by Lola Gabriel
He fingered the gun in his pocket, the one loaded with silver bullets. He upped his pace and stepped back out of the mall. He hung back when he spotted Caroline, but she wasn’t looking back. She was holding her cell phone and casually moving through the crowd with no idea that today would be the day her career choice finally caught up with her.
3
Brianna had headed back home after finding Caroline missing. She had planned to get showered and changed and then text Caroline to see what had happened to her. She brushed her hair into place and added a slick of lip gloss. Her cell phone pinged, telling her she had a new text message. She smiled when she saw Caroline’s name on her screen. It seemed Caroline must have had the same idea. She was glad they had all swapped numbers yesterday now.
She opened the text.
I’m so sorry for running out on you this morning. I had an appointment I couldn’t miss, and I figured you’d be hungover, so I left you to sleep it off. Want to grab lunch?
Brianna laughed when she read the message. She had definitely been hungover, and she appreciated the extra sleeping time she’d gotten. She could only imagine how much worse her hangover would have been if Caroline had woken her up early.
She tapped out a response. I’d love to. When and where?
Now! I’m starving, haha! Anywhere you fancy.
Brianna thought for a moment and typed out a reply. How about Shelly’s Diner on Green Street?
See you there in twenty minutes.
Great. I’ll invite Macey.
Cool. See you soon.
Brianna found Macey in her contacts list and sent her a text to invite her for lunch. The reply pinged in quickly, but Macey asked for a raincheck, saying she already had plans for the day. Brianna had gotten used to Caroline’s questions, and they got on well. She texted Macey back, saying, No worries, and grabbed her handbag. She dropped her cell phone into it and checked that she had enough money for lunch without having to go to an ATM. She decided to set off now and take a slow walk to the diner. It was close to her apartment building, and she wondered if she should have suggested somewhere in the middle, but she realized Shelly’s was the only place she actually knew that had good food.
She reached the diner and went in. It was busy, though not so much that it would be uncomfortable. She debated texting Caroline and seeing what she wanted so she could order now, but there was a chance Caroline hadn’t been here before and had no idea what she would want. Brianna took a booth where she could see the door, and when the waitress approached her table, she ordered a Coke, explaining that she was waiting for her friend and they would order their meals once she arrived.
The waitress brought Brianna’s Coke. The caffeine instantly made her head feel better, and she realized she was starving, too. Her stomach growled loudly, and she felt herself blushing, even though no one was close enough to hear her.
She didn’t have to wait long before Caroline burst in. Brianna stood up and waved to her. Caroline’s face spread into a warm smile, and she made her way over to Brianna. She sat down opposite her and smiled again.
“I really am hungry. What’s good here?”
“Everything.” Brianna grinned. “But if you’re starving, you want the tower burger.”
“Sounds good,” Caroline said.
Brianna waved at her waitress, who came over quickly, and ordered two tower burgers with large fries. Caroline asked for a chocolate milkshake.
“So if yesterday was your idea of a quick couple of drinks, I can’t wait to see what you’re like when you decide to go for a sesh,” Caroline laughed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever drunk as much wine as I did last night,” Brianna replied. “The only difference is, on a real sesh, there would have been shots.”
“Ugh, don’t,” Caroline said. “I can’t even think of alcohol right now.”
“So, what was your mystery appointment, then?” Brianna asked. She would normally not be so forward, but Caroline didn’t think anything of firing off questions, so she figured she’d do the same.
“I suppose you could call it a business meeting.”
Brianna raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested. “You run your own business?”
“I do a bit of selling now and then. It pays for medical school,” Caroline said. “But the meeting this morning was a waste of time. Guy wouldn’t know a good deal if it jumped up and bit him on the ass.”
“Bummer. What sort of stuff do you sell?” Brianna asked.
“This and that. It depends what’s going and what the market is after,” Caroline answered. She was smiling, but Brianna thought she had seen a shadow cross her face as she spoke, and she was being pretty evasive. Caroline saw Brianna studying her and laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing illegal. Here. I’ll show you.”
She pulled her cell phone out and tapped on the screen. She handed the cell phone to Brianna, who took it and looked at it. It was displaying an Etsy store with a range of handmade jewelry.
“You make this?” Brianna asked, looking up Caroline.
“Mostly,” Caroline said. “Sometimes I buy pieces at garage sales and stuff and sell them on. But obviously, I sell those pieces on eBay.”
The waitress came over with their meals, and Caroline’s eyes almost fell out of her head when she saw the burger. It consisted of four meat patties loaded with cheese and bacon and pickles. A tower was definitely the right word for it.
“Holy shit,” she murmured.
Brianna smiled. “You did say you were hungry.”
“Oh,” Caroline chuckled, “I’m not complaining.”
They thanked the waitress and tucked into their food.
“So you make enough money from this to pay for medical school?” Brianna asked Caroline as they munched on their burgers and fries.
Caroline nodded. “What can I say? I have a good eye for pretty things, and I know the market.”
“I’m lucky if I can get a couple of bucks for a dress I’ve worn once,” Brianna sighed.
“You need to up your game, girl,” Caroline teased her. Brianna nodded her agreement.
