Gravity (Artistic Pricks Ink Book 1) (32 page)

“Yeah man, I’ve got the fort handled,” he nods, waving me off. “Just hurry up, those chicks are not persuading me to participate in a girls’ time since Leah isn’t here.” Mitch thinks a minute, then shrugs. “Unless there’s beer and brownies, then I may make an exception.”

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes and follow Skinner to the back exit. Stopping at the stairs, I look up at the closed door wanting nothing more than to go back up and slide into bed beside Kionna.

“Luke, are we going or what?” Skinner shouts from the opened door.

“Yeah.” I nod and follow him out. “Let’s go.”

Once I hear the door close to the apartment, I shove off the blanket and climb out of bed. All I can think about is Lynsey and Doug. The guilt I feel knowing that it should have been me, and me alone that died, is unbearable. Walking out of the bedroom, I pad up the hallway to get my phone from my bag. I need to call Kelly and let her know that I am okay. I feel bad knowing she has been trying to get ahold of me and I have yet to return her call, she must be worried sick.

Swiping the screen, I bring up her number and press send. When I hear ringing echo from the kitchen the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Dropping my phone to the floor, I run for the door desperate to get downstairs to Luke.

“Not so fast, Ki.” Kelly says, stepping from the kitchen. Holding up a pistol, she points it at me. “I tried to make you see things my way, Diamond. You just had to be difficult, didn’t you?”

I shake my head in disbelief at the woman I had idolized and looked up to. She had given me so much, this can’t be happening. “It was you?” I ask, shocked. “This whole time; the notes, my house, all of it was you? How could you do that to Lynsey? To Doug. My God Kelly, Lynsey had a little boy!”

“That bitch deserved it. For one, she was a horrible dancer, and two I wanted Doug for myself. He had no right to end what we had just for a chance with one of my girls.” Kelly grins, her eyes twinkling as she approaches me, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I want to scream for Luke, for anyone, but I can’t. I’m shocked silent, frozen in place. “Do you have any idea what I gave to you, Kionna? What you so willingly threw away for
him
?” She asks, nudging me in the chest with the gun. “I made you a star. Every man in the club was eating out of the palm of your hand every time you walked onto the stage and you’re throwing it all away?”

“I was never planning to stay there forever, Kelly. You have to know that,” I reply, staring down at the gun. “I mean you quit when you married Jeff.”

“No,” she snaps, shoving me so that I fall onto the couch. “That’s where you’re wrong. See there you go forgetting a very important rule. Nothing is ever how it seems, appearances are very deceiving. Jeff and I are very good at pretending.”

The apartment door opens making both our eyes focus on Shelby as she walks in. “Hey Ki, I thought Luke said…”

“Close the door and lock it,” Kelly orders, now pointing the gun at Shelby. “Don’t try anything funny.”

Shelby closes the door slowly and flips the lock. “Ki are you okay?” she asks, looking at me.

“Sit down next to her.” Kelly orders, walking around the coffee table.

“Why are you doing this, Kelly?” I ask once Shelby sits beside me. “I don’t understand.”

“You!” Kelly growls, pointing the gun at me as she steps closer. “You’ve ruined everything. Sure, my loving husband gave me the club to continue my little hobby, as he calls it.” Stopping mid-step, she faces me. “I only get to keep it if I continue to make a profit. Your time off only confirmed my suspicions; you’re my ticket. With you gone, I’ll lose everything I have. I’m not willing to take that chance.”

“I thought you were my friend,” I say, shaking my head. How could I have been so wrong?

Kelly laughs, “Oh for a smart girl, you sure are stupid. I was never your friend, I was keeping up with your life only in the interest of my business. I couldn’t let you lose focus, Ki. When I saw that happening I had no choice but to step in. I was merely reminding you of your place. You’re just too stupid to listen.”

Noise from the back makes Kelly walk to the window and look out. “Well, looks like we won’t be having anymore unexpected guests after all. Buh-bye, loverboy.” She grins as I hear a car start. Turning away from the window, Kelly closes the distance between us again. “I don’t get you,” she murmurs, scrutinizing me. “One man’s affection will never be enough to compare to the thousands that would give you anything you asked for.”

Taking a breath, I shake my head. “It’s over, Kelly.”

Kelly laughs making both Shelby and me jump. “I know.” Raising the gun, she sighs. “What a news story this will be,” she gushes. “The Flawless Diamond of Heaven on Heels, cut down in her prime by an infatuated fan. Oh Ki, even in death you’ll be a star.”

