Toxic

by Kathy Coopmans

  “Is this for real?” Lance leans forward, asking in a hushed whisper.

  Do what the text says, or you’ll all be sorry. Walk down the hallway, through the crossway that connects this building to the cafeteria. Exit through the last door before the cafeteria and get inside the black car that will be waiting by the curb.

  “Screw him. I’m not going anywhere,” I mutter.

  My mind doesn’t have time to register anything else before Ava is grabbing her bag and heads for the door. She wipes away free-falling tears with the back of her hand. I’m unable to process any of it. We all ignore the barking streaming from the professor.

  Surely, if I screamed, the students filing past us would stop and help, but do I take the chance of him being serious? I stuff everything inside my bag, get up, and push past the students and enter the hallway.

  “He won’t get away with this. There are cameras everywhere, and I have someone watching me on top of all that.”

  Lance grabs my shoulder, shocking me. “What did you just say?”

  I shake my head, not having the time or patience to explain anything to him. I don’t owe it to him. “He must really want to die because that’s what’s going to happen.”

  Lance steps in front of me. Our chests collide. “Let her go. It has to be some stupid game they are playing. Scott would never do anything like this. Think about it. Why in the hell would he involve us?”

  Is he fucking high? Didn’t he see Ava’s face? Scott may be the best poker player of all of us. I wait for a smirk or the punchline that this is a sick and nasty joke from Scott and Lance. It never comes. I spin around. My steps become heavier and heavier. Something is off. This isn’t right.

  “Ava, let’s go. Alex can help you with hiring an attorney if Scott shows that video. You don’t need to deal with this shit.” She ignores my words.

  “Fuck that! I can’t believe him. I need an answer and to punch his smug fucking face. I never gave him permission to film us ever. This is the final nail in his coffin.”

  “This isn’t a good idea, Maria,” Lance whispers in my ear. “We need to turn around and let her deal with it.”

  “Do you see how manic she is? There’s no way I’d leave her like this,” I hiss.

  “At least call Alex and let him know what’s going on. I mean, it’s your business why someone is following you, but if you were mine, I’d want whoever is following you to know where you're going.”

  I’m not his, though, and at the moment, I don’t have time to think about anything else he said. I nod, agreeing with him about calling Alex. He’s going to be livid I’m following Ava. I dig my phone out of my pocket and fumble to pull up his number. Ava swings open the door screaming profanities before Scott comes into view. I hit send on the phone, or at least I think I do.

  “Drop it right fucking now.” Scott raises a gun, aiming it right at my head.

  I peer down at my lifeline to see Alex did in fact answer it. I drop it as Scott nears me, hoping like hell it stays connected. Aaron will be here any moment. I just have to stay calm and wait for him. Scott bends over, picks up the phone, and ends the call. My heart sinks. This isn’t good.

  Lance takes advantage of Scott’s unaware stance and pounces on him. Scott reacts by throwing an elbow to Lance’s face, causing him to stumble back.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Lance roars.

  A car door slams shut. Lexi struts around the front of the car with a gun of her own aimed right at me. “I’m taking back what's mine. A bit tricky considering I’m up against the mafia. Nobody makes me look like a fool. No-fucking-body.”

  She cocks the hammer on the sleek black pistol. Lance jumps in front of me, shielding my body from the crazed bitch.

  “Enough, Lexi,” he grits out.

  “Move, or you’re getting a fucking bullet, Lance. Nothing is stopping me.” She steps closer.

  “Lexi!” Scott yells. “You promised no one would get hurt.”

  “I lied, you fucking idiot,” Lexi mumbles.

  Her finger moves on the trigger. I’m shoved hard, tumbling to the cracked pavement. The deafening sound of a gunshot ignites the cool breeze. My head thuds hard against the harsh, unforgiving ground. I blink to clear the white dots flashing behind my heavy lids. Tears burn my eyes in fear. And rage. I have no idea if Ava ran. The vision of Lance crumbling back to the ground fills my vision. I fight to gain my bearings, but it’s a losing battle. Bile creeps up the back of my throat when Lance’s body comes to a resting position. His head rolls to face me. Blood drains from between his eyes.

