“This is Edward, Senator Garwood’s assistant. Hold for the senator please.”
Kinga was very surprised to receive a call from Jas’s father. He was in Washington and, as far as she knew, busy with a Supreme Court confirmation. Why was he calling her? She’d barely finished the thought when the answer popped into her head.
Mick Pritchard...
“Kinga, it’s Seth.”
Kinga heard his deep voice in her ear and smiled, as she always did. Jas’s father loved his daughter and, because Kinga had been a fixture in his home for most of her life, loved her, too. “Uncle Seth. It’s good to hear from you. Is everything okay?”
“That prick is back.”
Seth rarely swore and his description of Mick told Kinga how upset he was at Mick’s return.
“I know. He’s called a few times and ambushed me in a parking lot. He wants you to support his bid for mayor.”
“I’d rather shove a hot stick covered with fire ants up my ass,” Seth told her, his voice vibrating with anger.
That would be a no, then. Just as she’d expected.
“The thing is, he managed to con his way onto the grounds of my house and Viola let him in. He told her that he wanted to talk to her about Jas, to reminisce. She’s not making much sense, but it’s obvious that he’s upset her and she’s having a meltdown.”
Kinga knew what he was asking, without him having to say the words. Viola, sensitive and emotional, had a hard time regulating her emotions, even before Jas died. Now, few people could talk her down when she was in an agitated state. Seth was one of them, Kinga another.
“I’ll go and see her, try and get her to calm down, maybe take a nap?”
Kinga heard Seth’s relieved sigh. “Thank you, Kinga.”
“I’ll go now. Do you want me to call you and let you know she’s okay?” Kinga asked, standing up and reaching for her bag.
“Please. You can get me on this number.” Kinga heard the frustration in his voice and could easily imagine him pacing the floor of his office. Seth adored his wife and missed her terribly when the Senate was in session. “I swear, if I get my hands on that self-serving prick, I will rip his arms off.”
“You and me both,” Kinga told him. “I’ll speak to you soon.”
Kinga disconnected the call and abruptly dropped back down to the couch, feeling like someone had punched her in the gut. Looking down at her hands, she noticed that she was trembling. She had to pull herself together and make the trip across town to Cousins Island. Immediately. Viola needed her and she wouldn’t repeat her mistakes and let her—or Seth—down.
But, God, the fear of failure was always there. And so was the urge to panic, dancing under her skin.
Kinga hauled in some much-needed air and saw a bottle of water in front of her face. Taking it, she cracked the lid, only to realize that it was already open. She took a big sip, then a deep breath, another sip, and felt a fraction calmer. She could do this...
Standing up, she picked up her bag and pulled it over her shoulder. Handing Griff the water bottle, she told him she had to go and, her arms wrapped around her waist, walked to the door.
All this was her fault.
The tendrils of panic grew stronger and she did not want to be behind the wheel of a car if an attack struck. If she became immobilized on the road, she could kill herself or someone else. And when she saw Viola, she needed to be clear-eyed and in control. She needed to do her deep breathing and calming exercises, but that meant having to hire a ride.
Kinga scrolled through her phone, eventually finding the contact number for the taxi company she routinely used. They were more reliable than a ride share service. She dialed, ordered a taxi, and when the dispatcher asked for a pickup address, she went blank.
She had no idea where she was...
Kinga felt her phone slide out of her fingers and lifted her eyes to look at Griff, his green eyes reflecting his confusion and concern. “Cancel the taxi, I’ll drive you.”
She looked around the room, seeing the musicians waiting for Griff, and shook her head. “You can’t, all these people are here, you have a practice scheduled!”
“As I said, I’m the boss and pay their salaries.” He looked across to the stage, sliced his hand across his neck and immediately, the band members realized that their session was canceled.
“Where do you need to go, baby?” Griff gently asked her, sliding her phone into the open pocket on the outside of her bag.
Kinga thought about lying but didn’t have the energy. “I need to go to Senator Garwood’s house on Cousins Island. It’s about twenty minutes away. Will you take me?”