by A. M. Brooks
Seth’s gaze finds mine, holding me hostage. “Blaise,” he croaks.
“Ah, ah, ah.” Toni shakes his finger in his face. “Little B needs to hear all the damage you’ve both done.”
“What’s he talking about?” My question is directed at Jay, who won’t even look at me. His eyes trained intently on Toni, following him around the room.
“I killed your brother,” Toni announces, stopping to stand in front of me. He sinks back so we’re face to face. Tears spring to my eyes and trail down my cheeks, leaving a warm path along the way. “I wasn’t alone though. He put up quite the struggle. It took two of us to pin him down before I could shove the needle into his arm. Hit the vein just right. This same person helped load him in the car and drove it toward the tree. Who could do such a thing?” His eyes glint.
“No fucking way!” Joey’s voice bounces between us. For the first time, I see him seated in his own chair, tied, and a little bloodied. “You killed him? He was our brother. Family.”
“No.” Toni’s voice goes high pitch. “We, are family.” Toni motions between Stone and himself.
“You’d be in a lot better position, Joe, if you’d learn to keep your mouth shut and obey orders,” Stone warns him. “There is no guarantee you’ll make it out of here alive tonight either.”
My heart races, bile rising in my throat, stuck behind the sob that’s caught there. My mind spins with all this new information while my fight or flight instincts are triggering from the adrenaline.
“Alverez told you to do this?” Joey shakes his head in disbelief. In this moment, he reminds me of the character Stu from the original Scream movie. His version of reality shattered when he realizes his boss doesn’t care about him and wants him dead. The fact that Joey couldn’t see this as a possibility while working for the cartel makes me want to pity him. How naive to think you’re untouchable when you’re so low on the food chain in their world. Joey’s face crumples like a five-year-old who just learned reindeer don’t fly.
“Who was it, Blaise?” Stone asks, taunting me. “You can make it right, right now. Justice for your brother, right? That’s why you’ve been hanging around the cop, working with him while pretending to give a shit about us.”
“I did give a shit about you.” I turn toward him. “Until I learned the truth.”
“Didn’t know you were sleeping with the enemy, did you?” Toni heckles. “Or is Seth the enemy? But wait, he’s your first love, and he fucked you, too, so he couldn’t do that to you.”
Stone swings the gun toward Jay. “Seth and Blake were best friends. But did you know Seth here has a superiority complex? He’ll never be as good as your brother. Maybe he did it?” Our joined hands move from Jay to Seth. The tears fall harder down my face.
“It’s okay,” Stone coos against my skin, shifting his body closer to mine. I can feel the hard length of his arousal as he grinds into my ass cheeks. I want to vomit, knowing this shit is turning him on. His fingers dance across my collarbone and dip into the space between my bra cups.
“Quit fucking touching her!” Joey yells at him, startling me in the process. I don’t blink before Toni whips out his own revolver from his back, firing once at Joey. The impact sends his chair crashing backward. A pool of blood forming on the ground under him. I scream before Stone’s hand clamps over my mouth. Gagging, I have to force myself to breathe through my nose, and shut my eyes trying to erase the past minute from my memory.
“I think it’s Agent McCall,” Stone announces over my whimpers and crying. “He’s been leading you on with half-truths, hasn’t he? Trying to turn you against your first love. Wanting you to believe he had no part in Blake coming back home where he died.”
My head shakes in denial, rejecting the lies and the game. Stone brings the gun back to Jay. Jay’s eyes are murderous, glaring, not an ounce of feeling in their depths while he watches us.
“Please tell me I’m not wasting money on this,” another voice joins the conversation. A man steps from the shadows, dressed in an expensive-looking black suit and red tie. His black hair is peppered grey and styled to perfection. I instantly recognize him from the picture at Jay’s home. Raoul Alverez. The air leaves my lungs. Heels can be heard clicking against the concrete next. Sky-high white stilettos step through the hanging plastic. The woman whose body follows next is his daughter, Scarlet Reyes. As stunning as her picture, she is almost identical to the slain Tejano music singer Selena. The pure white pantsuit hugs her legs and waist. The matching jacket hangs perfectly from her shoulders. The lace bodysuit underneath gives her the perfect balance of sexiness and business. My heart hurts for Trent.