  “Lance,” I croak out and try to crawl to him.

  I lose everything when I see the pool of blood and brain matter surrounding his head.

  “Get her in the car. We gotta go,” Lexi barks out.

  A sharp kick connects with my ribs. I collapse back down, my head taking another hit. I lose the will to fight. It’s over. My heavy lids close, encasing me in darkness.

  25

  Alex

  Even though I don’t care for Maria being around Lance until this project is done, I don’t think anything could wipe away the smile I have stretched across my face. Unless she gets her panties in a twist when she comes home to see her things in my house. I’m having someone pack everything in her apartment and getting her the hell out of there. Most of her clothes and personal items we brought over yesterday after we argued and worked out our shit. Even though Justice had someone clean her apartment, it stilled smelled.

  Just wish like hell security would call me back. Fuckers are taking way too long. Every minute that ticks by pisses me off even more that people think they can scare the shit out of another for no reason at all. My family might live a life of crime, but we don’t go around thinking we can scare the piss out of anyone we want.

  “So, Maria is moving in? Won’t be long, and you’ll be the next to marry,” Justice taunts me.

  I smirk, set Rayden down, and keep my eyes on her as she crawls across the carpet to Justice.

  “She is moved in. The rest of her stuff should be delivered to my house anytime. Pretty sure we’re both in this relationship for the long haul. But let’s get her graduated from college before you go marrying us off.”

  Rayden climbs onto Justice’s lap, curls up with her Idaho Diamonds stuffed bear, and starts babbling to it before pulling it to her chest and closing her eyes. I’m still amazed how she’s months ahead of where she should be. I guess it’s to be expected when her daddy is the number-one NFL player in the nation.

  Wanting what Justice has hits me in the gut like pounding fists. A little more intense than when I sat in rehab daydreaming about Maria wearing my ring, taking my name, and having my babies. Not sure why it strikes me harder. Might be because of how far we’ve come. The thing is, I crave it. I want a wife, a family, and to admire her when our kids fall to sleep in the safety of her arms. Imagining her as mother makes me fucking crazy.

  “Well, I’m happy for you. Do you know how you’re going to handle this Lance thing?”

  Lifting my head, I take a moment to stare at her. Like me, she grew up with a hard shell hiding who she really is. Neither one of us minded because no matter what was going down around us, we were loved and always taught to speak our minds.

  “At first, I wanted to kill him. I know. Nuts, right? Considering the past. Send him back to where he came from in a fucking wooden box. I plan on talking to him as calmly as I can. Tell him I won’t spill his secret if he agrees to go back home and stay as far as away from Maria as humanly possible. If his dad covered his tracks, then his reputation is just as important to him as Idaho Diamonds’ is to me. I won’t let it lead to a scandal for our team, Justice. This shit will end.”

  “I know. It’s just—” I cut her off by leaning forward and lightly place my hand on top of Rayden’s head.

  “You’re protecting your family. I get it, admire you for it. If something happens, it won’t be because I lost my shit.” Wish I could believe those w
ords as solidly as I stated them. Sure as fuck going to do my best to follow through on my assurance.

  “Get this little princess home and make some dinner for Liam. They’ve been busting their asses for days out there. I have a couple more things to finish up on, then I’m outta here.” I push up, help her stand, and kiss both of them on the cheek.

  I settle in my seat to finish signing a few things, check my phone to make sure I didn’t miss a call or text from Maria. There’s been nothing but the call on my drive back to the office. Maria has a tendency to butt dial me during class. Makes me shake my head every single time.

  I lift my head when my door swings open and slams shut.

  “It’s always good to see you, brother, but what the fuck are you doing here?” Unease settles in my gut as I grip the edge of my desk and stare my brother down. His hands are stuffed in his pockets, shoulders slightly slumped. Eyes looking everywhere but at me.

