by Small,DJ
Yes, Kacey minded, but she was going to grit her teeth and get through the polite conversation until Ava showed up, or at least contacted her, and she had fifteen minutes to do so. Kacey rubbed her hands on the tops of her thighs then leaned forward, clasping her hands loosely between her knees as she rested her elbows on her thighs. She drew in a breath. “He was caught in that police shootout that happened fifteen years ago in the warehouse district.”
The woman didn’t say anything. People didn’t normally ask how her dad died, but when they heard how he died, they stopped asking questions. Kacey assumed that was the case now, figuring that the woman had run out of polite conversation.
∞
Robin sat in a dazed silence. While she had been in the kitchen getting herself a glass of water, she hadn’t thought much of the woman’s last name, but now, as she sat there mentally going through almost twenty years of police information, the name held great significance.
The Hudson drug cartel was one of the largest crime organizations in the city. Working closely with the city police meant that Robin was privy to a lot of information about them. The one thing the law enforcement community never knew about the Hudson organization was who was running it. For the longest time, Leo Hudson had been the prime suspect, but nothing ever checked out. The government had even gone after the man’s furniture chain, hoping to catch him for money laundering, but that ended with them looking like idiots because the books had been so clean.
Once Leo was killed, law enforcement started to think that his brother Frank was the brains of the operation, but that was shot down when they realized that the man was nothing but a deadbeat bouncer for some strip club. Now, Robin began to think that they should have been looking at the very woman who was sitting in front of her.
Robin remembered the shootout that had happened in the warehouse district fifteen years ago. Though the papers had been the ones to call the shooting a shootout what had actually occurred was one cop had shot one civilian, Leo Hudson. There had been, and still were, rumors of a cover up by the city police to hide the fact that the shooting was done by a rogue cop, and they were only made worse when the officer that had shot Leo committed suicide two days later.
Except Robin knew that wasn’t true. She had been the one to find the body of her father; and the memory of finding him lifeless in his recliner haunted her to this day. There had been no wounds that indicated that he had killed himself. When Robin had made friends with a couple of the detectives in the department, she had managed to get her hands on the file for her father’s case. There were so many inconsistencies in it and on the report that it screamed a setup. The file mentioned gunshot wounds and drugs, but she hadn’t seen evidence of either when she had found her father.
Robin almost believed that she had blocked out those details at first, but between the nightmares she had suffered and torturing herself mentally with the image of her father’s body, she knew the report had been wrong. When she had found out the name of the civilian that her father had shot Robin knew, without a doubt, that the report on his suicide had been altered.
The Hudson organization only had to pay off a few dirty cops to get a detail or two changed about the report to make it seem like her father wasn’t murdered by the cartel. Without saying a word, Robin got up from the couch and made her way over to her desk. She didn’t see the way Kacey eyed her, or the hand that slipped behind the woman’s back. Robin opened the middle drawer that was in the desk and she pulled out the handgun that was in it. She checked to make sure it was loaded, then turned, pointing it at Kacey.
∞
Ava’s head throbbed as she slowly regained consciousness. She felt a sharp pain on the side of her head and her hand flew to it, wincing when it landed on an open wound. Ava carefully assessed the wound. There was dried blood matting her hair, but the wound itself wasn’t bleeding any longer.
The room began to spin as Ava tried to move, and the dizziness was accompanied by severe nausea. Ava squeezed her eyes shut. She had a concussion; not a serious one, but she had one. After waiting several long minutes, Ava felt like she was able to try to moving again, and got up on her hands and knees, then waited. When she was certain that she wasn’t going to throw up and the room had stopped spinning, she tried standing up.
It took her a moment but she was able to stand without too many repercussions. Ava looked around to figure out where she was. After a minute or two she realized that she was in the guest room of her and Robin’s loft. Ava drew in a deep breath and slowly made her way to the door. She had just pulled the door open when she heard Robin say, “You killed my father.”
