly upset that I hadn’t caved in the way that she’d been hoping for.“I think this is a discussion better left for when you’re not feeling so emotional.”

“Yeah, because this is all my fault,” I drawled out.

“I didn’t say that this was all your fault,” she shot back.‘However, you could learn how to be a little bit more grateful for all that I’ve done for you.”

“I am grateful for all that you’ve done for me,” I argued.“But that doesn’t make me obligated to support you for the rest of my life.I’m only thirty, Mom.I want to have a husband and children one day.I don’t want to work as a waitress forever just because you think you’re too good to hold down a job.”

“What kind of man do you think would ever be interested in someone as selfish as you?”she sneered, and that stung.We’d gone from her being self-centered to her being cruel, and I never imagined such a day.

Refusing to be her victim, I turned, grabbed my sandwich, then headed to my room.

Chapter 9

Kasimir~

Now, while my job rarely had any downtime, I was making the time to visit Zoya at the diner again.I had tested myself for two nights already, staying away from Ruby’s, but I was done with that bullshit.For whatever reason, Zoya Kuzmin entertained me in a way that nothing else did, so I wasn’t fucking done making my presence known just yet.Plus, as long as I didn’t hurt her, Aurora could still sleep well.

However, when I walked into the diner, Zoya was nowhere to be seen, though I knew that she was on shift.I had called earlier, and one of the day-shift waitresses had been more than free with information that she probably shouldn’t be giving out over the phone.Of course, it had worked out in my favor, so I wasn’t complaining too much.

At any rate, I walked over to her section, and when the same guy who’d given her a ride the other night approached me, I could feel heat slithering down my spine again.No matter where she was or what she was doing, I didn’t appreciate this asshole taking her place.

“Hello,” he greeted cheerfully as he placed a menu in front of me.“Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“You can get me Zoya,” I told him, and his eyes flared, letting me know that he knew exactly who I was, though my white eye usually announced who I was without me having to say anything.

“Uhm, she’s...she’s on break,” he stammered.

“Even better,” I replied.“Now, go get her for me.”

Recognizing that it was in his best interest to not argue with me, he quickly turned, and it wasn’t two minutes later that Zoya was walking towards me, and the fire in her hazel eyes had shit feeling uncomfortable downstairs, but that’s what made this so much fun.

The second that she sat down across from me, she asked, “Do you want to see me homeless?Would that satisfy your need for revenge?”

“What are you talking about?”