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My stomach twisted as we made our way down the quiet corridor. So quiet I had to wonder what fucking day it was. A weekday? Weekend? I’d lost track.
Either way, the dead silence only broken by the sound of our footfalls and Rook’s crutches clicking against the marble tile was enough to set my teeth on edge.
Something wasn’t right.
I lifted a hand to signal Rook to slow down, stay quiet.
I turned back to see him ditching his crutches against the wall in favor of his gun and a nasty limp. I drew mine, too, flicking the safety off.
Rook nodded to the door at the end of the hall.
Fire raced over the back of my neck when I saw what he was looking at. It was open. Just slightly. The low lighting from inside stained a slice of the floor with its hazy orange glow.
I quietly fingered my phone back out of my pocket, moving steadily, stealthily forward.
Rook knocked into my elbow as he passed me, rushing toward the door.
“We need to call for backup,” I hissed, making a grab for him, but he was already gone, all attempts to remain silent abandoned as he shoved into the room.
I followed right on his tail, sweeping the hall, the living room, the kitchen.
“Axel,” Rook roared, running to the kitchen, almost slipping on the trail of blood mopped over the floor from the living room to the coffee bar. “Watch my six.”
I swept the rest of the living room and kitchen, kicking Ava Jade’s door in to sweep the inside of her room and bathroom before returning to the kitchen where Rook was hunched over Axel’s still form.
He lightly ran his thumb and index finger over Axel’s eyelids, shutting them. Blood puddled around Axel’s head. He was shot in the temple. The bruising around his jaw and over his knuckles told me he didn’t go down without a fight.
“Fucker didn’t deserve this,” Rook said on a sigh, pushing back to standing.
My gaze fixed on the door across the living room and the blood in my veins went cold.
Rook looked there, too.
“Rebecca?” I called, raising my gun back to eye level.
My phone started to ring in my pocket, but I ignored it as Rook and I pushed forward, stepping over Axel, around the kitchen island, until we were standing at her door.
I met Rook’s stare. He nodded.
Ready.
I kicked the door down and we ran in, guns raised.
“Becca,” Rook called out, putting his gun away to rush to her ..
What the fuck happened?
Why?
Who?
I watched Rook ball up a wad of what looked like satin pajamas and push them against Rebecca’s chest, his hands immediately soaked red.
Her skin glowed pale white in the lamplight. If you didn’t know she usually had a perfect golden tan, you could almost believe she was asleep. With her eyelids fluttered gently closed. Her lips parted just slightly. Arms splayed above her head.
I failed her.
Rook slapped Rebecca’s cheek, leaving a red stain behind on her skin. “Hey!” he shouted at her placid face. “Becca,wake up.”
