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If you pay attention to what he says and get enough information you have a bomb. When you get home you blow his little cheating lies out the water. Get smart. Oh, that’s right you’re not.” Quinten continued with her sarcastic tone as she returned to her seat on the couch. “You’re the ignorant kind that attacks the woman instead of the man that is supposed to be faithful to you. Okay if confrontational is how you want to play this out, you need to stand behind the door and after he is in close it and we’ll take it from there.”

“Fine.” Shanel paced the room, her anger seeming to build with every step. “I’m tired of his mess anyway. It’s time to face him and let him know what I know. We’ve been married four years and he started cheating on me at the wedding with my best friend’s little sister.”

Quinten stood.

“That’s more than I want to know. Sit down and calm down. I’m going to call a friend to come over in about fifteen minutes as a backup in case things get too rough for us. Manny lives upstairs. He’s six feet seven and a professional boxer. Josiah is going to be pissed and even though I believe I can handle myself I’m not for fightin’ no man unless I have no choice.”

“Do what you gotta do. Call who ever you want. I'll take care of my end.”

For the ten minutes before Josiah arrived both women sat opposite each other totally silent and engrossed in her own thoughts. When the doorbell rang the piercing clanging sound caused them both to startle.

Quinten looked at her watch and walked to the door.

“I hope that’s Josiah and not Manny.”

Quinten, hand on the knob, waited for Shanel to slip behind her to the side of the door and stand with her back against the wall.

“Hi, Josiah. Come on in.”

Looking over his shoulder, Quinten saw Manny silently coming down the stairs and mouthed the words…five minutes to him before closing the door. When she turned around to face Josiah and give a response to his comment about the great neighborhood she lived in, the fear and shock on his face froze the words in her throat. Following his gaze to her right, she saw Shanel standing with a gun pointed in Josiah’s direction and his fear became her fear and she dared not move.

“Shaney, honey. Put the gun down. Let’s not do this here.”

“Where should we do it? Should we start at the next woman’s house? I’m tired of making myself look like a fool. This is it. It’s between me and you now and I run this.”