His eyes looked completely devoid of any emotion as he reached down and opened the chamber of the gun, showing me the bullet that was in it. It was a mini revolver and I could see there was only one bullet. “Spin it. Or I’ll click it into place and shoot you right through the eye.”
I knew I didn’t have a choice. I was worried sick about what would happen so I did what he said, and spun the compartment. He clicked it into place and placed the gun against my head. I’d never prayed for anything, but in that moment I prayed. I prayed I’d make it out of this room, back to the babies who needed me and to my family. My dad would never forgive himself if I was killed before we could properly make it up. My whole body shook and I drew in a shaky breath as the gun moved slightly back. The trigger clicked.
I couldn’t believe it. I’d survived. The bullet wasn’t loaded in the chamber, but fuck if that wasn’t terrifying. His eyes narrowed on me as he spoke again. “Looks like we need to try again.” In that moment I knew he wasn’t going to let me out of this. He was going to fuck with me until the bullet was in the chamber and he shot me. Fuck if I was going to let that happen. He’d be better to shoot me dead now.
Acting on adrenaline I spun around and wrestled the gun out of his hand. Holding it the way my dad and Pops had trained me. I loaded the bullet in the chamber and focused the weapon on him. I didn’t shoot though. I didn’t get the chance. He pulled another gun from up his sleeve and fired at me. I managed to spin enough that the bullet ripped through my left arm, missing my chest by inches. I levelled my gun and shot him right through his hand. He dropped his piece on the floor, howling as my office door burst open. A dozen cops and FBI agents flew into the room.
I looked down and dropped the gun, seeing the blood running down my fingers. I sank to the floor as they dragged him away. My head fell onto the sofa. I watched what happened next as though separate from it. A cop rushed over, kicking the gun away. He ripped his tie over his head, tying it around my arm to reduce blood flow. Another cop tried to speak to me, but I shook my head, unable to answer any questions as more and more people filled my office; the band, Jackson and Greg. Cops coming and going.
After a few minutes, an FBI agent with the name Mulder, (no joke. That was his name), introduced himself to me. Stupidly, I asked him, “where’s Scully?” He smiled at me and everyone around burst out laughing. He was interrupted from asking me any further questions as two paramedics arrived and they worked over me, telling me, “it’s only a flesh wound,” while bandaging my arm, before helping me up.
“We need to take you to the ER to get your head, arm and chest stitched up, Mr Michaels.” The first paramedic said.
I shook my head vigorously, “No. No fucking way.” My voice was rough, hoarse. I glanced around the room. Harris shook his head at me and Quinn stood facing in the other direction. Two more paramedics worked over the dick. Unlike him, I’d done damage, but I didn’t feel bad for it.
“Come on sir, we need to get you cleaned up.” The other paramedic joined in and I glared at the large man. I noticed he looked like Santa Claus, with his white beard, white hair and large middle. The small burst of energy I had to argue with them left me. I sank back against the sofa, closing my eyes as the pounding in my head took on a whole new level. Nausea swam up and I swallowed, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth.
I didn’t want to go with them, but didn’t have the energy to stop them from forcing me into it. Two hands grabbed me under my arms and lifted me onto a chair. My body was strapped in and I was covered in a blanket.
Jackson stepped over; I could tell it was him by his voice as he stood near me. “Take the back exit. The press are all over this. Someone leaked it. Mason,” he paused, leaning down to speak to me, “I’m gonna stay today and try and deal with the fallout from this. You want me to get Mark onto it, or let it roll?”
“Let it roll, but make sure Mark is ready to deal with whatever comeback happens.” I gritted my teeth as my eyes blurred and lights flashed in front of my temple. I groaned softly as they moved me away. They were taking me backwards. That was not going to help the nausea situation.
As we passed where they were working on the dickhead, he shouted out, in a voice laced with pain. “I’m gonna sue you for this. Your ass is mine, Mason Michaels.” I ignored him, but heard a grunt of pain and the crunch of flesh on flesh. My eyes flew open and I focused enough to see Quinn standing furiously over Ron, with Harris holding onto one side and Lewis onto the other.