“Can we just collect who we need and get out of here,” she asks in accented English.
Shots fire behind me, Alverez’s body crumples to the ground. Jay launches himself backward at Seth causing them both to hit the ground. Everything turns to chaos. Stone throws me to the ground, firing in the direction the shots came from. Alverez’s men get in a few shots. Standing on shaky legs, I cradle Jay’s Colt to my chest.
“Baby.” Jay’s voice calls to me in the fog. He stands in front of me, reaching out his hand, motioning for the gun. “Slowly, hand it to me. Do not squeeze the trigger.”
“Blaise.” My name from Seth’s mouth sounds scratchy. “Don’t. Give it to me. They set me up, we can’t trust them.”
My grip tightens, both hands cradling the handle. I rest my finger lightly next to the trigger.
“Look at me, Blaise,” Jay commands and my eyes slide to him, keeping Seth in my peripheral. Shots continue to bounce around us. Focusing on Jay, I let the noise fade. “Trust me. You already knew I was here the night Blake died. He asked me to be.”
“I know,” I whisper, feeling a tug in my soul to believe him.
“Bullshit,” Seth responds, pulling my attention back to him. “Blake knew things with your plan weren’t right the moment we got there that day. He didn’t trust you anymore and your sick obsession with his sister.”
“He knew it wasn’t right because his best friend that he brought on was taking calls from Alverez,” Jay retorts. They’ve taken their concentration off me, now sizing each other up. Jay’s face pales slightly. My stomach rolls watching Seth’s face morph in front of me. His eyes slant, all humanity fading away, taking the memories of our childhood with it.
“Seth,” I whisper, shaking my head in disbelief. His lips pull into a sneer. His body standing fully upright. He was never beat, and I was too stupid not to see it. “He was your best friend.”
Seth barks out a laugh. “Friend? He left me high and dry in this piranha-infested tank. He knew I needed the money, my options were never as good as his. I wasn’t going to college, this was the only option. He just had to keep his mouth shut about what he saw and everything would have been fucking different!” His hands tug at the roots of his long brown hair.
He lunges for me at the same time Jay dives toward him. My finger hits the trigger, my grip on the handle secure, my shot fires and goes over his head. Horror washes over me. Seth laughs. Another shot rings out, Stone crumples to the ground. Trent is propped on the floor, half in Reyes’ lap, her hand holding the compact pistol that has been aimed at Stone. A third shot fires, my own hands jerk in response. My eyes meet Seth’s. Disbelief slides in. The laughter on his lips turns to a cough. Blood oozes from the opening, painting his teeth and staining his lips. One hand clutches the chest area where my bullet is now lodged, the other reaches for me again. I step back and he falls to my feet.
“I’m sorry,” I cry, sobs tearing out of my chest. Our gazes clash and for another minute, I see the lonely boy we met on the ranch when we were kids. Blake’s best friend, my first love. The only other person I thought I could count on.
Jay rushes me, prying my grip off the Colt. He flips the safety on before shoving it in his waistband. He cradles me with his uninjured arm, shielding me the best he can with his body. I don’t see Seth’s last breath, or when his chest stops moving.
My fingers dig into Jay’s side, holding him tightly against me.
“I need to get out of here.” Reyes’ voice pulls our attention toward her. “Cops and ambulances are already on their way. I can’t be here.”
“You’re not fucking going anywhere,” Trent growls, his hand snakes to hers. He slaps a silver handcuff around her small wrist, then locking the other around his own.
“Are you out of your mind?” she screams, continuing to rant in Spanish. Trent looks like he doesn’t know if he wants to shoot her or fuck her.
“You’ll pay for your part in this,” he hisses into her face. Regret and pain flash in her eyes, and I’m certain I’m the only one who notices.
“You don’t know what you’re doing?” she pleads, but Trent is stone deaf to her now.
Sure enough, sirens pierce the air. Jay leads me past the hanging construction plastic out a double set of iron doors that open to a garage. That’s when I notice we’re in the future parking ramp for La Flor. At least twenty squad cars and three ambulances greet us.
I’m pulled to an ambulance and I refuse to let go of Jay’s hand, insisting he needs the medical attention more than I do. In the chaos and questioning, I lose track of Trent and Scarlet.
