by B C Morgan
“Come on baby girl, if this is the only show you’re going to do with us, why not go out with a bang,” she steps closer and looks me in the eyes.
“I really don’t like you right now,” I growl out and she positions the microphone, so it goes out across the room.
I look to my guys and they all look as confused as I feel, there is no method to her madness here. I shake my head as my eyes find Harrison and my fingers begin to strum against the strings of my guitar. A hush descends upon the crowd as Roxie drags the microphone stand closer, because of course we wouldn’t want anyone to miss this.
My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips, and a shiver is coursing its way through me, I can’t do this. Yes, you can. Do it for Ivy.
Closing my eyes, I lose myself in the melody I’m creating and start to sing Lewis Capaldi’s Lost On You.
I get caught up in the music and I barely even notice that the girls are joining in, adding more music and their own voices into the mix. We sound pretty good and it isn’t lost on me that my eyes are on Amias as I sing the chorus. I don’t know if I’m trying to tell him something or myself or maybe that’s just where my stare has fallen, but I can’t read into it just yet.
The last note falls from my lips as everything crashes to a stop as a gunshot ricochets through the room. Everyone is screaming and rushing for the exits and I can see my guys trying to get to me but I’m frozen, I can’t make myself move.
“Henleigh, come on we need to get out of here,” Roxie is screaming at me as she seizes my arm and starts dragging me through the closest doorway, only it’s on the opposite side to where Sawyer is standing. I look over my shoulder but… I can’t see him. Where the fuck is Sawyer?
“Come on Henleigh, we can’t wait. The guys will meet us,” Roxie is pleading with me and I can’t put her at risk as well, I need to start moving.
“Where’s Bella and Mikaela?” I ask frantically, my eyes darting around but everything has been swallowed up within the pandemonium that the gunshot has caused.
“They’re already outside, they didn’t wait for us,” I see tears brimming in her eyes and my heart is lurching for her. I know how it feels to be abandoned but I never thought they would turn their backs on us or at least, not her.
She keeps pulling me until we make it through the stampeding bodies and out into the car park, I still can’t see anyone, but clearly I need to trust someone and Roxie has never steered me wrong. She won’t leave my guys or the girls behind and being inside a car has to be safer than waiting out in the open like this.
Another shot ratchets through the air and we’re running for our lives before falling in the car and locking the doors behind us.
“Should we be locking them? The guys won’t be able to get in,” I say in a trembling voice, I can’t see them and I can’t shake the fear that the shots were more than just noise. What if they’ve claimed two parts of my heart already?
“It’s okay, I’ll unlock it the minute I see them,” she says softly as she stares intently out of the windscreen, her eyes locked on something.
My phone starts buzzing in my pocket and my fingers are shaking so bad that I almost drop it. I feel like crying just from seeing Noah’s face flashing up on my screen, clearly he’s looking for me and I know everything is going to be okay. He’ll confirm it and everything will be okay.
“Noah, where are you?” I’m speaking so quickly that my words blur into one.
“Henleigh where are you?” He’s completely ignoring my question but other than sounding worried he seems okay.
“I’m in Roxie’s car, we’re fine,” I say with a slight hysterical laugh then look at Roxie and we share a smile.
“Get out of there,” he screams it down the phone and I have to pull it away from my head, it’s almost deafening.
“What are you talking about? I’m safe Noah. I’m okay,” I’m trying to ease his fear but I don’t understand it.
“Henleigh it wasn’t Bella, it was never her. It’s been Roxie all along, get away from her. NOW!”
Everything is moving in slow motion as I look at her and she returns my stare but hers is filled with pity and something a little darker.
“I’m sorry it had to end this way,” she says with a small shake of her head before her hand snakes up to the back of mine and the last thing I see is the dashboard as she sends my face crashing into it.
