by Holly Hood
“Who’s the lady?” I asked taking in the mid-thirties red head. She was twirling her tongue around her straw like she was about to do bad things to it right in front of the entire club.
“His partner,” Karsen announced. “That’s what Kidd told me.”
Only days ago Slade let me know about their chance at bigger things. He said he didn’t want to get his hopes up so he kept it to himself. The entire band kept it to themselves.
I was happy for him because I knew he wanted it more than anything. I had never seen someone so passionate than him and Kidd.
The lights died down and a quick hush fell over the crowd. The stage filled with smoke.
“How’s everybody feeling out there?” Slade asked gripping the mic. A few girls screamed and shouted some vulgar things at him. I bit my lip and held it together.
“This first song I have been working on for a while,” he told the audience.
I looked at Karsen. “What is he talking about?”
Karsen shrugged, trying to convince me with a smile she didn’t have any idea what I was talking about. Slade hadn’t told me anything about new material.
“I call this one, kickstart.” The guitars kicked up and a slow sad melody flooded my ears.
She’s nothing close to ordinary
The kind of girl you could marry
She kick starts the feelings in my heart,
Emotions flowing, never knowing,
So many things, I want to say
She’s the girl I want in my bed
She’s the girl crashing in my head
I touch her lips, her fingertips
She’s stolen me away
Away from sanity
Away from all of me
Crash down
And save my soul
Tonight’s the night, she kick starts my heart
Never be apart;
Never go away
Always here to stay
Kickstart my heart
The crowd went wild. People were on their feet. Hooting and swearing. Karsen shook me. “I almost told you before we got here!”
I kept my eyes on Slade. He dropped down from the stage pushing through the throng of girls and muscle to get to me. Before I could thank him for doing the most romantic thing someone could ever do for me his lips were pressed into mine. I gripped his bicep struggling to stay on my feet.
I wanted him bad. He was my rockstar, nobody elses. And every moment he was near me proved it more and more. He pulled me against him, his hand in my hair. “So what did you think?”
What did I think? I was blown away and I was pretty sure any response I gave wasn’t going to come close to the tingling sensation on the inside.
I tugged him to me planting my lips on his again. Sometimes it was better not to say anything. Kidd yelled for him to get back on stage. He ran his nose against mine before he pulled away.
My heart fluttered in my chest when he climbed the stage, took the mic and smiled at me and only me.
“That was amazing,” Karsen said.
I nodded in agreement, shaking my head. I couldn’t find the words to explain how it felt.
Karsen jumped down from her stool. “Let’s get you something to drink.”
I looked down at my half empty glass. “Okay.”
“That might have been one of the sweetest things he has ever done for you,” Karsen said once we had our drinks in our hands. “Let’s get some air. I’m suddenly feeling claustrophobic.”
We held hands and squeezed through the crowd to the exit. “Move out of the way asshole,” Karsen said, bringing me back to reality.
My glass slipped from my hand crashing at my feet. I yanked her backwards right into Kenny. He was behind me now.
“As you can see we have a problem,” he said in my ear making sure I could hear every agonizing word. “I think your boyfriend will want to see this.”
He pushed Karsen and I back through the crowd his hands on both of us so we couldn’t take off. Karsen twisted and squirmed trying to get his hands off of her.
“Let me go, I don’t plan on going anywhere.” She pulled again and he did. “What is going on?”
Kenny pulled up a stool and sat down, and forced me down beside him. The guys were busy playing. I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before Slade spotted Kenny in the crowd.
And when he did the microphone crashed to the ground. Kenny stood up ready for action. He pressed a hand into Slade’s chest stopping him from attacking. “Before you go laying your hands on me I want you to take a look over there.” He was referring to the exit, where Carlo stood overshadowing the bouncer.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Slade asked. His jaw tensed as he laid eyes on me. He knew what I was thinking.
“He’s here for a guarantee,” Kenny said. “Let’s step outside.”
We all moved through the crowd, the entire band. Oz did his best to assure the club owner they would be back to play a couple more songs.
It was chilly outside. I stayed close to Karsen.
She grabbed my hand squeezing it tight, like she did when we were younger when I was upset.
Carlo rolled his neck looking at all of us. He was huge. “I came here for one thing. As long as I get what I am after everything will be fine.”
“Slade,” I said. But he wouldn’t look at me. He probably hadn’t even heard me. I hadn’t even heard me.
“Do you want to fill me in on what the hell is going on?” Slade asked Kenny.
Kidd and Oz stayed by Slade’s side.
“My father wants a guarantee he is safe. That nothing is going to happen to him,” Kenny said. “In order for him to feel that way he wants Hope’s dad.”
All the air left my lungs. My chin started to tremble.
“That’s not going to happen,” Slade said.
Kenny sighed, looking down at the ground he shook his head. “Did you forget the part about my father?”