As we left, there was a lot of commotion in the corridor. The FBI guys ran about, using the conference room as a base. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out the sounds around me. As the doors closed, the sounds dimmed.
As soon as the elevator opened downstairs, I could hear banging and rattling on the glass doors. I forced my eyes to open, although my head was screaming as if a marching band had taken up residence. I regretted opening my eyes as flash after flash went off and I quickly closed them again. The paramedics moved quickly and we almost got into the back of the ambulance without any trouble.
Calder, for Metro News, was standing at the back door. He was a friend and I knew him well. “Mason, for fuck sake. Are you okay His voice was laced with concern and my eyes opened, but as he moved towards me, I could see the dollar signs behind his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m alright man, but can we do this later?” He nodded as he snapped a cell photo of me. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Sure man, I’ll use this to keep the hyenas off your tail.”
I nodded at him and the doors to the ambulance closed. I was transferred from the chair to the bed, my arm tight against my body as I moved. It hurt like a bitch, but I’d had worse so I tried to ignore the pain.
I leaned back and closed my eyes. The ache in my skull reared its ugly head again. I tried not to think about anything. I ignored my cell buzzing against my leg and the fact that I’d shot someone. I just needed to get rid of the damn migraine that was plaguing me so I could think straight. But as we moved, all I could think of was Amber and how her first day as my employee was going to suck. Big time.
Amber
A loud knocking at the door woke me from my sleep. I muttered, sleepily rolling over. The door flew open and bounced off the wall. I flew up, staring towards the intruder. “We need you downstairs now,” Helena demanded. I rubbed my eyes, clearing the sleep from them. She turned and ran back downstairs. Now that I was awake I could hear a lot of commotion.
I dragged my ass out of bed and walked sleepily downstairs. As I made my way, the commotion got louder. I followed the noise into the family room. The TV was on and every face looked panicked. "What's going on?" I asked as I walked in.
My eyes were drawn to the TV, as the newscaster reported, "shots fired at Mercy Industries. No details at present, but police and paramedics are on the scene." I glanced around the room, taking in the expressions on everyone’s faces as they all watched the TV in complete horror.
“Mom, I’ve been calling Mason’s office, but there’s no answer to it or his cell,” Helena spoke, looking worriedly at her mom, who was chalk white. She was sitting with Sophia nestled on her lap.
I moved further into the room. Every eye turned to me as I sat down beside Mason’s grandfather. He leaned closer and spoke slowly into my ear, “there was a report of shots fired in Mason’s building, but we don’t know who was shot, if anyone.”
The newscaster spoke again and all eyes turned apprehensively to the TV. “A report has just come in that there were two casualties in the shooting, though none are thought to be fatal at this time.”
Within seconds of that announcement, Helena’s cell rang. She took a deep breath before answering it. In her nervousness she put it onto speaker and we all heard the voice that spoke down the line. “Helena, hi, it’s Harris.”
Helena’s face relaxed a little. She smiled and spoke to him. “Harris. Oh thank god. Is Mason okay? Why isn’t he answering his cell?” Harris was about to speak when an image on the TV made my h
eart drop like a lead weight. Mason was strapped to a chair, with blood on his face and his side. His eyes were open, but he looked at the camera bleary eyed and his face was completely devoid of colour.
Frannie let out a squeal of shock as the newscaster announced that Mason had been shot and was on his way to the emergency room. He moved onto the next image, where Mason was in the back of the ambulance. His eyes were closed. The newscaster continued, “no word on how the front man of Black Mercy is doing, but rumours are that he was shot in the chest during a robbery gone bad.”
“What is it?” Harris’s voice sounded panicked and Helena glanced at the cell, as though it was a bomb. Her hand was shaking and it clattered to the table, with a loud thump. She shot up and darted to the bathroom. Frannie rocked back and forth. Pops tried to console her as she sobbed. “Helena, what the hell is going on?” Harris was still on the line. For a second no one moved and then Pops grabbed the cell off the table, thrusting it into my hands and pushing me from the sofa.