10TH OCTOBER 2009
I have a really bad feeling about today, I even wrote a letter to pipsqueak, mum and dad just in case I don’t come back. It’s not like I’m expecting to die or anything but I know what we’re doing now and I’d be an idiot to not account for it. I’ve already told Devon if I don’t make it then any money I earn has to be put into an account for Hen and she can have it when she turns twenty one, I was going to say eighteen but I don’t trust mother dearest not to take that as well. Hopefully by the time she’s in her twenties she’ll be far away from them and living her own life, happy and at peace.
Devon has told me to stop being depressing and that I’m tempting fate but he hasn’t got a little sister relying on him and I can’t risk her. He wasn’t happy when I said that to him but he relented and agreed to my request. I know I shouldn’t have, but I also asked him to keep this part of my life hidden from her. I want her to remember me as the brother she knew, not this guy that I felt I had to become. Damon has told me that his parents know there’s a threat to them and he’s worried I’m a part of that threat, but I haven’t told him what we’re doing.
Today we’ll be going after Mr. Shaw himself, Devon will be doing the dirty work and we just need to stand there with our guns at the ready. He’s made it clear we won’t be killing anyone, we’ll just be delivering him to Richard once Devon has prepared him for it.
Mikel is bringing some weed with him and I usually say no, but I think I may take him up on it just this once. I need something to curb my nerves and hopefully I’ll be able to act calm and collected whilst holding a gun at the head of the father to the guy I fucking love. Our lives are so messed up, I don’t want Henleigh to have any part in it. She deserves a better life than she has now or will even get. She deserves better than I can give her. I just hope that if I don’t make it back, she’ll know that through everything, she was always the sun in my tumultuous, storm ridden life. Please if anyone is out there right now, let me come back and help her sunlight continue to grow and if not, please don’t diminish it.
WHAT IS it with these people and putting me on cold, hard grounds? Not that my comfort level is a high priority but I’d much rather focus on that than the hand pressing between my shoulder blades or the cold steel gliding across my skin. The rope around my wrists is chaffing my skin but I guess I should be more worried about the blade at this point. The knife isn’t cutting me… yet, but clearly it’s only a matter of time. I don’t know what she’s waiting for and I’m not sure I want her to stretch this out.
“I really liked you Henleigh, if only you hadn’t been a Monterey. Out of friendship I’ll offer you a quick death, all you have to do is take responsibility for your family’s crimes,” so much warmth and sweetness within her voice, like the homemade fudge before it cools. My so-called friend, the one I never thought I’d have to watch. Oh, how she deceived us all, if I somehow beat the odds and make it through this. How can I ever trust again?
“Why are you doing this? Was your whole persona nothing but fiction, I never thought you would be the villain in this tale,” I say against concrete, working my wrists into a bloody mess trying to slip the rope that’s binding them together.
“This isn’t some silly little book, its real life and people have to be held accountable for their actions. Your brother is dead, the lucky git, so you must stand in his place,” she places the knife on the floor by my face before brushing her free hand over my hair, removing it from my face. I feel sick. “Everything you thought you knew about me is correct, but didn’t anyone ever tell you that there are two sides to the same coin. It all
depends on the luck of a flip which version you will see when the spinning ends. Looks like your luck ran out,” she still has the sugar sweet voice but her eyes are as wild as an unrelenting storm. Maybe she really will be the end of me and no one will ever know.
“Who the fuck are you, you demented bint,” I know I shouldn’t be shouting at the person who literally holds my life in the palm of her hand, but I can’t seem to control myself right now. Hmmm I wonder why that is?!
“You know who I am, unless you mean in the grand scheme of things. Hmmm, you know for the sake of our friendship I’ll tell you but it’s a long old story so let me make you comfortable first,” she drops a kiss upon my cheek before dragging me back by my restraints.
I can’t help but yell out as she pulls me to my feet and drags me backwards through an open door. I can’t keep up and my feet keep slipping, it doesn’t even matter if I kick out. Nothing is stopping her.
“You can sit here,” she says as she stops me at a chair and pulls my arms over the back of it and hooking me in place to something.