“No, I didn’t.” Kacey replied in a tone that was irritatingly casual. Ava wanted to jerk the door open and run into the safety of Kacey’s arms, but before she could follow through on the thought the woman said, “I have no idea who your father is, so you can put the gun away.”
Ava’s eyebrows furrowed, but she instantly relaxed her face when it aggravated her head injury. She wasn’t sure who held it, but Ava heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Forcing herself to open the door more, she walked out of the room. Ava crept over to the wall that closed off the guest area.
As she walked around it, she heard Robin scoff. “The fuck you do. My father shot your father then the Hudson Cartel murdered him. Made it look like a fucking suicide, then you fucks paid someone in the police department to fuck with the report. But I know different. My father wouldn’t have killed himself.”
∞
Kacey narrowed her eyes at the woman, clenching her jaw. She wasn’t one to immediately give in to her emotional responses, because it usually led to stupid consequences, but this was something that she couldn’t fight. Kacey knew that someone in the organization had taken care of the cop that had killed her dad, Frank had told her as much, but that didn’t do anything to fix the absence and pain that she felt after his murder, and on some level, she always hoped to get revenge - even though she knew the man responsible was dead.
Kacey jumped up from the love seat and shouted, “Your father was a fucking psycho with a gun.” Her mouth turned into a cruel sneer. “Do you know why your precious father killed my dad?” Ignoring the gun that was pointed towards her, Kacey stepped forward and continued to taunt the woman. “Huh? Do you wanna know, sweetheart? Because I would love to tell you.”
The woman’s penetrating green eyes were full of fury, and it only spurned Kacey on. Without waiting for a response, she said, “Your mother was a fucking junkie. She died from an overdose and your father blamed it on us. But guess what?” She moved closer. “We didn’t do it, and because your idiot father didn’t bother to get the fucking facts right, we’re both fucking orphans. How’s that for irony?”
The woman’s arm shook, which made the gun in her hand shake. Tears filled her eyes and she yelled, “You’re a fucking liar! My mom died because of a heart condition.”
Deeming that stupidity ran in the woman’s family, Kacey turned around and remarked, “Yeah you keep telling yourself-” Her throat seized up when she saw Ava come from behind the partition that was on the other side of the living space.
She was pale, her hair was bloody, and she was unsteady on her feet. A growl emitted from Kacey. She spun on her heel and faced the woman that was pointing a loaded gun at her. “You fucking touched her!” Kacey shouted. She charged over to the woman, and before anyone could register what was happening she sent her fist flying into Robin’s face. “Nobody fucking touches Ava and gets away with it.”
∞
Seeing Robin point a gun at Kacey made Ava’s blood run cold as she stared at the two of them, but she was drawn out of her trance when Kacey ran towards Robin and punched her. Ava had to stop her. If she didn’t, Robin would shoot her.
Moving as quickly as possible, Ava went over to them and grabbed the arm that was about to deliver another punch to Robin’s already bloody face. “Kacey, no!” She yelled as she tried to pull her away. “It’s not worth it. We have
to go. Come on.”
Kacey glared at Robin for a second then she turned to look at Ava. Her eyes softened and she reached out to touch Ava’s neck. Ava knew there were bruises on it considering how hard Robin had choked her, and tears shimmered in Kacey’s eyes. “I should have been here,” she said in a breathless whisper.
Ava closed the gap that was between them then she gave her a soft kiss. “It’s okay,” Ava murmured as she pulled back. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Let’s get out of here.”
“You’re choosing a fucking murderous drug dealer over me?”
Ava had forgotten that Robin was there. She turned and looked at her. The woman before her was a cruel monster. Yes, Ava had done terrible things to her and their marriage, but it didn’t warrant this. “Yes, I am. The murderous drug dealer hasn’t abused me, nor has she tried to keep me hostage in a marriage that I want out of.”
