8. Rain
Chapter 8
Rain
M y body had broken out into a sweat the second I heard the gunshots in the upstairs bathroom. I’d been staring at my reflection, coked up out of my mind. The feeling of the Pure Columbian Honey was starting to wear off but it completely fucking faded. Grabbing my clutch that contained a few vials of coke, and my cellphone that I’d powered off in case Nora tried to call me, I wondered what I was about to walk out into.
I just remembered turning off the light in the bathroom and creeping out onto the landing to see what was going on. Cassie and the other were lined up, still breathing.
Someone said something…
Cassie was crying. Two of her bodyguards lay dead beside her, blood pooling from gunshot wounds.
Something was moving through the room but I knew I had to be high as fuck still because it was almost like a shadow.
Cassie’s eyes met mine and before I could say anything, a bullet went through her head. Covering my mouth, I bit back a scream. Carefully, I’d eased back into the bathroom.
The last thing I wanted was to be discovered because I was going to be dead next.
Climbing over into the bathroom tub, I did something I hadn’t done in a very long time. I silently prayed, all the while hiding behind the shower curtain.
Turning the phone on my fingers had moved slow and steady to dial 911. It was the only thing that I could think of. Nothing else had mattered.
The cops were on the scene within fifteen minutes…
Sitting in the interrogation room, I held my purse close to my body. Cassie had been one of my very best friends since we’d met in cosmetology school nearly six years ago.
She’d been more into nail art.
All I could see was a bullet hole in her head now.
A knock came on the door to the interrogation room and the last face on earth that I thought I’d see came into view.
“Hey,” came Matteo’s voice.
He looked like he’d gotten a shit ton of sleep.
Big Tits rode him hard, I thought.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped.
His eyes narrowed. “Rain, this really isn’t the…”
Matteo’s mouth stopped moving and he came into the room, closing the door behind him. He braced himself on the table, and I noted he was in a full suit, and freshly showed. He smelled liked some soap and I couldn’t quite place the scent.
Leaning away from him before I started sniffing like a dog, I stared up at him.
“Look,” he took a breath, gritting his perfect white teeth. “You just watched people die.”
I mumbled.
“What?”
“Not just people,” clearing my throat so that he could he me, I spoke up. “Cassie was my best friend.”
Matteo had some thick eyebrows, I noted, as my eyes roamed his features before glancing away. “Well, your best friend’s family is a crime family. The FBI is taking this over.”
“And?”
He took a breath. “I’m pulling a few favors, and I’m taking you to your house. However, until this person is caught, I don’t think it’s safe for you to go back there.”
“What? What do you mean you don’t think it's safe…”
Standing up, I started to pace. The last place I needed to snort a line of coke was in a police station but here we were.
Matteo stepped in front of me, his arms going to my shoulders. His touch felt warm and sincere.
“Rain, you just witnessed a murder…. whoever that was wanted everyone in that room eliminated. “
“But I…”
He held my gaze for way longer than was needed. I bit my lip and nodded. “I need….I have to get out of these clothes. Fuck…I don’t want Nora involved with this. My mom and dad’s…I can go home there.”
Matteo’s brown eyes seemed full of worry and finally, his hands dropped to his side. “Okay, I’ll take you home to get your stuff.”
Stepping out of the room, and into the hustle and bustle of the Seattle Police Department had my stomach in knot. I’d never been near a police station for anything. Hell, even when my psycho ex-fling had damaged my shop, it’d just been a phone call.
Cops made me uneasy.
I wasn’t sure why, they just did.
Matteo helped me get into his SUV and I didn’t relax until we were pulling out of the parking lot.
“I don’t want Nora to know about any of this,” I said finally looking over at him.
He glanced over and nodded. “I won’t say a word.”
“Agent Zacharra, I‘m dead ass serious. That means not saying a word to your fucking brother either.”
Matteo bit his lip and sighed.
“I mean it,” I snapped.
This man and his brothers were thick as thieves. I still hadn’t forgotten when my sister was kidnapped. They were dead set against me calling the police then too.
“I won’t say anything unless I can help it, okay?” He finally replied.
Rolling my eyes, I stared straight ahead. Pulling my purse closer to me, I remembered that I still had the vials of coke. I just wanted to do a small line the second I got into my apartment. I had no idea how I was going to tell my mother and father that I needed to stay with them.
“I can’t stay with my parents,” I took a deep breath and finally opened the purse, and getting my cell phone.
“What?”
Matteo’s eyes flickered towards me and away from the road, we careened towards a slick black Porshe. He slammed on the brakes, jolting my body forward. My instincts kicked in and I threw my hand out towards the dashboard as if reaching for stability. Relief flooded through my being when I realized we weren’t dead.
“I just realized I don’t want to be at my parent’s house,” I shrugged.
Scrolling through my contacts, I started to look for a few people I could stay with. My fingers hovered above a few names.
Allen.
James.
All exes that had wanted more from me than I couldn’t give at the time.
“Rain, you’re in some shit now. Until we figure out exactly what happened…” Matteo’s voice was heavy and full of concern.
Taking a breath, my eyes swung over to him. “We know what happened. Someone killed Cassie and all her bodyguards.”