I understood. He wanted me to find out what was going on, and let them know what Harris said afterwards. I moved along the hallway, into the kitchen and away from the family in panic mode. Harris spoke again as I reached the doors to the kitchen. “Helena, what’s going on? Are you still there?”
I took the cell off speaker mode and lifted it to my ear, speaking slowly and calmly, even though my insides were writhing about. “Harris, it’s Amber. There was a picture of Mason on the news. Everyone freaked out. Is he okay?”
Harris swore loudly and shouted something to someone named Jackson, but I couldn’t make it out, there was too much noise. “Sorry Amber,” he said suddenly. “Yeah Mase is okay. He has a nasty cut on his head, a grazed chest and left arm. He’s away to the ER to get stitched up. That’s what I was calling for. Can you let them know he’s going to be at St Francis’s?”
“Yeah, of course I will. No problem. Are you and the rest of the guys okay?” I asked him, hoping that everyone was going to be alright.
“Yeah we’re all fine, but I gotta go. Tell Hels to call me when she can. I’ll try to see them at the ER.” Suddenly the cell was snatched out of my hand. Helena stood behind me, shaking.
She was alternating between scowling at me and glaring at her cell. Harris had hung up. “Mason’s okay, Helena. That was why Harris called. He has a cut on his forehead and a grazed arm and chest, but he’s okay.” She looked at me for a moment and her lip started to wobble. I placed my arm around her and led her back to the sitting room to tell her mom that Mason was okay.
As soon as we entered the sitting room, Helena spoke. “Mom, Mase is okay. Amber spoke to Harris and he’s okay. They are taking him to the ER now.” She turned to me with a question in her eyes. I wondered what she wanted from me? After a moment, it hit me. They needed to know which ER.
“He’s at Saint Francis’s. Harris is going to try and see you there.” Frannie stood up and walked over to give Helena a hug. She smiled at me over her daughters shoulder and mouthed thank you. I made to step back, but her hand shot out. She glanced around guiltily.
“Amber, can you mind the babies while we go to the ER? I know you weren’t going to start properly until tomorrow, but I need to go and see my son.” Her voice was shaky as she asked me, and her eyes pooled with tears.
I glanced around the room and noticed Pops was missing, but I smiled at her. “Of course I can.. Is there a routine or anything?”
She nodded at the table. “Yeah. I was writing it out when the news came on about the shots at Mercy’s. I think I’d already covered everything, but Helena will give you her cell number. If you need anything, call it. Sophia has had her dinner and Lucca is due a feed at six pm. Then they get a bath at seven. Sophia goes to bed with a story at seven thirty, with Lucca going down at nine, after his bottle.”
She and Helena and walked towards the door of the family room. She turned back on the threshold of the door. “Thank you Amber,” she called as she hurried from the room.
Helena came back and grabbed a piece of paper from the table. Writing her cell number in the top corner, she thrust it at me. “Take care of my niece and Lucca,” she snapped out before turning and rushing from the room after her mom. As soon as her aunt left the room, Sophia looked at me and started to cry.
I walked over to her and gathered her into my arms, shushing her. I picked up Lucca’s chair and took them upstairs, finding the playroom. I played games and sang silly songs with Sophia as Lucca lay on his play mat. I had my cell beside me, turned up loud. After twenty minutes it rang. My heart dropped like a stone when I saw who was calling me. I answered warily.
“Amber,” my dad’s curt voice, called over the line, “what do you mean by emailing me? That message could have been picked up and released to the press.”
“Daddy, I…” My voice caught in my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to speak round the lump in my throat, “I’m sorry…”
“You’re always sorry, but I don’t care anymore. This will be our last contact. Don’t email me again. The money from your cars I couldn’t care less about. Use it to get yourself shoes, or jewellery, or whatever, but don’t contact me again. We’re completely done. You are the most selfish girl I’ve ever met. You never appreciated anything, so I wash my hands of you. Don’t contact your mom or sister either. As for Martin, he doesn’t want anything to do with you either.”
