Semblance

by Logan Patricks

  I opened my eyes and saw my attacker’s shadow looming over me. His knife was raised high above his head, ready to deliver the death blow.

  Maybe I’d be able to see my dad again.

  “Get the hell away from her,” a voice cried out, full of venom. I looked up and saw Abraham standing at the door way, my house keys in one hand and a gun in the other. I must have left them in the Benz and he had come up to return them.

  “These are rather unfortunate circumstances,” the assailant mused. “No one else was supposed to be here. It looks like you stumbled upon your death today as well.”

  “The only one dying tonight is you,” Abraham said. If there was any fear in him, he concealed it well. “Do you know who she is?”

  “Of course,” the man in black said. “She is the lover of your stupid master.”

  “So you know that if you lay even a pinky on her, our entire organization will hunt you down like a mangy bitch and destroy you. You will suffer.”

  The man laughed, “Small threat. I will take my chances with the money promised instead.”

  “Who’s money?” Abraham asked.

  “It makes no matter. She will die,” the man said, “And you sir, are at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  I stared at Abraham, whose eyes were fiery like a dragon’s breath. He was snarling as he gripped the gun tightly, his knuckles turning bone white.

  “I’m not a man of mercy,” Abraham said. “Especially to those that inflict harm on the ones I care about. The second you laid your hands on Ms. Valencia, you put this gun to your own head. Make no mistake you degenerate, you’re going to die.”

  The man seemed amused by Abraham’s threats. “Old man, do you know who I am and how many people I’ve killed with my bare hands?”

  “I know who you are,” Abraham said. “I could smell the stench of a Crow brother the second I walked through the door.”

  “Then why are you so eager to die? I’ll tear apart your haggard face like a—” but before the Crow could finish his sentence, Abraham pulled the trigger. The explosive and harsh sound of gunfire echoed throughout my condo.

  I covered my ears and screamed, which was pathetic in comparison to the Crow, who dodged the bullet like some super-human ninja.

  His reflexes were unbelievable, moving with the strength and speed of a cheetah. He leapt across the room and connected his fist into Abraham’s jaw.

  I heard a sickening crack and watched Abraham drop to the ground clutching his mouth.

  “No, stop!” I cried out. Fuck Aria, do something. Because of my cowardly weakness, my friend was going to die.

  I heard the sounds of Abraham gasping for air like a wounded animal and it broke my heart. Meanwhile the asshole was hovering over him like a black phantom, laughing with perverse amusement.

  “It must be hard to sound brave, now that you have a broken jaw,” the Crow said. “I don’t believe I like the sound of your yelping. It reminds me of a puppy I once had, who didn’t know when to shut up. I killed him with a hammer and a butter knife. I can do the same for you.”

  Abraham struggled to his feet but a violent kick to his gut sent him crashing against a wall. The picture of a Parisian inspired vogue sketch I had hung crashed onto the ground, shattering the glass all around him.

  The Crow walked over and inspected the wall that Abraham’s body had struck.

  “This is a well-built condominium,” he said. “Usually when I toss my victims against walls, they break through the drywall. You must be hurting like a bitch.”

  While the Crow was ranting, he failed to notice Abraham grab a broken piece of glass from the ground. His grip was tight as it cut through his hands, droplets of blood trickling to the ground.

  Abraham lunged at the Crow’s stomach but the assassin had telegraphed the attack and deftly spun away, smashing his boot against Abraham’s hand, grinding the broken glass into his flesh. Abraham howled with pain.

  It was more than I could stand.

  I struggled to my feet, enduring the sharp pulsing pains across my abdomen and shoulder blades.

  Come on Aria, I thought. Abraham needs my help. I’ve had cramps worse than this.

  I reached for the weapons within my reach. This guy was fast and smart, but with a bit of creativity, hopefully I could surprise him.

  Meanwhile the Crow was taking great pleasure in tormenting Abraham, slapping him across the face with a back hand repeatedly. Every strike must have been excruciating considering Abraham’s jaw was mangled.

