Hands Stained Red

Forty One ~ Kira

I open the fridge and I'm surprised to see it full. I had assumed that the house had lain empty for the past week or so while everyone was at the wedding but I've seen a few people wandering around that must have stayed behind.

No one seems to speak English or take any notice of Reggie and I as we make ourselves lunch. I guess they must be used to weird things happening in this house.

"So, this is happening again? It's all feeling very high school," Reggie complains from his seat at the table.

I laugh as I find some sandwich fillings and start to make us food, "Yeah, although this time, theres only one person trying to kill us. Not a whole family."

He sighs and puts his head on the table until I put his sandwich down in front of him, "Although I dont think the Flynn family are far away from wanting us dead."

He groans as he eats, "Its been three weeks, if that, since I saw you guys last. How the fuck did everything get so crazy?"

I sigh as I sit down beside him. It's been the most insane three weeks of my life. I've lost my virginity, fallen in love, had my best friend kidnapped, had my heart broken, went to my best friends wedding, been kidnapped again and have had to constantly convince people that I'm more than a sex object.

"Rya," I say and Reggie nods because honestly that explains everything.

He turns to me and takes my hand in his, "Are you ok? You've been caught up in everything."

My eyes burn with unshed tears but I refuse to let them fall, "Not really. But I'm still alive and I know that this will all be over soon."

I tuck my legs up underneath me and feel Reggie pull me against his chest, "She really fucked you over didnt she? Poppy I mean."

I nod and take a deep breath, "Just my luck isnt it? The first girl I genuinely like and likes me back, kidnaps my best friend and is a literal serial killer."

He starts to chuckle and I smack his leg, "Its not funny!" I object but a laugh bubbles up inside me. "Ok maybe it's a little bit funny," I finally admit and soon we're both laughing until the tears are running down my face and I cant tell what's causing them anymore.

"Well this looks fun," I hear Rya say and watch as she walks in. Shes finally in clean clothes which is a relief and she looks more herself than she has in about a week. Her arm is in a sling and theres a bandage around her shoulder.

She smiles at us and Quinn walks in behind her, "So, update on the current situation, the bait is working and Rafa is on his way."

"Bait!" Reggie exclaims, "So that's why I'm here?"

Rya rolls her eyes, "I thought that was pretty fucking obvious, Reggie. I'm sure you've seen your workspace but it's not exactly ideal for killing my cousin. Far too many witnesses. However, I think theres a poetic sense to killing him here. Well hopefully there," she points at a spot on the kitchen floor, "because that's the exact spot that I bashed his sisters brains out."

Quinn gulps, "I wish that was an exaggeration," he mutters.

Rya just smirks at this, clearly proud of her own violence. I look between the two of them and wonder how they make such a perfect couple. They shouldnt but they work so well together.

"So, any minute now Rafa will show up. He'll probably do some speech that you wont be able to understand because he refuses to speak English, and then I'm going to kill him. This time I'm going to make sure he's very very dead because if I have to go through this shit again, I'll kill myself and save him the bother," she says and I doubt shes exaggerating here either.

I take a deep breath and get ready to run in case this lands badly, "Rya. You're injured. How are you going to fight him?"

She growls at me but doesnt move so I stay seated, "I still have one arm dont I? I only need one hand to choke the life out of him."

"She has a gun," Quinn chips in, "Shes not going to get close to him, are you?" He shoots a sideways glance at her and she rolls her eyes in defeat.

Rya reaches back and pulls a gun from her waistband, "He'll be dead before he can say a word."

"Will I now?" A voice says behind me and I scream. I turn and see Rafa standing in the doorway looking smug. "See I've said multiple words now and I'm still very much alive."

In only a second, chaos erupts in the kitchen. Reggie grabs me and yanks me towards the back of the kitchen, away from Rafa while Rya shoves Quinn to the floor just as Rafa grabs her injured arm.

She yelps in pain and the gun falls to the ground. "Rya!" Quinn shouts, struggling to get to his feet. He freezes when Rafa wraps his arm around her neck and squeezes.

She claws at his arm but he must be holding tight enough to cut off her air supply because her eyes are wide with panic.

Rafa smiles at us as he pulls out a gun and taps it lightly against Ryas temple. "Now, I really only have to kill Rya but you guys have been a pain in my ass for weeks," he looks over at Quinn, "I should have never left an amateur to kill you."

He turns the gun onto Quinn and Rya slams her head back into his nose. He curses in Russian but doesnt let her go as they stumble back. "Bitch," he hisses, "That all you've got?"

Theres a flash and a scream and I look up to see Rya clutching at a new bullet wound on her thigh. "Fuck you," she grits out as the blood starts to pool at her feet. "I'm going to rip your head off your pathetic body. You killed people I care about, dont think you're getting off easy."

I could have sworn that the look on Rafa's face was that of confusion but I barely get a chance to decipher it before another gun shot makes my ears ring.

Rafa and Rya drop to the floor and I rip myself out of Reggies grip to get to them. I shove Rafa out of the way and hear a pained cry as I do so.

He shot her. Theres so much blood. Oh my god shes dead.

"Rya?" Quinn says nervously as he crawls over to us.

Her head lifts off the ground and frowns, "What the fuck happened?"

The three of us look over at Rafa's body on the floor beside us. A bullet hole in the middle of his chest leaks deep red blood and his eyes watch us lifelessly.

"You're welcome," a man says gruffly and I look up to see Kaden standing there with a gun in his hand and a harsh look on his face.

"Thank you," Rya says softly.

Theres another gunshot and a scream rips itself from my throat. My heart is beating a million miles an hour and theres so much adrenaline in my body that I feel like I'm dying.

Quinn is holding Rya's fallen gun and theres a new bullet wound in Rafa's head. "Just making sure," he says.

Rya snatches the gun from him and I cover my ears this time as she fires into the body until the gun is empty. "Stay dead bitch," she hisses.