Chapter 54: An Elder Extraction
GRANDPA BELMONT
Vanessa’s grip on my arms tightened, her manicured nails digging into my biceps hard enough to leave crescent-shaped indents in my skin. Her wedding dress—an absurdly expensive marshmallow-esque puff of ivory silk and lace—was smudged with dirt.
Nathan loomed behind her, his tuxedo jacket straining across shoulders that had clearly spent too much time in the gym. He was a CEO, not a Mr. Universe contender. His gaze locked onto Raine with the kind of cold calculation usually reserved for serial killers and tax auditors.
Malone, meanwhile, had positioned himself near the exit. His right hand rested near his holster, fingers twitching like he was mentally rehearsing his draw. Nathan told me once that his bodyguard/assistant had once shot a mugger through a subway car window from thirty yards away. If I was in trouble, I’d want Malone to be on the rescue team.
And then there was Nettie.
Nettie sat in her worn armchair, the faded floral upholstery molding around her like a second skin. Her cotton nightgown—pale yellow and slightly frayed at the edges—draped loosely over her thin frame. The house slippers, scuffed at the toes from years of shuffling across hardwood floors, barely made a sound as she crossed one ankle over the other. A single lamp cast a dim, golden glow, painting the room in long shadows, but Nettie didn’t seem to mind the gloom. Her hands rested calmly in her lap, fingers laced together.
Vanessa’s head swiveled between me and Nettie so fast I think I heard her vertebrae pop. "Grandpa, are you okay? What’s going on? Who is this?"
I sighed so hard my dentures rattled. "Vanessa, meet Nettie Drop. My ex-girlfriend."
Nettie wiggled her fingers at my granddaughter and her new husband. Really new. Like today new.
Vanessa studied Nettie like my ex was a specimen under a microscope. "Wait. This is the woman who—"
"—set fire to my car and stole my favorite jacket," I finished.