“Have you given any thought to your internship?” she asked after a few minutes of eating quietly.
“Not really.” Caroline shrugged. “But I want to go into general practice, so any doctor’s practice, really. Have you?”
“No. And I’m kind of worried about it. I mean, there’s only a small hospital here. What if there aren’t enough places for everyone, and I don’t get one?”
“Why wouldn’t you get one?” Caroline asked.
Brianna thought about her last dream and the heartbreak she’d suffered chasing it. How she had been rejected from gig after gig, and how she always seemed to end up in some tiny little dive bar where she was nothing more than background music that people just ignored. She shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. But what if I don’t?”
“Then go to the hospital in the next town. It’s a lot bigger, and they’re known for taking a lot more students. But we don’t have to worry about that now. First years don’t get internships. So study hard, get good grades, and you’ll get first pick of the places available next year.”
Brianna smiled, feeling a little better. Caroline was right. Medical school was nothing like singing. It didn’t rely on luck and trawling around, trying to get a break. It relied on brains and grades, and Brianna was no fool. She knew if she put the work in, she could get the grades.
“I guess I’ll have to, won’t I?” She grinned. “And you’re right. I’m not going to worry about it now. Over a year is a long time to worry about something.”
“Yeah. You’ll be grey by the time it comes around if you’re stressing about it every day,” Caroline pointed out. “Speaking of that, is your hair natural or dyed?”
“Natural,” Brianna replied, reaching up and tugging at the front of her sleek black bob.
“It’s so shiny. I love it. I always wanted black hair, but I don’t have the complexion fo
r it.”
“It’s funny, but I always wanted mine blonde,” Brianna said. “But the thought of dealing with black roots every few weeks puts me right off.”
“Oh, yeah, what a chore that would be,” Caroline commented.
They went back to quietly eating. Brianna couldn’t help thinking about the internship. If she decided on surgery, the competition would be really stiff. She wished she hadn’t brought it up. She didn’t want it playing on her mind now. She forced herself to think of something else. They still had the rest of today and all of tomorrow before they had to even think of studies and lectures, let alone internships that wouldn’t happen for a year.
Caroline pushed her almost empty plate away. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed her hand over her flat stomach. Brianna eyed her enviously, thinking of her own rounded stomach and curvy hips.
“Oh, my God, I’m so stuffed,” Caroline groaned.
“Me too,” Brianna said. She poked a last fry into her mouth and put her own plate on top of Caroline’s. She took a long drink of her Coke, which did nothing to make her feel any less full. A shudder went through Caroline, and Brianna frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing, why?” Caroline said.
“You shuddered. Visibly,” Brianna said, looking around for anything that could have caused such a reaction.
Caroline laughed and waved away her concern with one dainty hand. “I was just thinking of walking, or should I say, waddling back to my dorm after all of that food.”
“Why don’t you come back to my place? We can just veg out and watch movies or something. I’m less than five minutes from here,” Brianna said.
“That sounds like a plan,” Caroline said. “I think I can just about make a five-minute waddle somewhere, as long as I don’t have to move once I get there.”
Brianna waved their waitress down and asked for the bill.
“And two slices of banoffee pie and cream to go, please,” Caroline added.
“Are you mad?” Brianna laughed. “I thought you were stuffed.”
“I am. But it won’t last forever.”
The waitress came back with their bill and a large box, which she handed to Caroline. Caroline picked the bill up and dug out a credit card.
“How much do I owe you?” Brianna asked.
“Nothing. It’s my treat,” Caroline said.
“Oh, no. I can’t ask you to do that,” Brianna said quickly.
“You didn’t ask. I chose to do it. And if you’re that worried about it, you can get it next time.”
Brianna nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
When the bill was paid, they headed outside.
“This way,” Brianna said, leading the way. Caroline fell into step beside her.
“Please tell me it isn’t uphill,” she pleaded.
“It’s not,” Brianna said with a laugh.
Even walking on the flat ground, she could feel her lunch sitting in her stomach like a lead weight. She had never finished a tower burger before today, and she had certainly never eaten so much when she was hungover. Thinking about it made her realize that her headache had gone, which was a bonus. Obviously, the burger had done the trick.
As they walked, a shadowy movement caught Brianna’s eye, and she quickly glanced to the side. No one was there, but she felt like, if she had looked quicker, she’d have seen someone stalking along, keeping pace with them. She felt sweat seep out of her palms and her pulse rate speed up. She kept her eyes locked on the spot she’d seen the flicker of movement in, and even as they passed it, she turned her neck to keep looking that way.
“What is it?” Caroline asked, peering at the empty street and then frowning at Brianna.
“Nothing,” Brianna said, forcing herself to look away. “I just thought I saw something, that’s all.”
They kept walking, and Brianna tried to subtly scan the street on either side of them. There were so many places someone following them could duck into. Shops and houses mingled here, and plenty of little alleys led off the main street. Even though she couldn’t see anyone hiding in any of the shadows cast by the buildings over the alleys, she felt as though she was being watched. She tried to tell herself she was being paranoid again, but it didn’t help at all.
