Hands Stained Red

Twenty Eight ~ Kira

I watch as the two of them walk away and for the first time ever, they look like a proper couple. The two Americans look just as awkward as I feel.

Quinn grabs my hand and tugs gently, "Can we go? I'm not feeling great."

I squeeze his hand and I'm about to leave when the American guy looks at us, "I'm Gino, and this is Cilla. Sorry about the Flynns, they can be a bit much some times."

I laugh. What I had just witnessed was barely dramatic compared to all the stuff that I've seen with Rya. "Then they'll fit right in with the Guerreiros," I joke and then take a deep breath, "Although I'm now considering getting a badge that says 'not Rya's whore' after today."

Quinn laughs, "That's the first time I've ever been called someone's lover."

Gino and Cilla laugh and Quinn drops his head. For a second I recognise the blushing boy I led around the school on his first day. "Come on you, I think we'll go get a drink. Or three."

I take his hand and lead him towards the bar where I see Liam talking to Bella. "Hey, can we get Quinn drunk enough to get through the night?" I ask quietly so Quinn cant hear over the music.

Liam sighs and leand forward to tap Quinns shoulder, "Right, you, what do you drink?"

Quinn mumbles something under his breath about not drinking and Liam nods before turning away and making a drink. Bella's eyes widen as she watches him, "That'll knock him out!" She says.

Liam nods as he puts down the brown liquid in front of him, "This was Bella's drink back when we first met. That will get you drunk enough to forget about any problem you've ever had."

I go to object since Quinn barely drinks so this could knock him flat on his ass but he cuts me off by knocking the whole glass back in one go. The three of us watch in amazement as he coughs and splutters before slamming the glass back down.

"Why him?" He says quickly. "I mean, hes literally a male Rya. But hes so old. Me being young is literally the only thing going for me."

I expect Bella to defend her daughters marriage but instead she gestures something to Liam and sits down beside Quinn, "No, you have a lot more going for you. The two of you have a history. You have love. What they have is a gun to their head."

Liam sits down a similar looking glass in front of Bella and she sips it instead and then makes a face, "Oh, that brought back awful memories."

Liam puts down a green looking liquid in front of me and smiles. I take a sip and its surprisingly good. I pat Quinn's knee, "Look, everything is going to work out fine. Right now, it looks a bit murky. Like, your girlfriend is married and mine is a serial killer who I believe is dead."

Bella winces as I say that, "Happens to the best of us Kira, dont worry about it. I mean, I used to go out with a cop. Before he was a cop but even then he was such an ass."

I dont question how a cop and a serial killer are on very different ends of a spectrum as I have a feeling that that is an argument Bella wouldn't give up too easily.

Quinn puts his head down on the bar top and I pat his back in what I hope is a comforting way. I have no idea what to say to him to make this even marginally better for him.

A phone pings and Liam pulls his out of his pocket. I watch as his eyes go wide, "We have to get to a TV," he says quickly and then vaults the bar and runs from the room.

I grab Quinn and yank him up. He quickly starts running with me after Liam with Bella close behind. I find Liam again in a bedroom, messing about with the tv until it flickers on. He finds the news and sits down on the bed.

"Two of the missing young people from the local town have now been found seemingly unharmed apart from a minor injury to a male sustained from a fall during their escape."

"So, we knew they'd be found. We sent Switch to drop them off," Bella says confused.

"Just shut up for a second," Liam snaps.

We look back at the screen to see what has him so worked up. It must be something awful to scare him considering that he works in the hell hole that is Angels.

"But in a surprising twist, the pair were found locked in the back of a car with an unconscious driver. The driver was known to police previously as Switch Smirnov however they're was evidence left in the car which reveals that the caretaker of Rya Guerreiro is actually Owen Traylor, a hitman for hire, wanted for the murder of over 35 people. Mr Traylor has been taken to hospital before he will be moved to a jail to await his trial."

"We have to tell Artie," Quinn says quietly, "He's going to flip."

Bella sighs deeply, "I'll do it. I should be able to keep him calm. See what you can find out, where he's being taken and whatnot. Shit. This is going to be a mess."

"Wait," Quinn says suddenly and points at the screen where a video of the two others are being put into the back of an ambulance, "Please tell me that isnt who I think it is in the background."

I stare at the screen and in the background a blond man is talking to a police officer. He has a large file in his hand and looks almost nervous. His face does look familiar but I cant put it to a name.

Liam's brows furrows, "What the fuck? He's been to my bar before. What the fuck is an Angels customer doing talking to an officer?"

Quinn almost looks ready to cry, "It is him. He's supposed to be dead."

The pieces start to come together in my mind and horror overcomes me. I jump to my feet and run out into the hall. I cant see Rya anywhere but I need to find her.

She went outside last time I saw her so I run through the front door and right into someone. "Shit, sorry, have you seen...."

Rafa grins down at me as his fingers wrap around my wrists tightly, "Hello Kira."