Page 69 of Kneeling for Them

“What’s your name?”I ask him.

He doesn’t respond.Good thing.If cats start talking to me, I’ll know I’m really losing it.My phone is on the coffee table.I pick it up, scroll through my texts.Kingston.Ella.Wait, why is Ella writing?I read a couple of her texts.She misses me?No.I don’t see how this can work.I don’t think she can forgive me for what I did before, becauseIcan’t even forgive me.

I need to tell the world, let them judge me.And then, only then, I might find redemption.

But I’m a cowardly piece of shit.

I swipe away the texts and pull up a grocery store’s website on my phone.I need some food, and I’m not fucking going to the store, that’s for sure, so delivery it is.

The cat nudges my knee.I add a big bag of cat food to my order.

Kingston

Time passes.Sebastian doesn’t respond to any of my messages.I’ve texted him.Ella’s texted him.The asshole isn’t responding.

And meanwhile, life goes on.

I haven’t seen Ella since Saturday night.If she was affected by the death of her former apartment manager, she hasn’t shown it.At least, not to me.I hate that I haven’t been able to spend time with her since Saturday.Stupid work.Kristin, Joel’s replacement, needs way too much hand-holding.Thankfully, she’s going to Grant with most of her questions, but then he comes to me to complain, and it’s a whole vicious cycle.

On top of that, I’m still reassuring clients after our “digital security breach” at the end of January.Shutting down the communication system was the right call.I’d do it again in a heartbeat to protect Ella or any other young woman in a similar position.But it didn’t happen without costs.

My office phone rings, pulling me from my swirling thoughts.I check the caller ID.Shit.It’s my ex-wife.She’s been calling me for days and I haven’t been answering.I never want to deal with her, but I’ve put her off long enough.

“Hello, Rayanne,” I say.

“Oh, finally, King, for fuck’s sake.Why haven’t you called me back sooner?”

I stare out the window, taking in the city of San Esteban.Glitter and gold dominates Dorado Heights, and dull, earthy tones fill the Bellefleur District, not too far away.

“I’m busy,” I say.“I’ve been making sure Joel’s replacement is up to speed.Has he given any thought to what he did wrong here?”

“He fucked a maid, apparently,” Rayanne says in an airy voice.“That’s hardly reason for cutting him off.Especially when, I hear, you’re now fucking the same maid.”

“He broke state laws.He filmed their liaison without her permission and attempted to distribute it over the company communication network.”

“Nice job, sidestepping my comment about your relationship with the maid,” she says.“But that’s not the point of this call.”

“Good,” I say, “because I don’t have time for your judgment or commentary on my relationships.”

“Relationships,” she repeats with a laugh.“Is that what you’re calling it these days?”

I don’t respond.I’m getting ready to hang up, in fact.

As if sensing her mistake, she rushes to say, “Sorry, that was uncalled for.I was just thinking, though, that rather than trying to get Joel’s replacement up to speed, why don’t you just let Joel come back?”

“I’d rather not.”

“He has learned his lesson.”Rayanne’s voice has a steely tone to it.“You can stop punishing him, have him come back to his office, his work.He misses the job.”

“I apparently wasn’t clear enough,” I say.“The answer is no.He cannot return to Tyler Analytics.”

“You’re going to be sorry,” she says.

“Are you threatening me, Rayanne?”

An airy laugh comes through my phone’s speaker.“Oh, heavens no, Kingston.I’m just saying your father-son relationship is suffering, and this is how you can repair it, and if you don’t, it’s a damn shame.”

A damn shame indeed, that my ex-wife is reducing herself to be a go-between for my grown-ass son and me.