  “Fuh…fuh…fuh,” I heard Abraham mutter through staggered breaths.

  “You seem surprised,” the Crow continued to rant. He was distracted making it the opportune time to strike.

  He continued taunting Abraham. “When you face a Crow, there can be no result other than your complete and utter—”

  I attacked him from behind. Even though I crept up on him silently, he was still aware of my presence through some unnatural sixth sense. His right hand gripped my wrist which was raised above my head, the butcher knife in hand, longing to shear the flesh of this bastard.

  “Why Ms. Valencia, I am surprised at your continual efforts to struggle. Perhaps I should dispose of you now,” he mused. “You are quite the pest.”

  “You talk too fucking much,” I cried out. What the Crow didn’t see was Abraham’s gun in my left hand, concealed behind my back. With the weapon still held behind me, I turned ever-so-slightly so that the gun was pointing directly at his stomach and I pulled the trigger, the explosive sound of the gunshot echoing throughout my condo.

  I stared deep into the Crow’s eyes, wide with shock, and found satisfaction in knowing that an ordinary girl like me had bested him.

  As he sank to the ground, I spat on him for good measure.

  “Maybe if you finished the job instead of indulging in your ridiculously stupid soliloquies, I wouldn’t have just fucked you in the stomach with a bullet,” I said, aiming the gun at his head.

  He tried to speak, but all that came out was a gurgle. I looked down at his wound and saw wetness pooling around the black fabric of his jumpsuit.

  “I don’t want to do this,” I said, closing my eyes. But I had no choice. I had to save Abraham and myself. My hands were trembling and I hesitated for a moment. Was I ready to take another person’s life? I suddenly felt a gentle hand rest upon my shoulder.

  Abraham was standing behind me, his wounded hand buried underneath his suit jacket. Blood streamed down the corner of his mouth, and he looked at me with glistening eyes and shook his head.

  “Du-du-dun’t.”

  His hands reached for the gun, gently prying it away from me.

  “H-h-hands fu-fu-fuh mus-si-sic.” Abraham clutched the gun with his good hand and pointed it at the Crow’s head. Instinctively I looked away.

  My stomach wasn’t made for this sort of thing.

  Even though I was anticipating it, I still jumped at the sounds of the gun roaring. When I turned back around, the Crow was dead, and Abraham stood there like a man who had just been tortured.

  I rushed over to him and wrapped his arm around my throbbing shoulder—knife still protruding from it—supporting the weight of his frail body as it threatened to crumple to the floor.

  “Come on Abraham, you’re alright,” I said. “I’ll get you to the hospital and they’ll fix us.”

  Abraham nodded slowly as we made our way out of my condo and towards the elevator. I frantically smashed the button with my finger, cursing that the elevator wasn’t here ten seconds ago.

  “You’re a brave and foolish old man,” I said, keeping some type of conversation going. I was afraid that if he lost consciousness, he wouldn’t wake up again. “You must have been quite the stud forty years ago.”

  I felt him slump further to the ground, but I used all my strength to hold him up. He looked at me with glazed eyes while his mouth was bloody, battered, and out of place. I had the urge to go back to the condo and put more bullets into the fucking de
ad bastard’s skull.

  Finally the elevator arrived and I half carried, half dragged Abraham into it.

  “Do you want me to call anyone?” I asked. “Shadow maybe?”

  Abraham shook his head. He tried to talk but I was quick to shush him.

  “You don’t need to say anything. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

  He looked at me affectionately, as if my words had brought him peace. He closed his eyes and tears streamed down their corners.

  “Come on, no need to get sentimental on me,” I said. “It’s my turn to look after you from now on. Both Shadow and I will. Does that sound good?”

  He nodded.

  And then the elevator doors opened and there was an explosion of light and sound that assaulted my senses.

