crime was always ‘forgotten’ too. I didn’t expect her to sound apologetic, so I’d stopped being offended. Instead, I cocked a brow and asked, “Doing what?”
She waved a hand. “He’s working in a restaurant.”
“Doing what?” I repeated, unsure why she was even telling me this, but knowing better than to put up verbal roadblocks.
“Something in the kitchen, I assume. I think he’s a sous chef. He told me he’s certain he’ll be the head chef’s right-hand man soon enough.”
I arched a brow. “Good for him.” Undoubtedly, he’d be the next Bobby Flay in a short while—at least, that’s what she’d be telling people.
“It’s been difficult for him,” she said with a soft pout, her attention on her coffee. “Such a shame the way he’s been treated just because he has a little blip on his record.”
Though I wanted to roll my eyes, I didn’t. Instead, I just replied, “I’m glad he’s getting his life on track.”
Abstractly, I’d known he was being released. Robert had even mentioned it once. But, in the grand scheme of things, I hadn’t been that interested, and my training took most of my attention.
Knowing he was roaming around again hadn’t set me at ease, and I’d been grateful to be across the country, away from the sick piece of shit.
I wasn’t surprised that she’d raised the topic of him because she was insensitive enough to do that, but what surprised me was that she mentioned his position. She was, after all, a snob. I had to assume that Robert had refused to bankroll Cain, because otherwise, I doubted he’d be ‘slumming’ it in a restaurant.
“Things are going well for Maria and Adam too. It’s so exciting,” she exclaimed next, and out of nowhere, her aura bloomed bright red—the color of blood. The sight astonished me, enough for me to gape at her a little, before she distracted me with, “Maria thinks she might be pregnant again! Isn’t that thrilling?”
It would be if the kid she was carrying was her grandchild, but knowing what I did of her relationship with Adam, I highly doubted it. Even more, I doubted Maria would be pregnant for long.
She had an unfortunate habit of losing babies. Not miscarrying them. The bitch got pregnant and just had an abortion. On one of the few occasions he’d been in a sharing mood, Adam had told me that, one time, she’d taken drugs to get rid of a baby, had almost overdosed to stop being pregnant. I could easily believe it. Evidently, she didn’t believe in condoms—stupid bitch.
But that wasn’t why Anna had told me.
There was a glint in her eye. A glint I understood.
She wanted to measure my level of hurt.
My pain.
I’d never noticed that before. Never seen how she monitored a room in such a way, and that I’d seen her aura for the first time ever, told me enough. She truly had intended to cause me distress, which meant she’d seen the viral photo of Adam and me and was here on a damage limitation exercise.
Uncertainly, I plucked at my bottom lip and murmured, “I hope she stays healthy.”
Anna frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’d hate for her to miscarry again.”
She sighed. “Yes, unfortunate. I’d love another grandchild.”
As far as I could tell, Anna only liked Freddie because he was Cain’s kid. I couldn’t see her being interested in Adam’s. Yeah, that sounded rotten, but it was true. Cain was Anna’s favorite, even if he was a wicked prick.
“They’re doing so well though. They’re so happy together!”
I hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with that, but apparently my tone had her sharpening her claws.
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy for them?”
I arched a brow at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You didn’t sound it.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You always did have a little crush on Adam, didn’t you?”
“He had a crush on me too,” I said simply. “You wouldn’t even be sitting here today if that weren’t so, would you?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Yes, well, that’s certainly true. Things would have been a lot different if Adam had never met you.”
“I doubt things would have turned out better for Cain,” I murmured softly because I couldn’t help myself, not when she’d come here to rub salt in my wounds.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she snarled, sitting up so abruptly that she spilled coffee on her lap.
“I mean he was a bully. You must have known that, Anna. He bullied Adam something fierce, and I know half the school was