  Two things run through my mind. One, he shouldn’t be standing here right now as he’s the one the family put on Maria during the day. Two, we were kids the last time I’ve seen guilt and fright slash across his features. He kept mouthing off to Mom one day. I told him, and so did she, that he better knock it off before she told Dad. Hell, she slapped him upside his head, and he laughed at her. The minute Dad walked in, he knew something was wrong. My brother’s skin paled, and he ran to his room scared to death. One thing our dad drilled into our heads was to never disrespect our mother. That day was one of few where my dad took his hand to my brother’s ass. He never smarted off to her again.

  “I, shit, so much has happened I don’t know where to start.” His voice sounds small.

  My brother doesn’t frighten easily. He’s the one who scares. A man people do not want to mess with. So, seeing him here with that look on his face, his words can only mean one thing.

  “Fuck.” I pick up my phone, hit her name. I should have called her back after she called me. Especially with all that's going down.

  The blood rushing to my ears is louder than the ring that goes unanswered. When her voicemail comes on, I leave a message for her to call me, hang up, and do it several more times before my brother’s hand wraps around mine.

  “Last I saw her, she was walking into class with her phone up to her ear. I went back and sat in my car, watching every student walk in and out of the building. She never walked out. Neither did Lance or her friends, Ava and Scott.”

  Fear as heavy as dead weight rattles my every thought. I can’t think straight.

  “Did you go inside the building? I mean, they are doing a project together. Maybe they are still in there.” I don’t even have to look at him to know they aren’t.

  Maria didn’t even want to be by the crazy fucking rapist when she left for class, but she had to play it cool, finish the project because it’s a huge part of her grade. We’d deal with him after. I have yet to set her mind at ease by telling her how I was going to handle it.

  “Believe me , brother, Maria is not in that building. I know what I’m doing. She isn’t anywhere on that campus.

  I don’t know why, but as I sit here staring at my brother, something murky and dark whispers around the noise about Lance in my head. It’s that Goddamn sign of dread you feel whenever your mind tells you you’ve been aiming blame at the wrong person. There’s more. Whatever he’s holding back is bad. Very, very bad.

  “Remember when Dad said to never trust anyone but the family and those who earn it, and your gut? Well, I’m thinking it isn’t Lance. It’s Ava or Scott. Don’t ask me why because fuck all if I know.”

  This shit is so fucked up. So out of our control. I have no clue who’s coming or going. And now someone has her. They have my Maria. “It has to be Scott. There is no way it could be Ava. She knows the answers. We have to find her.”

  Shit, all I can do is picture Maria hurt somewhere. I’m rambling my thoughts while I wait for him to tell me. My heart is crashing in my chest. I’m splitting wide open. I should have talked her out of going to school. Missing class one day wouldn’t have hurt. Seeing the lingering fear and frustration in her eyes when I left about stopped me, but the woman held it in and said she wouldn’t back down.

  “You’re right. Scott is involved. And there’s more, Alex. But I need you to promise me you’ll remain calm and let me handle this. That’s an order from Dad. He said for you to stand down or for me to force you to. He’s on his way here.”

  I close my eyes. Not sure if I can look at him with all the shit murking my mind. Many scenes are playing on a loop in my brain. Death. Rape. Kidnapping. The need to hold my woman in my arms. It’s a fine fucking thread, and I’m ready to blow. Fuck!

  “Not going to happen. Whatever the fuck went down, you need to spit it out before I lose my Goddamn mind, Aaron, please.”

  We enter a stare down. Him telling me he’s trained for this shit. Me telling him so am I. The night I killed that man filters through my brain. I sure as fuck don’t want to do it again, but I’ll go through hell and stay there if it means saving Maria’s life.

  My determination to not give in wins out when he draws in a breath and shakes his head.

  “Class had barely started when I heard a gunshot go off. All the students started screaming and shit, running fucking wild. I took off toward where the shot rang. By the time I got there, I couldn’t see shit until the cops and an ambulance showed up. Lance is dead. Shot in the head. And Ava was escorted into the back of an ambulance. From what I could tell, she wasn’t hurt, but she was screaming that a woman shot Lance for protecting her and Maria.”

