Chapter 15

 

Charlotte sneezed repeatedly before coughing harshly. She groaned and peered blearily at the package of cold medicine in front of her. The day after her talk with Mel she had come down with a bad cold and after two days of sneezing and a horrible sinus headache, she’d finally admitted defeat and called in sick to work.

Clutching the cold medicine, she shuffled to the kitchen and turned the tea kettle on. Her head was pounding and she grimaced at her reflection in the window. Her nose was swollen and bright red and her cheeks were bright with fever. She poured herself a glass of water and shook two of the bright orange capsules into her hand. She would take some meds and go back to bed. Maybe then her headache would –

Her cell phone rang shrilly at her and she winced and rubbed at her temples before picking up the phone and squinting at the screen. It was the number for the salon and, frowning slightly, she answered it.

“Hey, Darlene.”

There was no reply and she looked at her phone before holding it to her ear again. “Darlene? Are you there?”

“Charlotte?” Darlene’s voice was so low she could barely hear her and Charlotte frowned again.

“Darlene? Can you speak up? I think we’ve got a bad connection.”

“Charlotte, I – you need to come to the salon.” Darlene cleared her throat loudly and Charlotte sighed with annoyance.

“Darlene, I’m seriously sick over here. Can’t you reschedule my – “

“No. I’m afraid she cannot.” A male voice, warm and smooth, spoke in her ear and tendrils of fear slithered down her spine.

“Who is this?” She asked quickly.

“You don’t remember me? That’s a bit insulting.” The man said cheerfully. “I remember you, Charlotte.”

“Who is this?” She repeated.

“Gareth. You cut my hair last week. We spoke about what a person could do for entertainment in this pathetic little city. Do you remember me now?”

“Yes.” She coughed harshly. “What do you want?”

“Here’s the thing, Charlotte. I wasn’t lying when I said I was new to the city but I was fibbing when I said I had moved here. I haven’t actually moved here. I’m just in town to pick up my brother’s ashes.”

Charlotte squeezed her phone with fingers that had suddenly gone numb. “Your brother.”

“Yes. My brother. Perhaps you’ll remember him – his name was Steve.”

All of the breath rushed out of her lungs and she swallowed compulsively as Gareth spoke again. “Are you still with me, Charlotte?”

“Y-yes.” She stuttered.

“Good. I need you to come by the salon. Darlene and Rita and I have been having a wonderful time together, but I think it would be even better if you joined us. Don’t you?”

“And if I don’t?” She whispered.

He sighed loudly. “I’ll kill Darlene and Rita. And Charlotte? It won’t be quick. I’ll make them suffer.”

“I – I’m on my way.” Charlotte said quickly.

“Excellent. Now, I expect you’ll be a good girl and not call your friend, Officer Shallen. Am I right?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

“Good. Because if you call the police, if you tell anyone, I’ll kill your two little girlfriends here without a second thought. Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” She whispered again.

“That’s my good girl. You have fifteen minutes before I start hurting Darlene. See you soon, sweetheart.”

He hung up the phone with a gentle click and Charlotte stared wide-eyed at her cell phone before running to her bedroom. She dressed hurriedly, cursing loudly as she fumbled into her clothing, and staring at the alarm clock as the minutes ticked by.

She opened her closet and moved aside the suitcase before yanking the gun safe out of the closet. She took three deep breaths, holding her hands out until they had stopped shaking, and then punched in the code. The safe opened with a quiet click and she pulled the gun out and quickly loaded it. She grabbed the ankle holster sitting in the bottom of the safe and strapped it around her leg before easing the gun into the holster. She rolled the leg of her jeans down, hiding the holster, and bolted from the bedroom.

* * *

 

“You did the right thing calling me, Charlotte.” Vince said reassuringly. “Where are you?”

“I’m almost to the salon.” Charlotte turned left and grunted impatiently as a car slowed down in front of her.

“What? Charlotte, do not go into that salon? Do you hear me?”

“I have to!” She hissed. “I’ve got four minutes before this Gareth hurts Darlene.”

“Charlotte, do not go in to the salon!” Vince yelled frantically. “We’re sending a swat team right now and – “

“If he sees them, he’ll kill all of us.” Charlotte interrupted. “You can’t let him know you’re there. Do you hear me?”

“Charlotte, don’t – “

“I love you, Vince. I have to go.” Charlotte hung up the phone and turned into the parking lot of the salon. She parked and ran to the door. The closed sign was hanging in the window and the shade was drawn and she used her key to open the door. She stepped into the salon, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Rita and Darlene huddled together at Rita’s station.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

Rita nodded as Gareth smiled at her from the reception desk. “Welcome to the party, Charlotte. Lock the door, please, and join your friends.”