“Henleigh…”
No. I should have seen this one coming.
“Ivy,” her name slips out on a sob and the sight of her causes fresh pain to well within me.
“No talking, this isn’t some kind of pow wow you know. We are on a time limit,” she clicks her tongue as she checks her watch, before grabbing another chair for herself.
I can’t keep my eyes off Ivy and she’s silently crying as her body is wracked with sobs.
“I did everything you asked, why won’t you let her go?” I doubt her answer will make me feel any better, but I have to ask, nonetheless.
“She isn’t dead now is she? I think I’ve been more than reasonable with this little bitch and besides, her buyer will be coming to collect soon. They usually prefer their purchases to be breathing, but it isn’t essential so I would watch what you say baby girl,” her eyes are hard as she drags a finger down my cheek and she’s smiling as I pull my head back as far from her as I can manage.
“Now then, where should I start? So, Dante is my cousin. He and the majority of his family on his mother’s side are psychotic or sociopathic. They lack the necessary skills to thrive in this world, unless they find themselves in a position that calls for their talents. Hence the dial-a-kill service they provide. They do a lot more than just killing people, but that is the most popular service that they offer,” she’s smiling but it’s not a happy smile, it screams fake and put on. I just don’t understand why she’s bothering.
“Anyway, our mums were sisters but mine wasn’t as bad as the rest of them. She is a psychopath but she still formed a relationship with my father and kept it hidden as long as she could. She wasn’t much for the killing but she wasn’t a law-abiding citizen either. She is a true artist when it comes to manipulation, she would be so proud of me,” her tone is taking on a slight airy quality, I guess mother and daughter don’t see each other that often?
“What has this got to do with anything?” I ask and her eyes flash with anger before settling back down.
“I’m giving you the backstory, I would have thought you’d appreciate all the free time I’m awarding you right now. I could just kill you if you’d prefer?” She cocks her head to the side and I shake mine whilst jerking my rope back and forth against the hook that’s holding it to the chair.
I wouldn’t have even known it was there if I hadn’t caught my wrist on it. I can feel the blood trickling down my arm now but that’s the least of my worries and I may have finally found a way to get out of this mess. I mean I’m sure that I’ll die trying, but maybe I can at least make her think twice about betraying a friend in the future.
“I was five when I killed our pet bunny, it bit me and I was angry so I reacted. It made me sad afterwards but mum was unphased, dad on the other hand freaked the fuck out and tried to get me away from her. It didn’t work but he did leave, he wouldn’t have left me but my mum’s family didn’t give him a lot of choice in the matter. He left, and I was raised by killers, dealers and traffickers. The only issue, I wasn’t detached from my feelings. If I hurt something, then it hurt me, but some things just deserve to die,” she says through gritted teeth as her face grows as hard as granite and her eyes scream of a fire so fierce it would melt you in an instant.
“What deserves to die?” I ask quietly, I think keeping her talking is the best bet Ivy and I have.
“My neighbour had this dog and it would not shut up, I couldn’t get any sleep and I was so tired. I wouldn’t have had to kill it if the owner had listened to my mum but no, so I did what I needed to do to keep me sane. I was seven at that point. There have been other animals and people as I have grown up but I won’t just go and kill something. Alas my mother eventually got caught doing something frowned upon, and she was arrested so I was given to my father. He’d shacked up with a new woman by then, she had kids of her own and was pregnant with his child,” she sounds sad as she talks about it but I still don’t see how this explains who she is and why she is doing this.
“It was enlightening living in a fully functioning household, I mean I’d spent time there but never consistently. I was loved and disciplined when it was needed and I didn’t get the urge to kill for a long time. My messed up family still contacted me occasionally and told me that I would always have a place with them. I was wanted everywhere, and I eventually took them up on it when I hit thirteen. Someone thought it would be a great idea to steal from us and all dad did was call the police. Because they are so helpful,” she rolls her eyes before laughing humourlessly. “My baby sister was devastated, and I wasn’t going to just stand by and let someone steal from us so I used my family’s connections and soon found the thieving brat. They screamed for so long and their last moments haunted me for a year but the more lives I took, the easier it got. The thing is, it has to be personal in some way otherwise, what’s the point?” Does she want me to answer this, because I can’t help her with that one but I am nearly free from this rope, I only need a few more minutes.
