Page 35 of Bronx

“What kind of problem?”

“The kind of problem that only I can deal with.”

Without warning, Bronx grabs the phone out of my hand.

“Hey!” I protest, trying to reach across his massive width to get my phone back.

“Ruby?” He clicks a button on my phone, which places her on speaker. “This is Bronx.”

“Oh, if it isn’t Dog The Bounty Hunter.”

“What’s up at your house?”

“You want me to tell him, Karma?” Ruby asks out loud through the speaker.

I try reaching for the phone again, but Bronx simply raises his arm higher in the air and gives me a reproachful look.

I hesitate to answer just because he’s being an ass, but if I’m truthful with myself, I think that I really do want Bronx to know what’s going on, because if I have to deal with Ray, it would be nice to have some muscle behind me. The threatening tone of his voice messages have only been escalating, and I’m not sure what he’s capable of anymore.

“Go ahead, Ruby. You can speak freely.”

“Karma’s ex is over here acting like a full code red.”

“What’s he doing?”

I can see a darkness shift in Bronx’s eyes that raises the little hairs on the back of my neck. Suddenly, I’m thinking that involving him may not be the wisest move, but the genie’s out of the bottle now.

“He’s calling Karma’s name over and over, but in a tone that’s taunting. He wants her to come out of the house. He thinks she’s here.”

“So he’s alone?”

“Yes.”

“And does he have a weapon?”

“I don’t see one.”

“Did you talk to him directly?”

“I didn’t open the door, because I mean that would be stupid, but I tried talking to him through the kitchen window. I told him she wasn’t here, but he doesn’t believe me. He called me a lying lesbian bitch.”

“I seriously don’t understand how he knows where I’m staying,” I say, damn near crying because of how guilty I feel that I’m causing Ruby and her wife all of this trouble.

“Doesn’t matter,” Bronx says to me, then returns to the conversation. “Ruby, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Don’t let him leave.”

What?

“I don’t think that will be an issue. He said he’s going to stay camped out on our front lawn until Karma comes out and talks to him.”

Real tears well in my eyes after Bronx hands me back the phone, and I end the call. I try to believe in the power of positive thinking, but I’m really believing that there’s a dark cloud hanging over me and I’ll never experience true peace. The kind of peace that normal women have when the highlight of their day is having dinner after work with their significant other or catching a great movie with a friend.

No evil foster brothers.

No crazy ex boyfriends.

No drama.

Instead, I’m constantly living on the edge, worried about the past, worried about Ray, worried about money, worried about my brother, and there just doesn’t seem to be any clear path to joy in my future.