Robin put the muzzle of the gun against her temple and Ava’s breath caught. “This is fucking unbelievable,” Robin muttered. Then she pointed the gun at her. “They killed my father, Ava. They killed my mother. And now…” her voice dropped to a whisper, “and now they’re taking you.”
Robin brought the gun back to her temple and closed her eyes. Ava saw her face relax as her demeanor changed. She opened her eyes, pointing the gun in Ava’s direction once more. “They’ve taken everything from me, but I’ll be damned if she gets you.” Robin pulled the trigger.
Time slowed down for Ava. She processed her life in the final moments before the bullet struck her. She had known love; had come back from the depths of hell that her depression had taken her to; and had turned her life completely upside down only to be rewarded with Kacey.
Kacey.
Ava’s eyes moved to where Kacey had been standing, but she wasn’t there. It wasn’t until her body slammed into the floor did Ava realize that Kacey had jumped in front of her to protect her from getting shot.
Time sped up as Ava pushed Kacey off of her. She didn’t have to check to see if Kacey had been hit; blood was beginning to pool underneath her. Ava’s bottom lip trembled and she placed her hand Kacey’s cheek. “You stupid woman.” Ava briefly squeezed her eyes closed, then opened them. She had to do something. She wasn’t going to lose Kacey.
Ava rolled Kacey so that she could inspect the wound that was on her side, and when she was taking off the jacket that Kacey was wearing, she saw the gun tucked into the waistband of her jeans. Ava’s lips tightened as anger began to course through her veins. She pulled the gun out Kacey’s pants then pointed it at Robin. “Fuck you,” she spat between her tears then she pulled the trigger without hesitation. The shot landed in the center of her wife’s chest and she fell to the floor.
Ava stared at Robin’s unmoving body for a moment then she tossed the gun aside to focus on Kacey. She applied pressure to the gunshot wound using a blanket that she had pulled off the couch, but Kacey was losing too much blood. A sense of dread came over Ava as she called 911. There was no way she was going to lose Kacey; not when she had just found her. Ava sniffed as she tried to fight against the tears that were falling. “Kacey, hold on. Please, just hold on.”
∞
Kacey couldn’t feel anything. She wasn’t sure where the bullet had hit, but she was certain that her lungs were filling with blood. It was getting hard to breathe. But she didn’t regret her decision; it was one that she would make again and again if it meant Ava was safe.
Kacey drew in a weak breath. She was losing strength, and was fighting to stay awake. She wanted to fall asleep but there was something she needed to do. Summoning all the strength she had, Kacey wheezed, “Ava….”
Ava stopped the frantic conversation that she was having on the phone and looked into her eyes. Kacey felt a faint smile tug at the corner of her lips. Ava was so damn beautiful, and she was lucky to have met her. Kacey fought to draw a complete breath but it wasn’t possible. “I…lov-” She began to cough up blood.
“No, Kacey!” Ava shouted. She took hold of Kacey’s hand and squeezed it, even though she couldn’t’ feel it. “You’re not doing this. You can’t do this to me, to us. We just found each other. I just fucking found you,” She pleaded as tears streamed down her face and sobs racked her body.
Kacey, barely hanging on to consciousness, lifted her hand and rested it on Ava’s damp cheek. “I…love you, Sunshine.”
Ava kissed her then rested her forehead on Kacey’s, whispering, “I love you too, Kacey. Please just hang on.”
Kacey’s eyes fluttered closed. They were getting too heavy, and she couldn’t keep them open. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t stay awake. Kacey began to make her peace, knowing that her time was up. She had told Ava that she loved her, and Ava knew that now. That was all that mattered. She could go happy. Kacey was going to be seeing her dad again.
Epilogue
Ava ran behind the gurney the EMTs pushed through the doors as they glided open. The emergency medical team came rushing over, and the two teams were shooting off Kacey’s stats and status as they pushed her into the triage room. Ava was ready to walk through the door right behind her, but was stopped by a trauma surgeon. “You can’t go in there, Dr. Carmichael. Also, the police need to speak with you.”