  When I had regained myself, Abraham was lying dead on the floor, a bullet wound straight through his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  My father had died in a hospital bed in a tremendous amount of pain. I almost wished for his death to come sooner, just so he no longer suffered.

  For the most part, I had held myself together, comforting him and talking to him, bringing up delightful stories from the past. In between bouts of pain, his eyes seemed to sparkle when I reminded him of pleasant memories from my childhood; like when he took me on a pony ride and I screamed throughout the entire thing or when he made me my Halloween costume—a princess—which made me look like a walking toilet roll.

  I had stayed strong for him during his last moments on earth, never once shedding a tear. I needed him to know that as much as I loved him, I would be okay when he left me. It was only after he died that I lost my shit, screaming like a banshee until my throat was raw.

  Death was never an easy thing to accept, but in the case of my father, at least he was at peace when he died.

  The bullet that killed Abraham on the other hand was cruel and blindsided us completely. My stomach rushed to my throat and I stood there with my mouth open, stunned by the brutal slaying.

  “Is my brother dead?” asked the man who had murdered Abraham. I looked up with red eyes and stared at the killer, who was dressed in the same outfit as the Crow, but all in white.

  I tried to speak but my voice had left me. I dropped to my knees and cradled Abraham’s dead body in my hands.

  “Answer me you dumb bitch, is my brother dead?” the White Crow asked as he pointed a gun straight at my head. I ignored him as I held Abraham’s lifeless body. He deserved better than a bullet through his heart. Abraham had saved my life.

  “Last time I ask, before I put one in your head. Is my brother dead?”

  “Eat shit,” I cursed, in between sobs. “Your brother deserves the death we gave him.”

  “Bullshit. How can an old man and a dumb bitch survive a fight with the Black Crow?”

  “Because he was a cocksucker, that’s why,” I spat.

  The look in the murderer’s eyes was full of malice. There was no doubt that he was going to pull the trigger.

  For the second time tonight, I was on my knees at the mercy of another man. I closed my eyes and waited once more for death, but it never came.

  “Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!”

  I turned to see several police officers standing at the entrance of the condo, guns locked onto the killer.

  “Another time bitch,” he spat before dashing for the emergency exit. A volley of bullets flew at him, but he managed to dodge them as if they were snowballs thrown by children. He was faster than his brother.

  A few cops pursued him while a couple stayed behind, examining the scene.

  “We have at least four dead at the Metropolitan Condo,” one of them radioed in. My gaze followed one of the officers, who examined the body of the hotel’s concierge, still sitting in his swivel chair behind the desk, a single bullet hole through his head.

  At the entrance two security guards were lying in a pool of their own blood, eyes wide and mouth agape.

  “Miss, are you alright?” one of the cops asked me. I looked up at him, shook my head and unleashed a howl as I clung onto Abraham’s body.

  I closed my eyes and couldn’t help but remember all the warm moments we shared together, the pleasant exchanges and conversations that touched my heart and made me happy to have a friend like him.

  “You have a knife in your back. Let’s get you to the hospital,” the officer continued to drone in the background.

  “I don’t need anything from you!” I screamed. “Just find the asshole and kill him. Just kill him.”

  Everything that happened after was a blur—the trip to the hospital, the examination by the paramedics and doctors, and the statements the detectives took from me.

  The one thing I did remember clearly was Shadow appearing in my private room at the hospital, several hours later, his fists clenched and a pensive look on his face. There was something about his presence that both comforted and terrified me.

  “Shadow,” I said, acknowledging his presence.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked me.

  “A few bruised ribs and thirty-two stitches in my shoulder to patch up the knife wound in my back,” I said. “Hurts like a bitch but I’m not dead yet.”

  He stood up and examined my wounds for a moment and then kissed me on the forehead before sitting back down.

  “I’m so sorry. I wish I could take the pain away. When I heard about the attack, I rushed back as fast as I could. I needed to know that you’re okay. I need to know that you were safe.”