  Jesus Christ. Lance is dead. Fucking hell. I’ve failed Maria. My promise to keep her safe means nothing. I have no control over the people who have her. God, what she must be feeling right now. And Ava. Jesus. She has to be a mess. Scared as hell.

  “Where’re Maria and Scott, and who's the woman?” Not sure why I even ask.

  I can feel Maria slipping from my grasp. The name of the cunt who has her slithers across my tongue like the psycho person she is. He doesn’t have to tell me who; I should have fucking listened when Maria said she thought it was her. I was to Goddamn focused on Lance. Should have seen it coming from the way Lexi acted, the lies she told, and the way she rubbed me in Maria’s face every chance she got. I played it off as a woman scorned.

  “They took Maria. Listen to me. You need to pull it together. This is going to be all over the news if it isn’t already. I’d bet the cops are already on their way here. You need to call them, talk to the police and Ava. I need to get the fuck out of here before the cops get here. You get me?”

  I get him, but I know my brother as well as he knows me. He’s struggling with telling me something he thinks will break me.

  “Tell me what the fuck you’re hiding from me, damn it. Don’t you dare fucking try protecting me, Aaron.”

  “I’ll tell you if you promise to wait for me to call.” He stares me down.

  I scoff. Way I feel right now, my promises don’t mean shit.

  “I won’t.”

  “What I’m about to tell you, you’ll find out soon anyway. Unlike me, you have a heart, Alex. I know you’re sitting there blaming yourself. You need to knock that shit outta your head right now. I’ve checked this Lexi bitch out on the way here. She’s been missing for years, man. Uses a fake last name. She’s wanted for the murder of her parents in Arizona. Pull your Goddamn shit together, brother, and answer this when it rings.”

  He reaches into his pocket, tosses me a burner phone, and walks out my door.

  Two minutes later, my phone rings. Maria’s father’s name lights up the screen.

  Less than a minute after I answer, the cops knock on my door.

  26

  Maria

  “You fucking told me no one would be hurt. You shot Lance right between the fucking eyes.” Scott’s voice rings from every direction.

  I pry my eyes open. My head is resting on a hard surface. I fight to move, but it’s useless because e
verything fucking hurts. Lexi’s nasty bleach-blonde hair is the only thing that comes into view as I squint my eyes.

  A part of me can’t believe this is happening. The rational part of me, the part that should have screamed that it was her all along, can. I’m bordering on losing my shit all over this psychotic bitch when my brain flashes back to what Scott just said.

  Panic lurches in my chest. It’s constricts as if the air around me wants to choke me to death. Lance is dead. He died saving me.

  I want to cry and kill her for what she’s done. My fingers curl into a fist and dig into my palms. Guilt like I’ve never felt before eats away at me as I recall how he tried to stop me from going. My thoughts are cruel.

  Ava. Is she here? God, what if she’s dead, too? It’s hard enough knowing Lance is gone; if she were, too, I would never be the same.

  Vomit rises as the pounding in my head becomes unbearable from my thoughts. I have to think of a way to get out of here. Wherever the hell here is.

  “Scott, you’re such a fucking pussy. I knew it when we met in high school our freshman year. Such easy fucking prey. I get what I want, and you should know this by now.”

  “You’ve gone too far this time, Crystal Alexis Fulton.” The blur of Scott’s frame blazes by my face. “You’ve lost it. Do you have any idea what’s going to happen to us if we’re caught? I’m not talking about the police. I’m talking about the Diamonds.”

  Wait? Crystal? What in the hell is going on? I’m losing it. Is this a dream? The pain is too real.

  A storm of white hair whips across my vision. “Scott, you’ve always been a pathetic piece of shit. I stole your virginity back in high school, and for years, you did everything I asked. Believed every damn lie that slipped from my lips. You’ve always been my puppet. Alex won’t do a damn thing. He cares about me. I know he does. You’ll see.”

  Scott might be speaking to her, but he isn’t listening. How can any person have that much control over another? I’ll never understand. He always seems so sure and confident. Treated Ava like a queen. He’s as delusional as she is.