Quarantine and Chill (AMBW standalone Romance)

by Kenya Wright

  Someone knocked at the door.

  Who’s that?

  Ganesha trotted forward as if expecting a guest.

  I rose, walked over to the door, and opened it.

  Amber stood in front of me.

  She held a gun in her hand.

  I froze in horror.

  The gun shook in her hand. “You’re in the way.”

  Inching back, I trembled in fear. “Amber—”

  “If you hadn’t been here, Kamal would have come back to me.” Tears left her eyes.

  Sensing something was wrong, Ganesha barked at her.

  I edged back some more. “Amber, please. . .put the gun down.”

  Growling and barking, Ganesha jumped at her leg.

  She yelled and swatted at him with her free hand. “Tell this damn dog to get away from me!”

  She hit him.

  Ganesha whimpered and ducked.

  “Listen, Amber.” I raised my hands in the air. “Put the gun down. We can talk.”

  Ganesha growled and charged for her again.

  Amber pointed the gun at him. “I’m going to shoot this damn dog—”

  “No. No. No.” I lowered and picked him up. “Please!”

  Not caring about my holding him, Ganesha barked and snapped at her.

  Amber waved the gun at me. “Get rid of him.”

  “What’s going on with Ganesha?” Kamal stomped into the living room and stopped. “Amber? What the fuck?”

  Still in my arms, Ganesha barked.

  “Amber!” Kamal rushed over to me. “No! What are you doing?”

  “This bitch is in the way!” The gun trembled in Amber’s hand. “If she was gone—”

  “No, Amber.” Kamal jumped in front of me, getting between us. “Please. Jade has nothing to do with this. Listen—”

  “But if she wasn’t here we would have been back together.” Amber tried to move to the side to get me back in her view.

  “No. Please listen.” Kamal continued to guard me. “Okay. Let’s go outside, Amber. Look at me. Don’t look at her. Keep your eyes on me. We’ll go talk.”

  No. Don’t go out with her.

  Ganesha growled and tried to get out of my arms.

  I held on to him as much as I could. “Calm down, boy. It’s okay.”

  “Let’s go outside, Amber,” Kamal begged. “Wherever you want to go?”

  “Now you want to talk?” Amber yelled. “Now that I’m going to shoot her you want to listen to me?”

  “Amber, please.” Moving closer to her, Kamal stayed in front of me with his arms out. “Come on. Anywhere you want to go. I’ll leave.”

  “Move!” Amber screamed. “Get out of the way!”

  “I’m not going to do that.” Kamal tried to take another step toward her. “Give me the gun, Amber.”

  “Stop it!” She moved to the side. “Move.”

  Kamal rushed for her.

  Amber screamed. “No!”

  Ganesha jumped out of my arms.

  Kamal grabbed Amber.

  Ganesha snapped at her leg.

  Amber shot the gun.

  Ganesha whimpered and fell to the ground.

  Kamal struggled with Amber to take the gun from her.

  “No!” I ran and grabbed the first thing I could. It was one of Zora’s blue vases. I lifted it up, rushed to Amber, and slammed it against her head.

  “Ah!” Shrieking, she fell back.

  Kamal wrenched the gun out of her hand.

  I shoved Amber down to the ground, falling with her into shattered glass pieces.

  And then I slapped her face, not sure if she had passed out. All the terror that I’d faced with her pointing the gun at me, unleashed onto her. I hit her again. “You fucking crazy bitch!”

  “Help!” Amber blinked. Blood dripped down the side of her face.

  Kamal dragged me away. “Jade, call the police. I’ll watch her.”

  My ears rang. My heart beats boomed. I stumbled away and pulled out my phone. “Okay. Okay.” My breathing shifted to panting. I turned around. More horror greeted my eyes.

  No. No. No.

  Ganesha still lay on the ground. Thank God, his chest rose and fell. Weak whimpers left him. Blood pooled around his tiny legs.