Jolting up, Shelby flings herself over the coffee table and dives at Kelly. Shelby’s fist collides with Kelly’s jaw as they stumble backward. Kelly stumbles as they both grapple for the gun. “Help!” I scream jumping to my feet to help, but I’m too late. The gun goes off; Shelby falls backward slamming her head into the coffee table with a thud. Her body going limp just feet from me, blood seeping from her side.

“No!” I cry, dropping to my knees beside Shelby.

“Now see what you’ve done?” Kelly asks, righting herself. Touching her free hand to her cheek, she winces as she points the gun at me. “You’ll pay for that.”

Taking a breath, I realize this is it. Luke is gone and there is no one here to help us. All of this, I brought here and now Shelby lies on the floor because of me. Pushing to my feet, I step toward her. “If you’re going to kill me, you’ll have to do it meeting my eyes. I want you to see that there’s no regret here for the choices I’ve made, other than the people you’ve hurt.”

The door flies open behind her as Mitch rushes into the room. Before Kelly can react, she is thrown across the room into a bookshelf. The gun falls from her hands and skates across the floor toward Mitch. Reaching down, he picks it up and points it at her. His eyes flit to mine and then to Shelby, who lies unconscious on the floor in a puddle of blood.

“No.” Mitch gasps in disbelief. His eyes widen in shock and the breath stops in his chest as he stares at her, as if silently willing her to wake up. Pain and anger floods his features as his body begins to shake. Kelly pushes to her feet.

“That bitch deserved it for meddling,” Kelly shouts, lunging for Mitch. Without taking his eyes from Shelby, Mitch fires the gun over and over, hitting Kelly in the chest until the clip is empty. Her body crumples to the floor, and I watch as her final breath rushes from her chest.

“Charlie get a fucking ambulance!” Mitch shouts, dropping the gun to the floor. Falling to his knees beside her, he scoops Shelby up in his arms. Tears falling from his eyes as his chest heaves. “This can’t be happening,” he whispers, brushing a hand over her face. “Wake up, please.”

Fumbling across the floor, I grab my phone from where I dropped it before, the screen completely shattered. “Mitch, is she…” I ask, choking on my words. I can’t even finish my sentence.

“No, she isn’t,” he grounds out looking at me. “She’s going to be fine. Are you okay?” He asks, but all I can do is nod.

Ripping his shirt over his head, Mitch wraps it around his hand and applies pressure to Shelby’s wound. “Hang on Shelby, do you hear me? You do not get to die on me. That fucking bitch does not get to win, do you hear me?”

***

“Get the room cleared, we’re gonna need medical support up here right away,” I hear a familiar voice calling out from behind me. “Miss Slade are you hurt?” Officer Stewart says, coming up behind me.

“No,” I reply, watching Mitch with Shelby. “Help her.”

“They’re downstairs and are coming up once we give them the go ahead. Let’s get you downstairs.”

“This one’s gone.” Officer Alvarez says, leaning over Kelly’s body. “Sir,” she says to Mitch. “You need to come with us as well.”

“I’m not leaving her,” Mitch grounds out, not meeting her eyes. “You arrest me if you fucking have to, but I am staying right here.”

Mitch continues arguing with Officer Alvarez as I am led away toward the stairs. Once outside, he wraps me in a blanket and secures me inside the back of his car so that he can go back upstairs. “I need to call Luke.” I mutter down at my hands still holding my broken phone.

“Here,” He says, pulling a phone from his pocket. He presses a few buttons then hands it to me. “Here we go, I have his number right here since I spoke with him just the other day over the phone. It should be ringing.”

Quickly, I put the phone to my ear and wait. “Yeah, you’ve got Luke.”

“Luke,” his name is a sob. Covering my face with my free hand, I cry.

My heart drop in my stomach the second I hear her voice. “Kionna? Kionna, what’s wrong?” I ask, looking to Skinner as he drives. “Turn the fuck around Skinner, something’s wrong.”

Skinner whips down an exit ramp. Whipping a turn on nearly two wheels, he dodges a red light and has us back on the freeway heading back toward the shop in a matter of minutes. “Mr. Hanlon?” A male voice comes over the phone and my blood runs cold when I recognize it as Officer Stewart.

“What the hell is going on?” I shout, angry at myself for even leaving her in the first place.

“This is Officer Jason Stewart. There was another incident at your shop. Right now we are preparing to transport to the hospital. You should meet us there,” he informs me and I nearly come out of my fucking skin.

“An incident? What kind of an incident?” I ask, as Skinner skates in and out of traffic.

“There was an intruder and shots were fired. I can’t give you much more over the phone right now, Mr. Hanlon. We will see you at the hospital,” he says rattling off the name of the hospital they are heading to before the line goes dead.