We ended up staying in Arizona for two days, now finally back home. I spent the day cleaning the house, even making time to go to the grocery store before I head to work. The boys have both been gone since we got home. Bill's house is now being rented out and it leaves an ache in my chest. I went to his grave on the way to the store, surprised to see it was covered in fresh flowers.
Kinsley and I road together to work, her ranting about Damien.
"I mean, everything is great. The sex, the connection; lately he's just seemed distant, and I don't want to press the issue but I feel like it has something to do with me."
"Maybe it's something with work or family, Kins. But that's your man, if you see something is off you should ask about it. See if you can help." I shrug.
"Eh, relationships are overrated. Too much guessing involved. Now a consistent fuck?" She kisses her fingers. "Beautiful."
"Then break up with him and keep him around as a fuck."
She winces, shaking her head. "Yeah, no. Too many feelings involved already."
I can't help but smile at her indecisive behavior.
We work through our shift, talking and goofing off. We weren't that busy on the bar side. It was kind of relaxing.
Once we finish closing we get in the car to head back home. The house looks dead. No lights are on, meaning the boys aren't home quite yet. We head inside, I take a quick shower and get in my pajamas before I go downstairs to watch a movie with Kinsley. It's a comedy, we laugh and snack the whole way through. It's getting late and neither one of the boys answering my text. I eat through my nervousness.
There's a bang on the door that has us both jumping, we look to each other.
"I got it," I whisper, nerves rolling through my body. The boys have keys, they wouldn't knock. I look through the peep hole to see Neil covered in splashes of blood.
"Open the fucking door, Michelle!" He wiggles the door handle. I quickly swing it open and he rushes in. He slams the door before locking it back. His gun rests tightly in his hand. "Where's your fucking boyfriend, Kinsley?" He runs towards her. My heart pounds violently against my chest.
"What?" She asks confused. A gasp leaves my mouth when he places the gun against her head. His eyes are slanted into slits. Kinsley sits in shock, her usual joking demeanor replaced with a frightened one.
"Where is your fucking boyfriend, Kinsley?" He says deeper, anger seething through every word.
"Neil! Put that shit down. What the hell is going on?" I walk up to him, trying to grab his arm but the look in his eye has me freezing in my steps.
"We've wondered how Lorenzo and Alaric's people have known about this house, the warehouse, Roselet's. It's him! He's been feeding them fucking information and I think you have something to do with it! There's no way you've been around the bastard this much and not know. Michelle is supposed to be your family, you put everything at fucking risk for what! What did you get out of it?"
Kinsley has tears sliding down her face, wiping it off quickly. "I s-swear, I had no idea. I thought we were just two people falling in love."
He lowers the gun, not fully convinced but having no proof so he can't do anything to her. I know her. She isn't built like that, she wouldn't have put me in danger for any dick.
"It was him, you know." Neil spits out as if it's painful to speak. "The pictures- it was Damien. He watched you fuck, followed you around every opportunity he was able." He glances at me sadly.
Our conversation is cut short when the front door busts open. Mateo's body flies through the walkway, blood gushing from his abdomen. "Oh my god," I choke out, dropping to my knees to help him.
"Don't move," a gun is placed in my face. The hand belongs to Lorenzo, Alaric behind him. He has a beaten Elias in his arms. Elias groans as he is thrown down next to Mateo.
"Baby," he murmurs. My body shakes with fear and anger, wanting nothing more than to comfort them both. Damien stands in the back of the crowd of men, pain and sorrow laced on his features. He even looks like he's been crying.
"Mateo, Elias," I inch towards them but the cool metal is placed softly against my forehead. I choke on a sob, frustration beginning to overcome my fear.
"Are you deaf?" Lorenzo whispers.
Neil stands behind me, his gun raised. A scream cuts through the room when a shot is heard and Neil falls on the floor. I'm not sure if it came from me or Kinsley, maybe both.
Mateo clutches his side, coughing. I cry silently, waiting on this bastards next move. Where is everyone else? Kaleb? Xavion?