  “You fucking crazy bitch.” Walking over to him, my eyes watered. My fingers shook as I dialed 9-1-1. When the phone rang, I lowered next to Ganesha and sat by him, unsure of what I could do. “I’m right here.”

  He turned his head to me and whimpered some more.

  “It’s okay, buddy.” I gently rubbed his head. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

  His head trembled against my palm.

  A woman came on the line. “9-1-1. How can I help you?”

  I rushed through everything, giving her the address to send the police and ambulance. I had no idea if medics could help a dog, but I knew they would do better than I could.

  “Goddamn it, Amber! What the fuck?” Kamal carried her gun over to the table, took out the bullets, and set the gun down. “You’re supposed to be getting on the plane today. Why are you here?!”

  “Kamal.” Blinking, Amber slowly sat up. But she still sat on the shattered pieces of the blue vase. “You hate me now?”

  “Fuck!” Kamal pocketed the bullets and turned to me. “Are you okay, Jade?”

  “Y-yes.”

  Kamal turned his attention to Ganesha. “Maybe we should add pressure to wear she shot him. Can you tell where it is?”

  “No. I’m telling them now.” I returned to the operator and explained Ganesha’s wound. Once I did, she walked me through the next steps. I discovered a bloody hole in his hind leg. When I tried to investigate it more, Ganesha growled and snapped at me.

  “Okay, buddy. I won’t touch that.”

  Ganesha licked my finger and whimpered.

  “Don’t worry.” I patted his head. “Someone’s coming to help you.”

  Kamal left the living room and returned with several towels. I added pressure to the hole and thanked God that the bullet hadn’t hit him in any internal organs.

  Sirens blared in the distance.

  I kept 9-1-1 on the line.

  “Kamal?” Amber cried across from us. “You hate me now. Don’t you?”

  So worried about Ganesha, I’d forgotten she was still in the room.

  Kamal must have too.

  We both looked up.

  She held a piece of the broken vase glass next to her wrist. “Is this what you want, Kamal?”

  I turned to him.

  Anger covered his face. Kamal’s chest rose and fell.

  The sirens sounded closer.

  I rubbed Ganesha’s head as he shivered.

  “Answer me!” Amber cried and kept the blue shard on her veins. “Is this what you want? Is this what will give you a happy ending? Do you want me dead?”

  Fury blazed over his face. Kamal returned to applying pressure to Ganesha’s wound.

  I swallowed. “Amber put the glass down.”

  “He hates me.” Amber closed her eyes and sliced her wrist.

  “No!” I screamed until my throat burned.

  “Fuck!” Kamal jumped up and raced to her. “Amber. No.”

  Blood spurted from her wrists. Her body shook.

  “No, Amber.” He tried to stop the blood flow with his hand. Red liquid spilled over his fingers. She must’ve cut herself real deep. Her body spasmed against him. “No, Amber.”

  All in masks and gloves, medics raced into the apartment with a stretcher. Masked police came next. Sounds no longer filled my ears. Stunned, I just stared as Kamal held Amber’s bloody, shaking body. Shock and terror took me over. The ringing in my ears increased.

  Is she. . .

  They took Amber from him.

  Is she dead?

  Kamal sat on the ground. Blood coated his shirt, pants, and hands.

  Other medics attended to Ganesha, pushing me out of the way.

  My bottom lip quivered.

 
; Kamal rose from the floor, getting blood on the cabinets under the sink. “Amber. No.”

  Everyone packed Zora’s small kitchen, taking care of Amber and Ganesha. A couple of neighbors stood in the hallways, peeking their heads in the doorway and whispering to each other.

  Is she dead?

  A shudder of terror pushed through me. Everything had happened so fast. I’d just been sitting in front of the television, minding my business. And now. . .

  Someone rushed over to Kamal and made him wipe his hands and arms. Another person asked me something. I didn’t hear them. I still wanted to know. . .

  Is she dead?

  I couldn’t see Amber or Ganesha. Medics blocked my view. And then more police packed Zora’s place.

  “Jade.” Kamal came to my side, tenderly grabbed my hand, and pulled me to him. “Are you okay?”