She locked the door and joined Rita and Darlene as Gareth stood and moved to the middle of the salon. He studied them quietly for a moment and Charlotte glanced at the gun in his right hand.

He smiled at her. “So you’re the bitch who got my brother killed.”

“He got himself killed.” She snapped. Rita moaned softly and Charlotte squeezed her arm gently as Gareth laughed.

“Yes, I suppose he did.”

He took a few steps closer. “My brother was an asshole.” He said abruptly.

Charlotte gave him a look of surprise and he nodded. “He really was. We hated each other as children and that hatred carried into adulthood. He was a weak idiot who couldn’t keep his nose out of trouble. In and out of different prisons for most of his life, and then becoming the leader of that ridiculous biker gang.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “My mother used to say that he was a good boy, that it was the drugs that turned him bad, but of course, she didn’t see the way he used to torture our school mates. He was an asshole, even as a child. God, he drove me fucking crazy.”

“Then why are you here?” Charlotte asked steadily. “If you hated him so much, why are you doing this?”

He gave her a look of surprise. “He’s still my brother, Charlotte. Family is family, no matter how ridiculously stupid they are, and what kind of man would I be if I didn’t take my revenge on the people who killed him.”

“We didn’t kill him.” Charlotte replied. “He made his choice and it resulted in his death. How is that our fault?”

He waved his gun at her and gave her an irritable look. “Small details, Charlotte. Small details.”

“So what? Now you’re going to kill us?” Darlene whispered.

“Yes, I am.” He said cheerily.

Rita made another small moan of dismay and Gareth grinned at her. “Don’t worry. If you’re good, I’ll make it quick and painless.”

He cocked his head and stared at Darlene. “Although, you certainly are a pretty little thing, aren’t you? Maybe we should get to know each other a little better.”

Darlene took a step back as Charlotte moved in front of her. “You’re not touching her.”

Gareth laughed. “Are you going to stop me? Or maybe you’re volunteering to go in her place? After all, if I remember the court records correctly – you’re more than willing to fuck someone you barely know.”

Charlotte didn’t reply and Gareth grinned at her. “What do you say, Charlotte? Maybe you and I should go to the backroom and do a re-enactment. I’ll confess, lovely Darlene is more to my taste, but I won’t turn down a free fuck.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Charlotte snapped. “If you’re smart, you’ll leave the salon and – “

There was sharp rapping on the door and Gareth eyes widened with surprise. He raised his finger to his lips as the knocking came again.

“Charlotte? Are you in there? It’s Ren. I need to talk to you. I know you’re angry with me but you can’t keep avoiding me.”

A smile crept across Gareth’s face and he pointed the gun at Darlene. “Let him in.” He demanded softly.

Charlotte shook her head. “No. You don’t want him in here. He’s a cop and he – “

“Oh, I know exactly who he is, Charlotte. Detective Flynn stopping by to chat has just made my job much easier. Let him in.”

Darlene, her entire body trembling, limped to the door and turned the deadbolt as Gareth retreated back to the reception desk. She opened the door and Ren shouldered past her. “Darlene? Why is the salon closed in the middle of the day? Where’s Charlotte? I need to speak to her.”

His gaze landed on Charlotte and he gave her a tentative smile. “Hi. I know you said you didn’t want to see me but – “

“Detective Flynn!”

Ren turned and frowned at the man standing by the desk. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Gareth. Gareth Terrence. I believe you knew my brother.”

Ren stiffened and he glanced quickly at Charlotte before turning back to Gareth. “Your brother is dead.”

“I’m well aware of that, Detective Flynn.” Gareth said dryly. “Darlene, go and join Charlotte and Rita, please.” He watched as Darlene limped back to the others before smiling at Ren.

“Now,” he raised his gun and pointed it at Ren’s face, “why don’t you take your gun out and put it on the floor. Nice and slowly, please.”

Ren reached into his jacket and pulled his gun free of the holster. He set it on the floor and Gareth nodded. “Excellent. The ankle one as well, please.”

He hesitated and Gareth scowled at him. “Quickly, Detective Flynn. Unless you’d like to see what Charlotte looks like with a bullet in her forehead?”

Ren knelt quickly and removed the gun from around his calf before standing and backing away.

“Thank you.” Gareth picked up both guns and set them on the desk before motioning to Charlotte. “Come here please, Charlotte.”

She squeezed Darlene’s cold hand and gave her a reassuring smile before joining Gareth. He moved behind her and put one hard arm around her waist before pointing the gun against her abdomen. He kissed her cheek, a smile crossing his face when Ren growled loudly, and rubbed her side.

“You have a fever, Charlotte.”