Suddenly, her eyes registered movement in one of the alleys, and her heart sped up more. She could feel real panic taking hold of her. She squinted her eyes, and a sigh of relief escaped her when she saw the flash of a sandy colored tail. It was just a dog. A large dog, but still just a dog. Dogs didn’t worry Brianna; people did. She could still feel eyes on her, though, and she spun around quickly to look behind her.
“Seriously, Brianna, what’s wrong?” Caroline asked. Brianna thought she could hear a nervous edge to her voice, too, and she whirled to face her.
“I feel like we’re being followed. You feel it, too, right?” she demanded.
Caroline shook her head slowly. “No. You’re just making me nervous, jumping at shadows.”
“I… Oh,” Brianna said, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I guess I’m just being paranoid.”
“You don’t say,” Caroline laughed. “It must be because of New York.”
Brianna’s heart fluttered. What did Caroline know about New York?
“You can relax, Brianna,” she went on, seeming not to notice Brianna’s reaction to her words. “I know New York is kind of dodgy at times and you have to stay vigilant, but nothing bad ever happens here.”
Brianna nodded. Caroline was right about Brianna being paranoid and about it being because of New York, even if she was wrong about the reason for it. Brianna forced herself to keep her eyes in front of her, ignoring the feeling of eyes on her back and the way she felt sure that, if she just turned around quickly enough, she would catch someone sneaking up on them.
“Besides,” Caroline continued, “I’m pretty dangerous myself.” She pulled her handbag open and showed Brianna a can of pepper spray. “Anyone who messes with us will regret it,” she giggled.
Brianna found herself laughing with Caroline, and some of the tension went out of her rigid muscles. The pepper spray made her feel slightly better, and they were less than a minute away from her building now. She would feel so much calmer once they were inside. She kept pace with Caroline, resisting the urge to break into a jog. She had come here to avoid feeling this way, and if she gave into that urge even just once, she was afraid she would end up jumping at shadows every time she went out.
They reached Brianna’s apartment building with no mishaps, and Brianna was about ready to accept that her mind had been playing tricks on her. It must be the hangover. She knew it wasn’t, but she didn’t want to let what had happened in New York define her whole life. Raina and Logan had risked their lives to save hers when the Matchmaker had kidnapped her, and she felt like she owed it to them to live her life to the fullest, and not turn into some basket case who didn’t dare go outside.
She opened her handbag and dug around in it for her key. She spotted a flash of metal and pushed her hand down the side of her bag until she was touching it. She pulled it out and took a step towards the door. As she stepped forward, Caroline gave a little scream. Brianna turned her head in time to see Caroline crumple to the ground.
“Caroline?” Brianna dropped the key back into her bag and fell to her knees beside her friend. “Caroline? What happened?”
Caroline’s eyes rolled back in her head. Brianna was panicking again, but this time for a much more tangible reason. She could see red flowers blooming across Caroline’s shirt, coming from her side. She lifted her top and gasped when she saw blood all over Caroline’s skin. She pulled her cell phone out and called 911.
“911. What is your emergency?” a calm female voice said.
“My friend. I think… I think she’s been shot. I need an ambulance to the Dover building on Memphis Street.”
The voice was still talking, but Brianna couldn’t afford to be distracted. She had been right about them being
followed, and she had a horrible feeling the bullet Caroline had taken had been meant for her. She ended the call, dropping her cell phone back into her bag and ignoring it when it rang again.
She lifted Caroline’s top again, knowing enough basic first aid to know she had to put pressure on the wound. This time, she was prepared for what she saw, and she realized with relief that the wound wasn’t as bad as she had first feared. It wasn’t gushing with blood. The bullet couldn’t have gone too deep.
Brianna took her jacket off quickly and rolled it into a tight ball.
“You’re going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way,” she told Caroline.
She pressed the wadded-up jacket against the bullet hole. Caroline flinched, even though she was still unconscious, and Brianna wondered if she was doing the right thing. The bleeding wasn’t that heavy, and maybe applying pressure was pushing the bullet further in. She moved her jacket and risked another look at the wound. The bleeding had all but stopped now, only a tiny trickle still running from it, and Brianna’s jacket had cleared enough of the spilled blood from Caroline’s body to see the wound properly.
She saw a flash of silver inside it. The bullet had barely grazed her. It was less than an inch inside of her. The relief Brianna felt at seeing that soon disappeared when she saw the angry looking black jagged lines coming from the wound.
“What the fuck?” she whispered to herself.
Her heart slammed in her chest, and she jumped back away from Caroline for a moment as the reality of what had happened hit her. Caroline wasn’t at all who she seemed to be. She had to be a shifter. Why else would someone use a silver bullet on her? She crawled back to Caroline’s side again and looked at the black lines. Somehow, she knew what she was seeing. Silver poisoning.
Tears ran down Brianna’s face, and she wasn’t sure if she was grieving the inevitable loss of her friend, or if she was crying with relief at Caroline having been dealt with. She couldn’t help but think back over all of the questions, some of them strange. And Caroline’s so-called jewelry making business that paid for medical school. She had to be a Matchmaker.