  Tears left my eyes. I didn’t know why I was crying, just that I was overtaken with so much sadness.

  “Jade,” he whispered, “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

  Swallowing, I rested against his chest. “Yes.”

  He hugged me tighter. “Good.”

  I leaned away from him. Now some of Amber’s blood decorated my shirt. “How are you?”

  “Excuse me.” A police officer came over. “We need to know everything that happened.”

  Kamal nodded and began describing the moments before they arrived. After he finished, the officer asked me the same questions. I did my best to answer everyone to the best of my knowledge. It all had happened in a blur of hysteria. I barely knew what was real and what details came from shock.

  By then, medics lifted Amber onto the stretcher and carried her out. A bandage wrapped around her wrist. She didn’t move. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not.

  I looked down at Ganesha. “Is he going to be alright?”

  The medic bobbed his head. “Yes. The bullet went through his leg. He won’t be running and jumping around for a while, but he’ll be okay.”

  I wiped my tears away. “Thank God.”

  “We’re going to take him to the nearest animal clinic. Who’s coming with us?”

  I nodded. “I’m coming. I’ll get his toy, Bebe. He’ll want it.”

  The medic slowly picked Ganesha up and carried him in his arms. “Will your husband be coming too?”

  “What?”

  The medic gestured to Kamal.

  Two police scribbled notes as they continued to talk to him.

  “Oh, no. He’s not my husband, but um. . .let me check. I’ll be right back.” I hurried over to Kamal. “I’m riding with the ambulance to take Ganesha to the animal hospital.”

  His voice was hoarse. “Is he okay?”

  “Yes. They said he’ll be fine, just won’t be able to run for a while.”

  “Okay. Call me when you get there. I’ll come by and pick you both up.” He signaled to the cops. “I’m still finishing the report and giving them Amber’s father’s information.”

  “Is she. . .” I swallowed down my fear. “Is she all right?”

  Worried creased around his eyes. “They don’t know yet.”

  “Okay.” I hurried to the bedroom, grabbed Bebe, and headed to the front door.

  “Jade,” Kamal called out to me.

  I stopped and looked at him. “Yes?”

  “Put your mask and gloves on.”

  “Oh.” I hurried to grab them, put everything on, and left with the medic.

  Dear God. What the hell just happened.

  The rest of the hours blurred. I rode in the ambulance with Ganesha. He continued to whimper in pain. Once I pulled out Bebe, he took his toy and held it in his mouth. When we made it to the animal hospital, the vet rushed him into an operating room and told him that he’d been a brave hero. As they gave Ganesha stitches, I stood by him and rubbed his head.

  The only thing that kept me sane was focusing on him. Every few minutes, I checked my phone to see if Kamal called.

  The next hour, Kamal appeared with a change of clothes for me and food. The whole time with Ganesha in the animal clinic, I hadn’t realized that Amber’s blood still decorated my shirt. I thanked Kamal, cleaned up and changed in the vet’s bathroom.

  As the clinic staff finished with Ganesha, Kamal called Zora to let her know what had happened. Surprisingly, she took the news well but wished death on Amber for shooting Ganesha.

  In the fourth hour, we left the animal clinic. Kamal carried Ganesha in one arm. The doggy now wore a small cast on his leg.

  With Kamal’s free hand, he tenderly gripped mine. “You didn’t eat the food I brought you.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Make sure you eat when we get home.”

  I gave him a sad smile. “Did you eat?”

  He frowned. “No. I’m not hungry either.”

  “Then, it looks like we’ll both be eating when we get home.”

  “So. . .about home,” Letting go of my hand, he walked us to his car and opened the door. “We’re not going back to Zora’s place.”

  “No?”

  “Before I left the apartment, I had my cleaning staff from my company do a special job for me. Half of the janitorial is in her apartment right now, getting rid of all the blood and. . .” He sighed. “The other half is finishing up my condo. That’s where we are going right now.”

  “What happened to your condo?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted them to clean it up, and get all traces of Amber out of there.” He placed Ganesha in the back seat. “After today. . .”

