Not even Wes. Hell, I had no way to get in touch with Wes. He was merely a blip on the radar of life. His lie was going to get himself killed. And it was going to get me into big trouble, unless I just confessed the truth. That would only make it worse for him.
If only… I had been in the car. Stuck the key in the ignition. Turned it. Then… gone…
I shook away the thought as it sent a cold shiver up and down my spine.
I couldn’t think like that right now. I had to stay in survival mode and make this all work. Maybe Wes’s boss would understand the situation. Aton seemed nice enough to help, as long as we played into the marriage thing. His family could go after Luke and finally put an end to all of this.
Yeah, right.
It would end with Wes going after Luke. Because Luke - the assassin - killed Wes’s brother.
My feet moved almost as fast as my mind. There was no time to stop. There was no time to think. I didn’t even know who the hell to trust at this point, including Wes. Everything and everyone was simply a blur to me. All I could do was look at what was exactly in front of me and make a decision. That’s what my dad used to do. He knew walking the fine line between the law and outlaw was risky, but he always made it work.
I stopped at the hotel room door and took a breath. If I went in there crazy, Macie would think I was just that. I pushed the door open and went inside.
“Macie, we have to talk…”
I froze, realizing I had opened the door without a keycard. And without knocking.
The door hadn’t been shut.
The logical question was why? and that answer waited three more steps into the room.
I found Macie.
She was on the bed, a bullet hole in her forehead.
16.
(Wes)
I drove fast out of town. The streets weren’t to be trusted. Nobody in town could be trusted either. I had no idea what anyone thought of me and with Aton with a tube in his fucking throat, I had no defense for anything. For all I knew, his family was going to come after me, along with Rose’s. It seemed illogical that a punk fighter like me could attract so much heat.
Then again, I wanted it, didn’t I?
I wanted Luke… the assassin…
My hands gripped the wheel tight.
I felt a little better when I was out of town. I felt even better when I saw the cabin. I killed the lights on my car and crept up to the cabin slowly, my tires crunching over the pebbles that made up the driveway. I pulled around to the back of the cabin as far as I could to make sure my car was hidden but not too close to the lake that was there.
I got out of the car and went to the trunk. I always kept a spare bag of clothes in case I had to run or get changed after a bad fight. In the bottom of the bag was a loaded gun. Sounds fucked up, but after what happened to Shane I never trusted another fight. His death took the feeling out of it all. The enjoyment. The excitement. The feeling that I was wanted and needed. I fought because it was for survival and it kept me from killing someone.
When I got into the cabin, I went right through the place, making sure nothing was changed or different. It was the same way I had left it earlier when I took Rose out of there. I tucked my gun into my back pocket and walked out to the deck. I stood there, looking out to the moon reflecting off the water, just like I had done before.
This time, it was different. Really different.
Beautiful Rose… she was nothing but a fucking thorn…
17.
(Rose)
“What did you do?” I whispered. “Oh, what did you do?”
There was nothing quite like talking to your dead best friend. But there was Macie, arms out, a small hole in her forehead, her eyes long gone.
I knew it was Luke. I just knew it.
He either tracked me by my phone or maybe Macie was dumb enough to call him and tell him where we were. Whatever it was, it cost Macie her life. She did nothing to deserve it though. She just never understood what Luke was capable of.
I covered my mouth to keep from screaming and getting sick. I shook as I spotted my bag in the corner of the room. I grabbed it and checked to make sure it wasn’t filled with explosives or something. It was just my clothes and supplies. I zipped it up and lifted it.
I turned and looked at Macie again.
There was nothing I could do but leave her there. Not the way she wanted to have it all happen, I know. The room was under her name and now she was dead. It would lead to nothing but dead end after dead end for poor Macie.
Stop, Rose. Just stop. He’s out there. He’s looking for you. This was a clear message. A crystal clear message.
Logic finally won and I got the hell out of there. I couldn’t take the elevators and just walk out the front door. Luke was in the hotel. Luke was looking for me.
Shit.
If he saw my bag…
I pictured my brother scouring the hallways. He probably had guys with him, too. Everyone on the lookout for me.
I moved faster, down the concrete steps. I snuck out the back of the hotel and went right to Macie’s car. I shut my eyes when I started it, expecting it to explode. I would have to ditch the car somewhere at some point because authorities would be looking for it.
Christ, what a crime scene to leave behind.