9. Unknown
Chapter nine
Unknown
Charlie
I can’t catch my breath, I don’t know what to do. I’m shaking almost uncontrollably. There’s a pain in my chest I can’t get rid of. The harder I try to soothe it with the palm of my hand, the worse it seems to get.
Standing in the middle of the room, I’m looking around for something that will help me. I can’t think straight. Millie's been shot, fucking shot . I know nothing else. No details, nothing. Tears stream down my face as my phone that’s still in my hand starts to ring. My eyes are too blurry to focus on who it is, so I swipe to answer.
“Finally, Angel. Where are you?” I can’t answer as a sob escapes my throat. “Shit, I’m sending someone to pick you up. Are you still at the hotel?”
“Yes,” I manage. It’s weak and lifeless.
“Be outside in ten minutes. Cole’s on his way to you.”
“H… how…” I break down, fumbling to get myself together. I need my shoes.
“I’ll explain everything when you get there. Millie’s in surgery.”
Finding my small bag on the table where my phone was, I walk to the door, my phone still pressed to my ear.
“I’m just leaving the police station. I’ll meet you there,” he says, his tone rushed.
“Owen…”
“Everything’s going to be okay, Angel,” he tries to promise, but even I can hear the slight hesitation in his voice.
Leaving Owen’s room, I make my way downstairs. I don’t know what I expected, but this was not it. It’s chaos, people everywhere, scattered, mingling with the police, giving statements. What was warm, buzzing and fun has now become a crime scene, one my best friend was the centre of.
Millie was shot.
I can’t get my head around it. These things don’t happen. I mean, you hear about it happening. You just never think it will happen to anyone you actually know.
Walking through the reception area, I’m approached by a police officer, asking if I am willing to make a statement. I shake my head. There's nothing to tell right now.
“Here’s my card, if I could just take some details from you?”
“She’s my best friend. I need to get to the hospital.” My voice is a gravelly whisper.
“Sure, miss…” It takes me a moment to register what he’s asking. He wants to know my name.
“Charlie… Charlotte Hudson. I own Magnolias” I don’t know why I say it, it’s not even a shop yet.
“Magnolias?”
Now I have to explain. “The old hardware store on the hill.”
Nodding, he notes it down. I give him my number, then move around him. Stepping outside, I see more disarray as police officers set up tents, talk over radios, and get what they need. It must have happened out here. I see the crime scene team kneeling by a car, a pool of blood drying on the floor. I’m standing, staring, when I feel a hand on my elbow. My eyes are drawn up to see Cole standing next to me, ready to take me to Millie.
The ride to the hospital is silent, well I think it is. I’m so lost in my worry for Millie, I can’t think past the pain she must be in. I have no idea how long it takes us to get there. I don’t even know if Cole spoke to me.
I don’t even wait for the car to pull to a stop before I’m swinging the door open and jumping out. I hear a loud low curse as I do. I just don’t stop, running into the hospital.
I see him immediately, Owen walking towards me, his worrying gaze lands on mine. His pace picks up, running to me, and I stumble into his open arms. He engulfs me, holding me while I cry into his chest, his hand stroking my hair tenderly. I feel safe.
“Angel, let’s go somewhere a little more private.” Agreeing with a small nod of my head, he guides me to an empty waiting room. He tenses slightly as the door bangs behind us. Sitting down, he rests me in his lap, holding me tighter, allowing me the time I need to get myself together.
“I need you to listen, Angel,” he mummers into my hair, placing a soft kiss on my temple as I lift my head to meet his tired eyes. “I’m going to tell you everything. I just don’t want to do it all in front of Jack and the others. They’ve been through enough.”
“Oh god, yes, okay.” I grip his shirt in my hand, anchoring myself to him.
“Millie’s in surgery. She’s been there for a few hours now. Glen,” he starts, and I shudder at the name.
“Wait… I thought he was…” I ask confused, “he was in Spain?”
“The police got it wrong. It wasn’t him.” Anger laces his words as he holds me just a little tighter, his jaw tense.
“Fucking hell.” It’s all so surreal.
“He grabbed Em outside, made her send Millie a message saying it was her life or Millie’s. She…” he pauses sucking in a breath, “Millie should have come to us. We were standing right in front of her when she left the ballroom. Fuck.” It’s killing him. His whole body is tense, shaking slightly as he says, “Instead, she went to change places with Em and decided to do it on her own without our help.” He’s not blaming her, he’s blaming himself. I just watch and listen, still unable to really believe what’s happened.
“By the time I got there, Millie was swapping places with Em. Dan tried to grab her. I had to hold him back,” he looks up to the ceiling, “then, the fucker stabbed her…”
“Holy shit, Owen?” I let out a pained cry. Glen stabbed her. My heart's breaking for her, for everything she’s been through.