“They’ll be fine,” Jay grunts from his prone position on the stretcher, and I realize I spoke my concern out loud.
“I don’t know, he looked like he could kill her.” I lift my eyebrow challenging him.
“I don’t think he actually wants to kill her. He loves her.” Jay shrugs.
“She set him up,” I remind him.
“She has her reasons. Reasons she needs to explain to him. They’ll be fine,” Jay assures me. I bite my lip, remembering the glare of hatred in his eyes when she wanted to leave.
“Wait...” Pieces start to click into place. “Her name is Scarlet?”
“Mm-hmm,” Jay responds, hissing when the needle from the IV bag punctures his skin.
“Scarlet as in Scar. Is the track named after her?” The idea seems impossible and observed. I conjure Trent in my mind. SCAR is also tattooed across the knuckles of his left hand.
“They’ll be fine,” Jay repeats. “Just let it go.”
“Or, he will kill her,” I tell him dead serious. “That situation has Snapped written all over it.”
“You’re ridiculous, you know that.” Jay chuckles and I flip him off. A yawn escaped me, and I cover my mouth in embarrassment.
“A lot of shit happened,” Jay states, his finger tracing down my cheek, pushing the stray strands from my face. I nod. I want nothing more than to forget it happened. Blood is on my hands. I took a life and I panic wondering if Jay will still feel the same way about me.
“I’m proud of you,” he answers.
“Did I say that out loud again?” I question. He nods, a breathtaking smile tugs at his lips. “I’m just going to shut up now. Don’t ask me any more questions.”
Our ride to the hospital is quick and they wheel us both into separate areas. I’m checked for any signs of a concussion and trauma. They ask if I want to speak to a therapist and I decline. No part of my body is broken, just bruised and strained. I’m told to drink liquids and I’m given a prescription for a stronger dose of Tylenol before I’m discharged. The minute I’m free, I set off to find Jay. I find out he’s been admitted and his arm has a fracture. My hand lifts to knock when I hear his voice from inside talking with someone else.
“I can’t give you clearance to stay here,” the man’s voice states. “You’re already in violation for continuing a relationship with her.”
My heart sinks.
“I’m not leaving,” Jay responds. “We both know I didn’t plan on falling in love with her, it just happened. I told you I was hesitant to come back and work the end of this case so close to her. It was your idea.”
“Yes, for you to be close. Maybe take her to get coffee or dinner and get intel on those guys. Not live with her,” the other man snaps back.
“I got intel just fine. You can’t honestly be that surprised? I told you before the last case was over how I was feeling. Then you send me back here again. What did you expect?” Jay goes on.
“I’m assigning you back to Las Vegas upon discharge. Take a few days at least to think it over. Emotions were high on this case across the board. Palmer was a great asset to our team. He would have been a helluva cop. I can’t help but worry that you’re building this relationship off those emotions. She’s young,” the man finishes.
My heart jumps into my throat waiting for Jay to reply. I want him to deny what this man is saying. I’m confused and worried.
“Yes, sir,” Jay answers back, his voice monotone.
“See you tomorrow then,” the man tells him. His footsteps approach the door and I realize I’m about to be caught eavesdropping. Quickly, I duck behind a nearby curtain until the footsteps disappear down the hall. Peeking around the corner of the curtain, finding the hallway empty, I push open Jay’s door. His gaze automatically jumps to mine. Love, concern, guilt, and some other emotion I’d rather not think about flashes between us. Is he confusing his feelings for me with this case?
“You look like hell,” I tell him, trying to ease the tension. A small smile cracks his lips. His right arm is in a sling and his left shoulder is bandaged from where he was stabbed. The blood from his face has been wiped off. His nose and eyes though will be black and blue tomorrow.
“You look beautiful,” he states to me and my cheeks turn pink. “Did you get discharged?”
I nod. “I wanted to check on you first. I can stay if you want me to.” I bite my lip, hoping he’ll agree to it. Hoping he’ll tell me he never wants to be away from me.
“You should get some rest,” he replies, concern dripping from his mouth. “I’ll be fine tonight. Should be discharged soon, too.”
“I’ll wait then,” I tell him, moving toward his bed.