“I don’t give a shit about your father.” He stepped closer. “I did what you wanted me to do. I’m not going to hand over her dad. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Is that your final answer?” Kenny asked.
“Are you forgetting who we are?” Kidd spoke up. He was trying to help out. I wasn’t sure how much it was helping though.
Carlo stepped forward closing the space between him and Kidd. “Oh I know who you all are. You practice magic, cast spells, it’s beneath me. I’m much more than magic.”
Karsen screamed when Carlo grabbed a hold of Kidd. Kidd grabbed him holding onto the arm squeezing the life out of him.
I grabbed Karsen. I didn’t want to see her hurt.
“Stop it,” I begged him. I pleaded with Slade and Oz and anyone who would hear me. But nobody could do anything. He was more than any of us.
He looked at all of us, his hands still around Kidd’s neck. “Do you want to test me still?” He let go dropping Kidd on the ground and moved over him.
Karsen sobbed.
“Hope take her home,” Slade told me.
Carlo shook his head. “Oh no. I want you all to watch what I am capable of.” He pressed down on Kidd’s chest. “This girl is in love with this man. Here, darling. Have his heart.”
Karsen’s screams deafened my ears. I covered my eyes when I saw blood. I couldn’t breathe, I could see and I couldn’t think.
I dropped down and buried my head against my legs. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
I wasn’t sure if it was real.
I pressed my fist against the side of my head and screamed forcing myself to breathe. But before I knew what happened everything went away.
Faded into nothing.
Silence
I batted one of the decorative pillows pressed against my face and opened my eyes. Everything was silent. My bed springs screeched when I rolled to my side to find Slade.
He wasn’t sleeping, he was pressed against my wall covered in blood, his knees drawn up.
And
everything came crashing back into my mind. I started to cry, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Where’s Karsen?”
He shook his head, running a hand down his face to wake himself up maybe. “She’s out in the living room passed out on your couch.”
I didn’t want to ask.
Slade pulled me against him and let me cry. He cried to, his sobs shook my body. And it made me sick.
“Is he gone?” The words didn’t sound real. But they were mine and they were coming out of my mouth.
Slade squeezed me tighter and forced the words I didn’t want to hear and he didn’t want to say out of his mouth. “He wanted to prove his point. And he used Kidd to do it.”
My chest ached. My throat hurt and tiny black spots were starting to mess with my eyes. “I have to see if she’s alright.”
Slade stopped me. “She’s asleep. Just let her sleep. There’s nothing you can say or do to make her feel better. She lost someone very important to her.”
“So did you.” I wrapped my arms around him.
“Yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “And I feel numb. I don’t know what to think. Or what to do.”
“Slade I’m so sorry.” I wiped the tears. I needed to be there for Slade not a big mess of emotions. “Maybe we should have agreed.”
“There is nothing to apologize for. You didn’t do this,” he said.
I crossed the room. “Did you see my dad?”
“His car was gone when we got here,” he told me.
I watched Slade from across the room, sadness written all over him. He stared at his hands.
I couldn’t believe what happened. It was a horrible nightmare I couldn’t wrap my brain around. I wasn’t sure if I was just traumatized or I really didn’t remember.
Or maybe it didn’t happen and I woke up from a bad nightmare. One more look in Slade’s direction told me it wasn’t a nightmare. It was real.
“You need to clean up.” I took his shirt off and dropped it on my floor. “Come on. We can take a shower.”
He didn’t argue with me. He followed me down the hall to my bathroom. I locked the door once we were in and grabbed two towels out of the cabinet.
Slade stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes were dull. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. “Everything is not okay, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
His chin trembled. He squeezed my arm and sighed.
I managed to get him out of the rest of his clothes and turn the water on. I made sure it wasn’t too hot, although I wasn’t quite sure he would even notice.
For once, the sight of him didn’t stir up familiar pangs of lust in my stomach. All I wanted was for him to feel better and to take his pain away.
I pulled the knob sending hot water and steam raining down onto the shower floor.
I undressed, taking off my shirt and shorts. I dropped them at my feet keeping my eyes on Slade. It was like I wasn’t even there. He stared at the water getting in when I touched his arm. I closed the curtain behind us and watched the water slip down his body soaking him.
“What if we can do something,” I said, lathering up my loofah. I rubbed it down his neck doing my best to get him clean and free of blood or any memories of what happened.
“We saved your dad and look what happened,” he murmured. “I don’t know.”
It was a better answer than what I expected. Maybe there was still some fight in him. His fingers crawled across his face. “I don’t even know what they did with him.”
“What do you mean?” I slid the sponge across his chest. “Where is he?”
“Who do you think has him?”
I had an answer. I just hoped it wasn’t the right one.
He touched my face. “We’re going to figure this out. I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not just about me,” I said. “This is about every single one of us.”
Slade’s fingers stroked my hair. He gently kissed me on the forehead. “It’s a mess I want to get all of us out of.”
