Chapter 13: Evie
13
EVIE
W hen I walked into the diner fifteen minutes before my shift started, it was quiet. Too quiet. Usually, the guys were banging pots and pans around in the kitchen while Irene made coffee and rolled silverware.
I bypassed the break room and went straight to the front to see what was going on. None of the coffee machines were going and most of the lights were still off. "Irene?"
My skin prickled with fear, and my stomach filled with dread when she didn't answer. "Tony? Bart?"
I turned to go to the kitchen and stopped short when I saw Irene sprawled on the floor with a small puddle of blood seeping out from underneath her. "No! No, no, no," I chanted and ran to her, dropping to my knees beside her. The bag I carried to work slipped from my shoulder and made a sickening splat sound when it landed in her blood.
Reaching into my bag, I felt around for my phone with one hand while I gently tried to rouse Irene with the other.
"It's about time you showed up."
I froze while chills ran down my spine at the sound of Muzzle's voice. "What did you do?" I gritted out while keeping my eyes on Irene and praying that she was still alive.
"I found a way to entertain myself while I waited for you," he said, as if he'd been playing a card game instead of terrorizing innocent people.
The rage that surged through me was almost overwhelming. He'd already taken someone from me and scarred me for life, and he was trying to do it again, if he hadn't already.
"Why are you here?" I asked, hoping to buy myself the few seconds I desperately needed.
Carefully moving my hand, I let go of my phone and wrapped my fingers around Edge's pistol and removed it from the holster. With slow and steady movements, I got to my feet and kept my hands in front of me.
He snorted derisively. "To make you pay for trying to pin Randall's murder on me and your brother."
When I turned around to face him, I raised the gun and fired, hitting him in his torso. I wasn't sure exactly where, but I felt a brief sense of relief when he stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
For several long moments, he didn't move, and neither did I. Then his eyes popped open, and he shifted to reach behind his back. I didn't warn him or tell him to stop before I shot him again, hitting his shoulder. His arm fell limply to his side as blood appeared on his shirt.
"Do not fucking move," I said, sounding more confident than I felt.
I didn't want to give him an opportunity to get up and overpower me by taking my eyes off him to find my phone, so I kept the gun trained on him and slowly moved toward the landline mounted on the wall behind the front counter.
"Hello," Edge answered, sounding sleepy and slightly confused.
"I just shot my father, and I don't know what to do," I blurted. "He hurt Irene, and she needs help. Maybe Tony and Bart, too."
"Is your father dead?"
"No, he's not. I hit him twice, and he's on the ground, but he's very much alive."
"Keep your gun aimed at him and shoot him again if he moves," he said. "Stay on the phone with me. I'll have someone there to help you soon."
Using my shoulder to keep the phone pressed to my ear, I focused on the piece of shit lying on the floor. I desperately wanted to check on Irene, but I knew he'd kill us both if I gave him the chance.
I could hear Edge shouting, followed by a lot of activity on the other end of the line, but I wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying. In fact, I was so focused on making sure Muzzle didn't so much as twitch that I screamed like a banshee and almost fired another shot when a voice sounded behind me. "Evie, I'm here to help."
I risked glancing over my shoulder, but I didn't see anyone and briefly wondered if I had imagined the voice. "Where are you?"
A well-dressed man slowly stepped around the corner with his hands raised in front of him. "Edge requested my assistance," he said and gestured to the phone dangling by its cord. I must have dropped it when he startled me.
I brought the receiver to my ear and heard Edge's frantic voice. "Evie! Can you hear me? Is Luca there?"
"I'm here," I said into the phone and looked at the man with his hands still raised in front of him. "Are you Luca?"
"Yes," he said calmly. "Luca Peccati."
Evidently, Edge heard him answer me. "Let him help you. Do what he says, okay? I'll be there soon."
"Irene," I whispered.
"Evie," he said firmly. "Listen to Luca."
"Okay," I promised and turned to Luca. "He said I should listen to you and do what you say."
Luca lowered his hands and moved toward me hesitantly. "My associates and I are going to remove Muzzle from the premises and clean up behind him. Once we're gone, you will call nine-one-one and tell them what you found when you arrived. Muzzle was never here. You don't know who did this or what happened. How many shots did you fire?"
"Two," I said weakly. Thoughts swirled in my mind, leaving me in a daze.
Luca snapped his fingers and two men materialized seconds later. One of them kicked Muzzle in the head before they lifted him from the floor and carried him away. Two other men, or maybe it was the same guys, started cleaning Muzzle's blood from the floor.
"I have the casings, sir," one guy said.
"I'll need your gun," Luca said to me.
"What? Why?" I asked, feeling and sounding somewhat panicked.
"As a precaution. To prevent unnecessary questioning," he said. "It will be returned to either you or Edge after everything is finished."
"Okay," I reluctantly agreed and placed the gun on the counter. My hands were shaking so badly I didn't think I could safely hand it to him.
"Do you remember what to tell the police?" he asked.
"I found Irene like this when I arrived at work. I don't know who did it or what happened."
"Correct," he said with a curt nod. "Don't say any more than that and don't volunteer any information. Edge will be here soon."
"Okay," I said. I felt lost and unsure of what to do next.
Luca's face softened. "You'll be okay. We're leaving now, so go ahead and call for help."
"Thank you."
"There's nothing to thank me for. I was never here." With that, he disappeared around the corner.
I quickly dialed nine-one-one and rushed to Irene's side. I regurgitated the words Luca told me to say and begged her to hurry.
"Officers are on the way," the operator said and started bombarding me with questions. I answered what I could, but I was losing my patience. They could interrogate me later.
"Are the intruders still in the building?"
"I don't know. I didn't go look for them," I snapped. "Why aren't they here yet?"
"Officers should arrive soon, ma'am."
"That's what you said the last three times I asked! I need help right now!"
Three sharp knocks on the front door had me sighing in relief. "Cedar Valley Police," a man announced.
"I'm coming!" I yelled and rushed to unlock the front door.
Police officers flooded the diner with guns drawn. To my utter shock, one of them grabbed my arm and had me face down on the floor with my hands behind my back before I knew what was happening.
"What in the hell are you doing?" I shouted.
The officer didn't answer me. Instead, he secured my hands behind my back and left me on the floor.
"Irene's behind the counter!" I yelled. "She needs help! And there might be two injured guys in the kitchen. Is anyone listening to me?"
Tables and chairs blocked my view, so I couldn't tell what was going on. I tried to get to my feet to see for myself, but someone stopped me from moving by placing their booted foot on my shoulder.
I couldn't take it anymore and started sobbing. Irene was going to die because none of them would listen to me. They were treating me like a criminal instead of an innocent bystander. Of all the outcomes I imagined, none of them involved me being restrained and left on the floor to sob uncontrollably while the so-called help let my friend die on the floor several feet away.