"I came here for the money and the drugs, but I might just use you while I'm at it. What do you say, Elias? Fuck your girl and her best friend and make you watch before your brains are blown out?" He caresses my face with the gun. I flinch away from his touch. "I'll let every man in here take you," he crouches down. "Even poor Damien, put a gun to his head and make him finish inside of you." His smile is sickening.
"You're a dead man, Lorenzo! I promise you, a dead man." Elias goes to stand up but Alaric kicks him in the jaw. His body falls to the ground, my sobs coming down with it.
"Boys go search the house. You know what we're here for." He nods his head, they all disperse like little puppets. Alaric, Damien, and Lorenzo are the only ones left.
Mateo's face is losing color. Terror races through my body as I watch him. His eyes are closed, his breathing slow and uneven.
"I love you, I love you both so much. Mateo wake up!" I scream, the gun in my face being what I fear less in this moment.
"How sweet," Alaric mumbles.
"Sweet indeed. Kinsley, come here baby." Lorenzo grins.
"Leave her alone," I beg. He flips the gun in the air, the barrel landing in his hand. Without hesitation he hits me in the head with it, causing my body to tumble over. I vaguely hear Elias' voice yelling. Blood leaks out the wound. I stare up at him, wondering what's the pleasure in all this. He can take the money and leave. Quick and simple.
"Kinsley, you have three seconds to bring your ass over here before you watch Michelle die. Is that what you want? I can make it happen." Lorenzo spits out aggressively.
She scrambles to her feet, coming over to where we're standing. He pushes her down next to me.
"Lorenzo, please." Damien croaks out. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her."
"Stop being a pussy. I plan to bring her nothing but pleasure." Kinsley breaks out in tears, staring at Damien in a broken manner.
"He took my daughter. I'm so sorry, that night at the club when he saw me with you he plotted everything out. Two weeks later he took her. I swear I'd never hurt you, please believe me." Damien cries out, pulling on the strands of his hair.
Kinsley looks at him in distaste. "Such a coward. How'd you take a strap in the ass but couldn't fight this bastard for your own fucking child?" She jumps up to lunge at him but Alaric pushes her back to the ground.
Lorenzo turns around and shoots him in the leg, causing Damien to fall to the floor screaming. "Shut the fuck up. Michelle chose this life for the both of them once she chose to sleep with two of the biggest drug dealers in the states. She and her friend can suffer the consequences."
"Lorenzo she doesn't know shit about this life! Wait till I get my hands on you. Just wait." Elias balls his swollen hands into fists, his eyes never leaving mine. "Mateo!" He growls out, shaking his best friend. "Get up, get up."
"He's dying, Elias. He should've just handed over the product when I asked. We'd never be in this predicament." Lorenzo looks back at the two of us. "Kiss," he says simply. My eyes widen at his comment. I look to see if he's serious or if he has lost his entire fucking mind.
"The fuck do you mean kiss?" Kinsley hisses back.
"Did I fucking stutter, bitch?" He goes over to Elias, placing the gun to his chest above his heart. "I said kiss." He cocks the gun back. He squats down, bringing his lips to Elias' ear. "You'll enjoy this, Lamont. It'll be a good show." Lorenzo grins as Elias grunts in frustration. Lorenzo has his arm around his neck, forcing his eyes to remain on Kinsley and I. Tears roll down my face as we stare at one another.
Kinsley looks at me with her cheeks stained with tears. "I'm so sorry, Michelle. I'm so sorry." She cries out.
"Shh, it's alright. Everything is going to be fine. Just listen to him, it'll be over soon." Either we'll be dead or they'll leave. More than likely the former.
She leans in reluctantly, pressing her damp lips against mine. I fight out a sob. I've pictured us kissing many times, but never in a situation like this. Her lips tremble under mine as Alaric claps somewhere in the distance. I keep my eyes closed. I try and picture any scenario other than the one we're actually in.
Feet are heard around us as we pull away. I watch as the men walk back into the room with stuffed duffel bags. "Just in time for the show, boys." Lorenzo flicks his tongue. "Strip each other."