***
I slipped out from underneath Slade’s arm and climbed out of my bed. He was out finally and I wanted to check on Karsen.
I went down the hallway and opened my dad’s door first. He still wasn’t home from the looks of things and I found it strange.
So I closed his door and went down the hall to the living room where I knew I would find her, my best friend, the one person I had been through just about everything with.
I sat down on the loveseat across from her. She was curled up in a small ball with the throw across her. Her blonde hair matted against her face. And when I cleared my throat she opened her eyes and looked at me.
I didn’t know what to say. Her eyes were red and her makeup was smeared down her face. She started crying all over again which made me cry. I hated to see Karsen cry. Nothing in her life ever made that happen—until now.
“I have to go back home,” she said, wiping her wet dull eyes. They weren’t the usual bright blue I loved seeing.
“Karsen,” I started, but then I closed my mouth and stared at my hands. Anything I was going to say would sound selfish. And I couldn’t be selfish.
“When your mom and dad split you wanted nothing to do with Georgia,” she said. “And I want nothing to do with Cherry.”
“Okay.” Was all I could force out. I sniffled and looked away.
I slipped beside her on the couch and we wrapped our arms around each other sobbing. Karsen dropped her head on my shoulder and started to shake.
It hurt to hear, but I held on and did my best to comfort her the best I could.
“Do you need me to call your parents?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll call them later. Right now I just want to go back to sleep.”
I covered her back up with the throw and left her alone. The house was empty, there was no sign of the boys or dad. Even my dog was missing. I trudged back down the hallway and crawled back in bed with Slade trying to forget about reality.
Unsolicited
The sounds coming from the kitchen pulled me from my sleep. Slade threw on his shirt and took off before both of my feet touched the floor.
I rounded the corner and gasped. “What is he doing here?”
Karsen was behind me, up and alive at the sight of Carlo and Kenny. I didn’t know what she was capable of anymore, especially after what they did to Kidd.
Slade moved between Karsen and them, stopping her before she could do something stupid. “Take Karsen to your bedroom.”
Karsen shook her head. “I want to hear what they have to say. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kenny raised his chin. “You don’t want to piss him off any more than he already is, sweetheart.”
Karsen screamed and lunged at Kenny, but Slade stopped her before she attacked him. He carried her down the hall to my bedroom.
I stood there feeling like the next thing they were about to destroy.
“You ruined her life,” I said. “I just thought you should know that.”
They didn’t offer their condolences just cold stares. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea. Isn’t that what they say?” Kenny rolled his eyes.
Slade returned. “What do you want?”
He did his best to keep it together.
“Her father, we want her father. I thought we made this clear the other day.” Kenny took a seat at my kitchen table. “All of this could have been avoided. The mind games, the torture, do you think we want to waste our time on all this bullshit?”
“I don’t know. It really fucking looks like it,” Slade said back.
Carlo rolled his neck, looking agitated. I hated the thought of what he would do next. I stepped forward. “What will you do with him?”
Carlo looked at me. But Kenny spoke instead of him. “He will be the most protected man you have ever seen. Because if daddy dies so does he. Now where is he?”
“I’ll find him,” I said.
Slade
sighed. “He’s not here.”
I bit my lip, hating the fact Slade ratted me out. “I can find him. Just give me an hour.”
Kenny shook his head crossing his arms. “Five minutes. And then your bff meets the same fate as her man.”
I was sick to my stomach at the thought of something happening to my best friend. I couldn’t imagine what I would do without Karsen. I headed for my room, tears clouding my vision.
“What are you doing?” she asked, getting up from my computer chair as soon as I opened the door. “You can’t give them what they want. Look what they did to Kidd.”
“What other choice do I have?” I raised an eyebrow. “If this is what it takes to keep us all safe it’s what I have to do. I don’t want them destroying anyone else.”
Karsen sighed, sitting back down.
I hit the button on my phone, sure he would answer. No matter how mad he wouldn’t avoid my calls. After two rings he picked up.
“Hello?”
A little relief settled back into my body. “Dad. Where are you? I need you to come home.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked, not sounding genuine. He didn’t even sound like he cared.
“Dad. Nothing is okay. You know that. I need you to come home, now.”
“That’s not going to happen,” he said.
“What?” I looked around the room in a panic. “Dad, I’m not joking.”
“Hope, I am halfway to Georgia,” he said.
A knot formed in my stomach. “What are you talking about?”
There was no way he was headed back to the one place he wanted to get away from.
“I want my old life back. The boys do too,” he said. “I’m tired of sitting around waiting for it to happen.”
I wiped the tears racing down my cheeks and hit end on my phone, completely obliterated.
“What did he say?” Karsen asked.
I didn’t know what to say, or how to respond. “He…he’s going home.”
The next move
“What do you mean he is going home?” Karsen shook her head. “He is going back to Georgia?”
I nodded pacing the room. “Now what do I do?”