  “I’m safe with you around,” I replied.

  “Abraham…” Shadow began. “Did he suffer?”

  I shook my head.

  Shadow collapsed in the seat in front of my bed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he exhaled.

  After a moment of silence, he finally said, “That’s good.”

  “If it wasn’t for him, I would be dead,” I said. “Abraham fought to protect me. He saved my life.”

  “The old man always did have fight in him,” Shadow said with a forced smile. Despite the calmness in his voice, I could see that he was hurting deep inside.

  Abraham was a guardian to Shadow. What kind of cruel world was it where a man suffered the loss of not one, but two fathers?

  “I’m sorry Shadow,” I began.

  “Why are you sorry?” he replied with tenderness in his voice. “You weren’t the one who killed him.”

  “I know he was close to you,” I said, suddenly finding myself crying. “He was a good friend to me as well. He meant a lot to me.”

  “He did tell me that you had his daughter’s smile,” Shadow said. The sound of his voice cracking was unmistakable. I watched as he rose from his seat and stared out the window, his back turned to me. “The fucker who did this will pay. I’ve already put a hit out on the White Crow. With the vast network that the Midnight Society has, it’s only a matter of time before he’s caught.”

  “His brother tried to kill me,” I said. “I shot him in the stomach and Abraham put the final bullet through his head. The Black Crow is dead.”

  Shadow turned to me, a look of surprise on his face.

  There was a moment of silence as Shadow seemingly thought of something to say. Finally, he spoke. “Good,” he said. “You did good.”

  “Why would anyone want to hurt me?” I asked.

  “Because I’m the idiot who ended up choosing you,” Shadow replied. “I was reckless and stupid. I should have known that if the Midnight Society was targeted, your life would be in danger without the backing of a recognized family name. I was selfish for selecting you and for that, I can’t apologize enough.”

  “I see,” I replied, staring at his silhouette by the window, the bright moonlight illuminating the room in a pale blue glow. “Do you feel anything between us Shadow? Do you have strong feelings for me?”

  Shadow nodded. “Of course I do.”

  “Will you protect me?” I replied.

  “You know I will.”


  I rose slowly from the hospital bed, stripping away the covers, and made my way towards him. My hands found his and they intertwined.

  “I love you Shadow,” I said. “I need to be with you. It’s what’s keeping me alive right now.”

  He nodded.

  “I’m just so sorry about Abraham,” I said, tearing up again.

  “It’s not your fault,” Shadow said. “I’ll find the White Crow and the person responsible for hiring them, and I will obliterate them.”

  “I’m tired,” I said, suddenly feeling sleep overtake me.

  “I’ll take you home,” Shadow said.

  “They won’t let me leave the hospital.”

  “They can and they will,” Shadow said. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  I felt Shadow lift me up into his arms, carrying me as if I were as light as a pillow.

  “Can you take me back to your place?” I asked. “I don’t feel like sleeping alone tonight.”

  He nodded, and like the fictional hero from a movie, he whisked me away for the hospital, stealing me from the clutches of the day’s horrific events.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I always thought sex was more intense and gratifying when emotions were running high. With my ex-boyfriend, it was after we had our all-too-frequent fights. A lot of times, the issues we fought over were never resolved, and instead we’d both dive headfirst into mind numbering dirty talking sex.

  Tonight, as Shadow lay me on the bed—his lips caressing every inch of my body—I was experiencing another type of raw emotion: Sadness.

  While wrapped in his arms, I wanted to forget about the attempt on my life and the bullet that brutally killed Abraham.

  In some ways, I thought Shadow needed a temporary escape as well, and he had chosen my body to provide it.

  His lips found my hard nipples and I let out a sigh as I ran my hands through his soft, dark hair. Shadow’s hands found the warmth of my sex which longed for his smooth touch.

  After he pleasured me with his delicate fingers while suckling my breasts, he turned me over, his lips finding the nape of my neck and working its way down the length of my spine.