“I have to go back to the Vegas office,” he responds. “Paperwork needs to be filed and my report written. It might be a day or two until I get back.”
“Are you coming back?” I ask, hating that I’m doubting him right now. A heartbeat passes before he answers.
“I want to,” he responds. Not yes or no. He wants to. I nod again. I move toward the bed until I’m at his side. My lips touch his cheek and mouth before pulling back. Tears shine in my eyes and I let him see.
“I love you.” The words pour from the bottom of my soul. His lips pull into a smile and his hand squeezes mine, but he doesn’t say it back.
“You should get some sleep,” he says again. My heart cracks at his words.
Without another word, I leave Jay’s room. I’m tired, heartbroken, and everything feels worse than before. I’m glad Blake’s murder has been solved and that those people are no longer here to hurt others. But a new hole in my chest has been ripped open.
The last time is finally here. I poured the last beer on my shift at Señor Locos. After three years, I’m hanging my apron strings and moving forward. They say time heals and I say that’s bullshit. My heart still bleeds every day for my brother. It’s what I decide to do in my time to honor him that is bringing me closure.
I haven’t heard from Jay in two weeks. The number I had has been disconnected. The loft he rented is empty and Roland confirmed he also no longer works there. Scar has been closed up for two weeks as well, causing a small uproar for the party community it served. The only communication I’ve had was the mysterious deposit that landed in my bank account. The total worth enough to pay for four years of my college education and the next month’s rent until I officially move out. All his loose ends have been wrapped up in a pretty bow. My heart refuses to believe what my mind forces me to see. He’s done, his case is closed, and what we had was a way for him to get close enough to solve Blake’s murder.
I still cringe when I hear that word. He was murdered. The news was the biggest scandal in this small town in decades. People were shocked that not only was he killed, but
at the hands of his closest friends. Guys that people had flocked to, couldn’t start parties without and had generally seemed to be everyone’s friends. Now they knew differently. Stone survived his gunshot wound and will be facing prison time. He’s currently being held in a max security facility awaiting trial. Toni and Seth are both gone. I don’t care what anyone says, to me it’s justice. They didn’t deserve to breathe the same air we do. Joey’s wound nicked some internal organs and is lodged in his spine. He’s in rehab, unable to move from the waist down. He’s also facing jail time. Not that I care. They’re all dead to me.
“How about a shot?” Jenna asks excitedly, bringing the tray of liquor over to me. Luis shut down early and opened only the bar to celebrate my last shift.
“Why not?” I shrug, taking the small glass from her. She raises her glass and the small, intimate group of people around us raise theirs, as well.
“To Blaise, everyone! To her success and nothing less!” Jenna shouts. “Cheers!”
“Cheers!” erupts around me. I down the golden liquor and suck the lime. Warm fuzzies spread from my fingers to my toes, but I know it’s not just the alcohol. It’s the wonderful group of people here, who stood by me in the darkest times of my life. I catch Sarge and Pricilla’s eyes and smile. Jenna and Logan beam at me happily and Luis continues to clap. The celebration continues on for a few more hours. People I’ve known all my life stop by to congratulate me instead of expressing their condolences. I’m the last to leave besides Luis.
“If you don’t leave now, I’m taking back your notice,” he threatens. I scoff at him.
“You would, too,” I joke, grabbing my wristlet from the empty chair next to me. “You sure you don’t need help cleaning up?”
“Just get out of here.” He shoos me toward the door. I stick my tongue out cheekily before sliding off my stool and exiting the building, smiling.
I don’t even make it halfway through the parking lot to my car when I stop dead in my tracks. Jay’s truck is parked next to my car, he leans against it casually. My insides tighten in response. His hair is cropped short again, the five o’clock shadow I love grown back in. His black jeans hug his thighs perfectly while the black t-shirt molds to his chest. His leather jacket hangs off him, making my mouth go dry. He’s every woman’s wet fantasy come to life, and he’s waiting for me. I should run to him, let him swing me into his arms, and take me home. My legs won’t cooperate though, the organ in my chest beats heavily from the pain we’ve experienced the past few weeks without him. My thoughts flip tricks in my mind spinning a lie where he isn’t here to be with me but to officially end the torment I’ve been going through. That would be a Jay thing to do.