  He closed the door and turned to me. “She could have killed you.”

  “Yeah. I’m trying not to think about it.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about it.” He opened up the passenger side. “What if I didn’t come out in time? What if. . . I could have lost you.”

  “But you didn’t.” I climbed inside.

  He closed the door and walked over to his side.

  Minutes later, we drove out of the parking lot. He kept the radio off. The streets were empty. A few people strolled down the sidewalk in masks. But New York City truly appeared like a ghost town.

  I turned to him. “Kamal?”

  “Yes.”

  I cleared my throat. “Have you heard about Amber yet?”

  Water glazed his eyes. He gripped the steering wheel hard. “Let’s not talk about that now.”

  “But. . .” I swallowed. “Is she okay?”

  Sighing, he rubbed his face with his hand.

  “Kamal?”

  “She’s dead, Jade.”

  Stunned, I looked away and leaned back in the chair.

  Dead?

  His voice went low. “She died on the way to the hospital. That’s why the police kept me for so long. They took my fingerprints, shirt, and jeans. They also grabbed evidence just in case Zora’s kitchen was a crime scene for a homicide. But in the end, they confirmed it was a self-inflicted wound.”

  I blinked. “She’s. . .dead.”

  A tear left his eye. He wiped it away and shook his head over and over. “Why didn’t she just get on the plane? I don’t understand. It didn’t have to happen like this.”

  I placed my hand on his thigh.

  He moved one of his hands from the steering wheel and rested it over mine. “I should have told her to stop. She asked me if I wanted her to cut herself and I didn’t say anything. I was so fucking mad that she had that gun pointed at you. That she had shot Ganesha. That she was back and causing more damage and tragedy. . .”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I should have said something.”

  “It might not have helped.”

  He let out a long breath. “And now I’ll never know if I could have saved her life or not.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  He shook his head.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Kamal.”

  “It’s hard not to.” Another tear left his eye. “In the end. . .I wanted her to cut herself.”

&
nbsp; “Don’t think about it that way. You were mad.”

  He didn’t respond.

  Silence filled the car.

  I had no idea what else to say. Never had I dealt with such a horrific situation.

  She’s really dead.

  When we arrived at Kamal’s place, I drank the spacious condominium in, needing anything to get my mind off of the day’s terror.

  His condo was in the middle of Manhattan and at the top level of the building. It was an open-plan living area with plenty of large windows, displaying stunning city views. The balcony door led to a penthouse roof terrace.

  Don’t think about Amber. Focus on this moment.

  I scanned the massive place. It looked even better than the pictures Zora had sent me months again. High ceilings and state-of-the-art light fixtures. Polished oak flooring. There was a glass screen in front of the fireplace.

  The kitchen was big. Stocked with warm oak cabinets, veined marble counters, and fully integrated appliances.

  With a sad expression, Kamal held Ganesha in his arms and showed me around, telling me that he’d decorated it himself. It made sense. There was a classic style to the place. Leather furniture set with an elegant coffee table. The second level was small. Up there was the sunroom, gym, and tiny steam room.

  We went back down to the lower level. There were three bedrooms along with three and a half bathrooms. The master bathroom had a vanity table and sky white marble tubs. The others possessed glass-enclosed showers with a polished nickel finish.

  “This is where we’ll sleep.” Kamal led me to the master bedroom and placed Ganesha on a brand-new doggy bed near a bookshelf. It was clear the place had been scrubbed. A lemon fragrance hung in the air. “Everything has been replaced. Including the bed.”

  “They were busy.”

  “Yes.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

  I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I just need a minute.” Gently, he moved me away and headed out of the bedroom. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

  I followed, wishing he had not ended our hug so fast.

  His phone rang.

  He pulled it out and checked the screen. Without answering it, he stopped walking and closed his eyes. “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  “It’s Amber’s father.”

  “Did they notify him?”

  “I don’t know.” He opened his eyes. “Fuck. I’ll be right back. I should talk to him.”