Ava stared into the room not really watching what was being done to Kacey, but her eyes remained fixed on the woman. Tears rolled down her face, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care that she was in the hospital that she worked for, nor did she care about keeping up appearances. All she cared about was Kacey, and she needed to be with her. “Please, let me in there.” She looked at the dark haired man, who looked back at her with a sympathetic gaze. Through her sobs, Ava added, “I don’t want her to be alone.”
The doctor gave her a solemn shake of his head. “I’m sorry Ava. I can’t let you-”
“Doctor she’s crashing, and her lung has collapsed!” One of the nurses shouted. The doctor ran into the room, forgetting about Ava.
Ava fell against the doorjamb and continued to watch as the medical team worked hard on the woman that had changed her life. Kacey’s skin was ashen, and she hadn’t moved or said anything for almost thirty minutes. She had regained consciousness when the paramedics had arrived, but passed out once they had her in the ambulance. Ava now feared the worst.
The sound that she had been dreading filled her ears, becoming the only thing she was aware of. Ava dropped to her knees as the world collapsed on her, as it simultaneously fell away. Kacey had flat lined. There were no more erratic beeps coming from the heart monitor. The only thing coming from it was a long, monotonous tone that signified that Kacey’s heart had stopped.
Ava couldn’t stop the sobs that racked through her body and she cried out Kacey’s name over and over again until it began to lose meaning.
∞
“Kacey!” Ava shouted as she woke with a start. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing was erratic. Ava squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push away the emotions that the dream had stirred in her.
Ava was able to focus on calming herself down for a moment, but then a wave of nausea hit her, and she rushed to get out of bed. Ava dashed into the adjoining bathroom, dropping to her knees in front of the toilet. She was able to get both the lid and seat raised before she threw up.
After she threw up twice and had taken a moment to recover, Ava got up from the floor, then made her way to the bathroom sink to brush her teeth. Memories of the dream came back to her as she brushed, and Ava shut her eyes tight. It had been four years since that terrible day. Four years since the world had crumbled beneath her feet. Ava stopped brushing her teeth and drew in a deep breath through her nose in an attempt to push back the tears that threatened to form. When she wasn’t on the verge of crying anymore, she continued to brush her teeth.
When she was done, Ava walked through her bedroom and made her way out to the deck that was attached to it. It had a wonderful view of the ocean that was behind the house, and it was quickly becoming her
favorite place in the new house. It provided her solace from the terrible memories that haunted her from time to time.
Ava still remembered everything as though it had been yesterday. The process that had followed after the shootings had been long and wearisome, but the detectives that investigated the case deemed that Ava shooting Robin had been an open-and-shut one of self-defense. Robin had gotten violent and Ava had protected herself. The injuries she had sustained corroborated the story, along with Robin shooting Kacey, but it still went to trial.
Ava sighed. While the trial had been going on she also had to bury Robin, since she had no other family in the area. It had been a surreal ordeal for her; Ava had never felt such anger towards someone during a funeral, but at the same time she felt sad for how things had come to pass.
Ava had known about Robin’s parents and their deaths but the woman had glossed over how they had died exactly. She had no idea about the circumstances of their deaths, or that Kacey’s family had been involved in it all. Ava let out soft snort as she continued to stare out at the ocean. Fate always had a twisted sense of humor.
Ava sat down in the lounge chair and right when she had gotten comfortable she heard the door open behind her. She turned her head to look back at it. Dark brown eyes, intense with concern, gazed down at her. A small smile came to Ava’s face when she saw that Kacey was holding their two-year-old son, Leo. She stepped out onto the deck. “Are you okay?”
“I am. You shouldn’t have brought him out here, it’s a little chilly,” Ava told her.
Kacey moved closer to the lounge chair, still concerned. “I’ll go get a blanket. Was it a nightmare?”
Ava gave her a slight nod. “And morning sickness.”
Kacey let out a soft chuckle. “It’s three in the morning.”