“But we don’t know why, and we don’t know who it was.”
“Or what,” I added quietly.
“Huh?”
Realizing that I’d said that out loud, I clammed up. “Nothing.”
Matteo quirked a brow and we said nothing the rest of the way to my apartment. Matteo pulled directly next to my car that had been left sitting when Cassie had picked me up.
It was just supposed to be a night of partying, I thought.
Fumbling around inside the purse, I found my keys at the very bottom of the clutch. They felt heavy in my hands as I unlocked the door. I could feel Matteo’s presence behind me, so I stopped him before he crossed over the threshold.
“I’m a big girl,” my voice came out sounding huskier than it needed to.
He grinned. “I’m aware.”
Rolling my eyes. “I just meant your job stops here, Agent Zacchara. I don’t need protection. I’m not going to stop my life just because someone did something awful.”
He uttered a heavy sigh. “Rain, this is the death of your best friend, not some person on the street that you didn’t know. You’re honestly, probably still in shock. I would be if I witnessed something like that.”
“Yeah well, I’m fine.”
The black suede stiletto heels I was still wearing from last night echoed against the tile floor. I quickly turned away from him and his concerned stare. Heading up the stairs, I checked my apartment out the second I was at the top of the landing. My eyes frantically roamed over everything, trying to see if there was anything out of place.
The crystals were still lined up perfectly on my windowsill, shimmering in the sunlight. My mail was still sitting undisturbed by the small door. Nothing had been disturbed as far as I could see.
Matteo walked past me, scanning my living room as well. I knew he was probably good at taking in details and finally, his gaze returned to me. I dropped my clutch and keys on top of the mail.
“Anything out of place?” Matteo asked.
“No,” shaking my head, I sat my purse down.
“Well, let me look your place over. Just make to make sure.” He insisted, already about to start walking towards my back rooms.
“No,” I said. “No, I just need a shower.”
My protest came off sounding meek, but I didn’t care. My mind was racing, and I just wanted him gone.
And to snort a line to take the edge off, the thought hit me like a ton of bricks.
It was the only thing that was going to help me fight off remembering that I’d just witnessed a fucking murder less than five hours ago.
“Rain, it’s the least I can do since you won’t go somewhere safe.”
Throwing my hands up in heavy defeat, I watched as Matteo’s perfect mouth curved up into a cocky fucking grin. He was a relentless motherfucker and was probably getting off on this in some sort of way because I’d never fuck him.
As he walked swiftly down the hallway, my cell phone started to ring. Fishing it out of my purse, I saw that it was Nora.
“Fuck,” I muttered before answering.
My heart sank a little at hearing how frantic and upset she sounded.
“Rain…” the worry and panic was apparent in her voice. “Rain?”
“Yes, I’m here,” I took a deep breath.
“Are you okay? It’s all over the news about Cassie…” Nora sounded like she’d been crying or she was out of breath one.
“What?” My heart seemed to speed up at hearing her words.
“Yes, Mornings with Seattle had it on first thing this morning. You weren’t with her were you? You went straight home after the bonfire.”
Inhaling sharply my hand seemed to tremble while holding the phone to my ear, the need to snort that line really over took me. “Nora, I’m fine. Look can I call you later. I promise I will.”
“Okay, I was just really worried. So good to hear your voice, love you.”
Coming back up the hall, Matteo offered me a smile. “It seems that everything is in order.”
“You didn’t go through my underwear drawer, Agent? Did you?”
As his face began to become scarlet, I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “I wouldn’t do that…”
Trying to catch my breath, still amused I replied. “I didn’t think that you would. Well, am I safe?”
A sheepish grin spread over his faceHe nodded but then his cellphone started ringing from somewhere on his person. Holding up a finger, he answered and began to speak. It was a brief call that spanned nearly just a minute. When the call ended he turned back to me.
“Hey I’ve got to get running,” he stated as if I should care.
Really, I just wanted him out of my space.
“Okay,” I nodded.
“Rain, I don’t think I need to tell you that you shouldn’t leave the country or anything.”
“Excuse me?”
He sighed, already reaching into the back pocket of his slacks. His brown wallet looked small in his hands and he pulled out a his business card, emblazoned with his name. Special Agent Matteo Zacharra.
“It’s looking like the FBI is going to be taking over this case. We’re probably going to have more questions for you.”
Rolling my eyes, I took the card from him, his fingertips brushing against my own. Static electricity hit against my fingers, buzzing quickly down my bones before disappearing.
He grinned again. “Have a good afternoon, Rain.”
After he left, I locked the door behind him. He sat in the parking lot talking on the phone for a few minutes before driving away. It was then I realized I’d been holding my breath with his business card clutched against my chest.
I tossed the card in the waste bin by my desk and then I found my phone ringing. Figuring it was Nora calling again, I got the shock of my life.
It’d been a very long time since I had seen that name pop up on my screen. Kenji Ito was calling.
“Hello…” My voice was soft, almost scared.
“I want to see you tonight,” his voice was the opposite of my own. Hard and unfeeling. “Meet me at the Hellfire Club, nine o’clock. And make sure you come the fuck alone…”
With no warning the call ended.