She didn’t reply and he squeezed her tightly. “Are you sick?”

“I have a cold.” She muttered.

“You do sound a bit nasally.” He said conversationally. “Have you tried using one of those neti pots? They work wonders.”

“What is it that you want?” Ren asked loudly.

“Really? You really haven’t figured it out?” Gareth shook his head. “Don’t cops have to pass some sort of intelligence test to get into the police force? Jesus.”

He kissed Charlotte’s cheek again. “I want revenge, Detective Flynn. Like any good brother would.”

“Let them go. I’m the one who got Steve killed.” Ren said.

“You do have a point. You were after all, directly responsible for sending Steve to prison. How did it feel to live with Steve’s gang? Did you find it difficult? Steve wasn’t the most even-tempered guy. Also not very bright. He did, after all, let an undercover cop into the gang.”

He sighed. “I was just telling these lovely ladies about what an idiot my brother really was but I suppose I don’t have to tell you that. You lived with him.”

“So let them go and you and I can talk this out – man to man.” Ren said steadily.

Gareth laughed. “Man to man? Oh please, Detective. You’ve been watching too many ‘Law and Order’ episodes.”

He stared thoughtfully at Ren. The large man’s glance kept darting to Charlotte’s face and Gareth squeezed her waist. “I think the detective has a crush on you, Charlotte. You must have given him one hell of a ride that day in the salon. Did you? Did you fuck him until he was – “

“Shut your fucking face!” Ren snarled. His hands clenched into fists and he took a step forward.

“No, no, no.” Gareth admonished gently before pointing the gun at Charlotte’s head. “Unless you want to see her brains splattered all over the floor, you won’t come any closer.”

Ren stopped and gave Charlotte a small smile. “It’ll be okay, honey.”

“So sweet.” Gareth rolled his eyes. “I can’t figure out which of you I want to kill first.”

Charlotte stiffened in his embrace and Gareth grinned at her. “I was going to kill you first but I’ve changed my mind. Say goodbye to your Detective Flynn, little Charlotte.”

“No, wait!” Charlotte said frantically as Gareth pointed his gun at Ren.

Without stopping to think about it, Ren was dead if she did, she stomped viciously on the top of Gareth’s foot. He shouted in pain and she drove her elbow into his flat abdomen as hard as she could. His shout turned into a harsh groan and when his arm loosened, she yanked herself out of his grip and scrambled to the left as Ren darted forward.

She shouted a hoarse warning as Ren tackled Gareth. The two men fell to the floor, the gun trapped between them, as Ren raised his fist and drove it toward Gareth’s face. The smaller man blocked it with his left arm, grunting with the effort and whipped his head to the right when Ren tried to headbutt him.

The gun went off with a deafening bang and Darlene screamed shrilly as Ren stiffened. Gareth grinned and shoved Ren off of him and on to his back. Ren stared numbly at his leg as Gareth staggered to his feet. There was a spreading patch of blood on Ren’s thigh and Gareth grinned again as he raised the gun and pointed it at Ren’s head.

“Say hello to my brother, Detective Flynn.” Gareth said merrily.

There was another deafening bang and Gareth jerked in surprise before staring down at his chest. He brushed aside the jacket of his suit and touched the blood soaking into his white shirt gingerly.

“What?” He whispered.

He took a staggering step backwards and then crumpled to the floor. The gun fell from his hand and he took one final shuddering breath before he died.

“Ren!” Charlotte quickly tucked her gun back into the holster around her ankle before falling to her knees beside the fallen detective. “Honey! Look at me!”

“Charlotte?” Ren whispered.

“You’re going to be just fine, honey. Just lie still.” She said quickly.

Rita crouched next to her. “Charlotte, there’s so much blood.”

Charlotte glance at Ren’s leg. His jean-clad thigh was already soaked in blood and she could see more blood pouring out of the bottom of his jeans to pool on the floor.

“Fuck! It must have hit his femoral artery.” Charlotte unbuckled Ren’s belt and yanked it free before wrapping it around his thigh and pulling it tight. He groaned as the belt bit into his leg and she used her right hand to stroke his forehead soothingly.

“I’m sorry, honey. I know it hurts.”

The front door of the salon burst open and Vince, wearing a bullet proof vest, rushed in, followed by a team of men dressed in black combat gear and helmets.

“Ren? Ren, open your eyes.” Charlotte slapped Ren lightly on the face and he groaned and blinked rapidly at her. His face was pale and he couldn’t seem to focus on her. Fear rushed through her and she shouted sharply at him.

“Ren! Stay with me!”

“Charlotte…” He whispered.

She leaned down and placed her mouth at his ear. “I love you, Ren. Don’t leave me. Do you hear me? I love you.”