I look at Elias, his eyes filled with pain. Physical and mental. To know Mateo is beside him and I'm three feet away, he's unable to help either one of us.
"I'm going to count to three, and if you haven't started my men will for you. And once they start," he chuckles. "I promise you they'll finish. Just ask Damien's daughter."
"You bastard!" Damien screams, choking on his own sadness. A moan of sorrow comes from my own lips at Lorenzo's words. I feel dirty. If my options are between Kinsley and Lorenzo's dirty men, my choice is clear.
"One," he starts. Kinsley and I look at each other. She mouths 'I love you', and I sadly smile in return. "Two." He continues.
She reaches over to me but I don't move, knowing Mateo is dying beside me. Elias has been beaten black and blue. Neil's body lays five feet behind me with a bullet through his forehead. I am numb, maybe in denial too. No matter what we do, how we do it; Lorenzo is going to do with all of us how he pleases.
"Three," he nods his head to his men. At the same time a loud gunshot is heard, and Alaric's body falls forward. A shower of blood rains down on us, and the shots continue. My body flinches in shock, quickly wiping the blood from my eyes. I have no time to sense what is going on, who's shooting or where it is coming from. Body's are falling, and the ones standing are running around shooting at doors and windows. Guessing where the bullets are flying in from. Elias jumps up, yelling in pain as he grabs me and Kinsley and pulls us under him. Glass shatters in every corner, my breath going so fast that I am unable to breath. My body shakes with sobs. Blood falls on every inch of my body Elias doesn't cover.
Eventually it just all stops. No sound, no movement. The only thing heard is our breathing and racing heartbeats. "Elias?" I whisper. He slowly crawls off of us, falling to the floor. He groans out in pain. I look around. Bodies are everywhere. Lorenzo's dead body stares back at me, his eyelids still open. I look to Mateo, quickly taking off my bloodied shirt and applying it to the wound. "Mateo, baby," I yell out. Kinsley comes beside me, checking his pulse. She nods her head to tell me she feels it.
Shoes are heard in the gravel outside, Mateo's men rushing through the door. Kaleb stands with a sniper rifle in his hand, Xavion and the others running in with pistols raised. They take off through the house to make sure no intruders are left.
"Kaleb!" I cry out, staring at Mateo's lifeless face.
"We're here, Michelle. We've got you. Xavion take them to the car." Kaleb takes my position applying pressure.
"No!" I choke out. "I'm not leaving them." Another one of his men are at Elias' aid talking to him and keeping him awake.
Kaleb sighs once the cost is clear all the other men run in. He places Mateo's hands on his chest, two others coming up and helping him pick up his body. They rush outside, sliding him into the back of an suv. "Get in, Michelle. Go!" He yells when he sees me just standing there. I crawl in the back, placing Mateo's head on my lap.
I rub his face, staring down at him. I watch as they load Elias in another car as we pull off. The car moves at high speed as I whisper words of encouragement to Mateo. Pleading with his soul to stay connected with his body long enough for him to get to the hospital. A cry racks through my body as we drive further from the house, knowing the hospital is almost a half hour away.
"Michelle, deep breaths. Please." Xavion says in the front seat and I just now notice he is in here with us. He turns around, careful not to nudge the driver. "Deep breaths with me, ready?"
I nod my head, watching his chest rise and fall and I try to follow. I feel like I can't catch my breath, everything in my world crumbling in my vision.
My eyes blur with tears, the bright light of the hospital parking lot blinding me. I feel like I can finally breathe, seeing people in scrubs run out and fling the car door open.
I see their lips moving, but I don't hear anything as they pull me from the car. They rush to put him on a stretcher, guiding him into the sliding doors of the building. I stare at the entrance, falling to the floor as Elias' car pulls up behind us. They take him as well, screaming incoherent medical terms in the air as they pass.
Kaleb rushes to my side, Kinsley beside him. I vaguely see Damien being brought in as well. Kaleb pulls me to his chest and I let myself succumb to every emotion that has coursed through my body tonight.