I watched as Sophia went through the tunnel on the floor. Smiling at me as I watched her. The line clicked off. My dad had ended the call and completely cut me off from my family. His word was law. If he told them not to talk to me, they wouldn’t. My heart was hurting, but as I glanced around, I knew I didn’t need my daddy or his money. Or his strings. I was going to make it on my own.
My cell rang again. This time I didn’t even look down as I answered it. “Amber?” The voice was distorted and the hairs on my arms rose in alarm. “Where are you, Amber? I can’t find you, and I so want to feel inside you. Come back to me.” The line went dead and I shook all over.
My alarm went off a few seconds later, telling it was time to make Lucca a bottle. I picked up Lucca and took Sophia by the hand. We walked slowly downstairs. I didn’t bring my cell with me. That call had seriously freaked me out. I put it to the back of my mind and focused on Lucca and Sophia. Once Lucca was fed, I took them back upstairs and ran them a bath, remembering that it couldn’t be too hot. I placed Sophia in and then Lucca. I washed Lucca first and dried him off, before dressing him. But I wasn’t quick enough to put his diaper on. He peed all over me.
I quickly dipped him back in the bath, grabbing another towel and drying him much quicker. I got him into his sleep suit before placing him back in his chair while Sophia splashed around the bath. After drying her, I carried her and Lucca, in his chair. I set the night light on and placed a very sleepy Sophia into her cot, her peach sleep suit blending with the light coloured covers. I sang softly to her. There was a bottle of milk on the bookcase beside her bed. Underneath was a note from Betty,
Sophia has a bedtime bottle, Lucca’s bottle is made up and cooling and I’m off home now. Ask Mrs Michaels to call me when she gets back to let me know how Mr Michaels is. Thanks.
I sang five little ducks, twinkle, twinkle and go to sleep. Sophia rubbed her eyes and sipped on her milk. After a few minutes she slipped off to sleep. I scooped up Lucca from his chair and we went back downstairs, after I grabbed my cell from the room next door.
As I was walking down the stairs, it started to ring. I glanced down at the number. “H.. Hello,” I stuttered out.
“Hey Ambs,” the voice on the other end answered, “are you being watchful…” The voice sounded completely out of it. I wondered what was going on?
“I’m sorry, I don’t know who this is?” I said slowly, hoping to get off the line quickly. A sigh sounded down the line. My arms shook as I walked into the family room. I placed Lucca into his swing and buckled him in.
“It’s me, your favourite employer.” I was
still unsure who it was. I was worried about Mason so I decided to end the call and play dumb.
Just as I made my mind up, a voice I recognised came over the line. “Mason, who are you speaking to?” Frannie scolded him.
I smiled as Mason answered, “Amber, but she doesn’t know who I am. I guess I sound different. Do you know who I am Mom?” His voice sounded petulant. I could picture the scowl on his face as he realised that I had no idea who he was.
There was a sound of muttering and Frannie came on the line. “Amber, is everything okay?”
She sounded panicked. I quickly tried to reassure her. “Yeah. Everything is fine,” my eyes went to upstairs, “Sophia is asleep and Lucca is swinging on the floor by my feet. I bathed them both and Lucca peed on me. Apart from that, it’s been totally fine.”
I could hear the smile and the relief in her voice as she spoke, “that’s good. Mason is okay. He’s a little out of it. They gave him some morphine to numb him when they worked on his chest and arm, but he’s completely fine and should be home in the next few hours.”
“That’s fantastic. I’ll see you in a few hours then.” I glanced around the room and wondered if I could watch TV. I didn’t know how to work it, but I was sure I could figure it out.
“Mason wants to speak to you honey, so I’ll pass you back to him. I’ll go and find a nurse to get a better idea of when we’ll be out of here.”
“Ambs, I can’t believe you didn’t know it was me. I’m hurt, I think.”
He sounded playful and I laughed. “Sorry, sir, but I hadn’t saved your number and your voice sounds different.”
I relaxed onto the sofa and leaned my head back, staring at the ceiling. “Does it? Oh well. Are the babies okay?”
He sounded more like himself then and I smiled. “Yeah. Both are fine. No need to worry.”
Black Mercy (San Francisco Rock Romance Book 1) Page 10