“I need backup and an ambulance in the back parking lot of Clementine’s. Stat. Shots were fired, and I have a man down.”
Despite my asking for an ambulance, I fear it’s pointless.
Charlie’s dying.
Ace of Swords
NOT ONE OFus said a word the entire way to my house.
We’re all in shock.
I didn’t leave until I was sure that Nick was going to be all right. After the first shots rang out, no more came, and Lanie insisted he was safe. It’s not easing my worry.
He has to be okay.
“I think I need to go home,” Nina says, back hunched and makeup smeared down her cheeks.
She’s been in the bathroom for the last twenty minutes. We knew she needed space and gave it to her.
“Do you think it’s a good idea for you to be driving in this state?” Lanie asks. “We’ll be worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine, but I really need to be home to find out what’s going on with Charlie.” She sniffles, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. “I know he’s been involved in some bad things due to his alcoholism, but the guy’s had a rough life. His parents are narcissists who pushed him aside his entire life for their own careers.”A stray tear falls down her cheek. “I don’t agree with half of the things he’s done, but I’ve always felt sorry for him.”
I offer a tight smile. “I understand. Just text us when you get home.”
She nods, not saying another word as she makes her way toward the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob and turns back. “Is it just me, or did you see the woman with the gun?”
My mouth drops open. I hadn’t seen a thing. I was too focused on being caught by Nick and what he was going to do when he reached my car.
“A woman?”
“A blonde, wearing a yellow tee.”
“I’ll make sure Nick gets those details.”
She doesn’t say anything else, leaving us alone, lost in our own thoughts.
“Do you think he’s dead?” I ask Lanie.
She takes a deep breath. “I don’t know. The way he fell, and that blank look on his face...” She bites her bottom lip. “We were too far away for me to be sure.”
Exhaustion washes over me, and I can barely keep my eyes open. Lanie and I are both curled up on my couch in the bonus room, too tired to move upstairs. I grab a blanket and throw it at her, getting one for myself too. It doesn’t take long before my eyelids grow heavy and my eyes close. The last image my brain conjures before I nod off is Nick running toward my car.
Please let him be safe.
?A HARD KNOCKINGhas me shooting straight up, head swinging from side to side. The sun is out, and I’ve been blessed with another day.
Unlike some people.
A quick glance at the clock tells me I’ve slept well past breakfast and halfway through lunch.
The knocking sound begins again, and that’s when I realize someone’s at my front door. At first, I consider ignoring it, but the incessant pounding is enough to give me a headache.
“I’m coming,” I yell out, managing to stir Lanie.
“What’s going on?” Her voice is full of sleep and her eyes aren’t even open.
“Someone’s at the door. Go back to sleep.”