“Why is it personal with me though? I haven’t done anything to you. I freaking loved you Roxie, I trusted you,” tears are streaming down my face as I pick up the pace and try to brace through the cramps in my arms.
“You’re the exception, you see you haven’t done anything. I was hoping that Dante would do his job so I wouldn’t have to, I did not want to kill you baby girl. Now, you know that you’re dying because of your brother, he and his friends made things difficult for the Shaw’s and they want their revenge. He died, and they lost your mum and dad which only caused more problems for them. I only accepted this job because I can’t get to your mum, so you’re the next best thing. Sometimes the child must suffer for the sins of the parent,” she’s nodding her head, then stands up and leaves the room.
“I’m going to try and get us out of here,” I whisper shout to Ivy but her reply is a wracking cough that makes blood bubble up onto her lips.
“Save… yourself,” she wheezes out, right as Roxie returns, clutching the knife and there’s a manic look in her eyes.
“No one is getting saved. Now then... shall we begin?” How can she smile as she asks that?
“What did my mother do to you? And why Ivy? Is kissing your boyfriend really the reason you want to kill her?” I can hear the judgement in my voice and I hope she can too.
“I may not have been entirely honest with you when you asked about my history with Ivy, now I did try to be nice to her when she first arrived but she avoided me like the plague. Within one week of being there, she had Amias and the others welcoming her with open arms. One week, yet they couldn’t be arsed to even speak to me if we got partnered up in class. What was so special about that little bitch? And then there was Declan, oh yeah before he got with the Shepherd he had a thing with Ivy. He was supposed to be mine and yet she stole him from me too. Of course it didn’t last, especially when I got involved. The Shepherds have always been easy to manipulate, and it was beyo
nd easy to get them to set their sights on her. She gave him up way too easily, just proving my point that she wasn’t worthy of him. And then he got with someone else and I had to bide my time. I wouldn’t have her sloppy seconds and I needed to remind him that I was the only girl for him,” she’s balancing the blade on her finger, piercing her own skin and watching as her blood pools on the tip.
“When she got with Finley, I could tell that Declan wasn’t happy about it and I needed him to be done with her for good. The fact that she wouldn’t open her legs for Fin wasn’t working, so I had to go harder. Got footage of Ivy following me into a bathroom, after working a little magic I got it to look as though she beat the ever living shit out of me. I was beyond out of it and Declan was the one to find me, he couldn’t look at her again after that,” she’s laughing and it’s only increasing as Ivy cries harder, no longer able to stay silent.
“You did it all for Declan, yet you made it hard for him to be with you. If you wanted him, why go to all the effort of turning him away?”
“People always want what they can’t have, I also needed to make sure he wouldn’t get interested in that little bitch again. Well, Ivy changed into her angry punk self so that took care of that and I had to make sure that Declan was mine. Getting him to abandon his new girlfriend and friends was a great way to get him alienated, and you made it so easy. You helped him to see how awful they really were. He’s got a huge heart and seeing me protect you, only made him fall harder,” she pulls her phone out and taps away at her screen before pocketing it once more.
“Nearly time for the sale, it’s time to say goodbye baby girl,” she crouches down before me and places her hands on my knees.
“What about Bella? This whole time I thought she was the one pretending?” I can’t go out without knowing this, was Bella in on it too.
“That just worked out perfectly, didn’t it. You seeing the text on a phone, the same make and model as hers. I swapped it out with hers when you went upstairs and the rest as they say, is history. As for the constant texts of her trying to get you on stage, yeah guilty,” she bats her lashes and I can tell we’ve reached the end of this fucked up conversation.