“After that, he pulled a… a gun out on her, shot once at the ceiling.” He flinches at the memory. “Jack came rushing out. It took everything I had to hold him back. I had to choose. I couldn’t let them both be hurt, I knew Leon was coming around the front of the building to get behind him, and then he was walking away with her.” He’s sucking in breaths like he can’t remember how to breathe. “Locked the glass entrance door behind him and threw her down the steps.” My hand flies to my mouth. I feel sick. I want to comfort him, but I can’t, I’m too stuck in my own shock and grief to move. Instead, I grip his shirt harder, hoping at least that he can feel that I’m with him “Within a minute we had the door unlocked, but we had to watch as he repeatedly beat her and held the gun on her.” My hand presses to my stomach. How can anyone even possess such evil thoughts? My heart's broken for her.
“I…” I don’t know what to say. I just sob harder for my best friend.
“As soon as we broke down the door, Jack and I ran out. I watched Leon take him out, pushed Millie to the side, I went to help Leon. A fight broke out. I watched the gun fall, the two of us trying to get Glen under control as he kept reaching for the gun, edging closer. He was feral, lost it. That’s when the gun went off. He shot her. The bastard shot her.” He freezes, his breathing laboured. Placing my hand on his chest, I tap over his heart.
“Owen, it’s okay.” He looks lost for a moment.
“It’s far from okay, Charlie. I watched your best friend get shot. I watched as Jack caught her as she fell, the look on his face as she collapsed.” Shaking his head, he clears his throat. “Anyway,” his tone neutral, impassive almost, “that bastard is now behind bars. We have enough charges against him that he won't be seeing the light of day for a very fucking long time.” He’s cold, he won't look at me. I don’t know what to do, so I just hold him, like he’s held me through this. We sit for a while before he says anything else.
“Before we go and see the others, I wanted to explain what happened earlier between us.” I raise my head from where it’s been resting on his chest, looking at his beautiful forest-green eyes.
“You don’t need to. It’s not the right time, not now.”
“Now is exactly the right time. I never lied to you, Charlie. I wanted to clear the air between myself and Jack. I knew he’d lose his shit with me when he found out I’d lied to him, and I didn’t want you to see or be part of that. I tried to speak with him, but time ran away with me. I sent you that message because I thought…” His shoulders sag. “I don’t know. I don’t want you to see my mistakes. I’d planned on leaving after I spoke with Jack, then Leon sat me down…” His eyes meet mine. “Then you walked in. I didn’t know what to do.” Taking my hand with his he says, “I still needed to speak with Jack, but you were pissed I was there when I said I wouldn’t be.” Raising my hand to his lips, he kisses the tips of my fingers. “I tried to stay away from you. I just can’t,” he says in defeat.
“I don’t want you to stay away from me.” He feels too good to let go.
“I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, I’ve never,” he lets out a tired breath, “wanted to be more with someone.”
“Owen, I may have overreacted,” I admit. “When I saw you, I should have given you a chance to explain. That’s on me, not you. Plus, we don’t need to be anything more than what we are right now.” He looks up, a small hopeful grin playing on his lips.
“So…”
“We can take it day by day. I’ve been burned, Owen, but what we have feels too good to pass up.”
“I’m not happy your ex hurt you, Charlie, but I am grateful it brought you to me.”
“Okay,” I mumble. I don’t really know what to say to that.
“Fuck, Charlie, I’m so sorry.” The pain I feel with his words makes him easy to forgive, not that there was anything to forgive. Miscommunication’s shit.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he says as his lips lightly brush over mine as we relax into a kiss that could take me away from everything going on around us. Deep, sensual, tender. So light, I could stay like this forever. Owen pulls away a few minutes later, setting me on my healed feet. His thumb traces away the tears that have stained my cheeks.
“We need to find the others, and I need to fill Jack in on what happened at the police station.”
“Okay, lead the way.” Leon joins us as we make our way up. I’m not classed as family, but the nursing staff don’t question me when we get to the waiting room. I guess when you're as rich as Jack, you have some pull over who you let in.
Seeing Jack sitting there, his tux jacket discarded, his hair falling down his face, pulls at my heartstrings. I don’t have to ask how he’s feeling. He’s distraught. It’s written all over his face.
“What’s the news?” I ask calmly, the wobble in my voice betraying me.
“No news yet,” Jack replies. “She’s still in surgery.” he dips his head into his hands.
“She’s stronger than she looks, Jack,” I add, my hand giving a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder. Sitting with Dan and Em, on the opposite side of the waiting room, she tells me about the baby, and that they are all okay. I never knew she was pregnant. I guess Millie did.
Sitting back, I close my eyes and listen to Owen tell Jack about Glen's arrest, and all the finer details he told me before we came up here.
“We managed to give him a good kicking before the police arrived,” Leon adds, a pleased smile on his face. Owen comes to my side a while later, wrapping me in his arms where I fall asleep on his chest, to his steady heartbeat, until a doctor walks in, stirring us all.
“Are you Miss Monroe’s family?” she asks softly, holding the door slightly open, walking in when Jack confirms.
“Yes, how is she? Is she okay? Can I…” his words are rushed. We all wait for the doctor to answer.
“Miss Monroe’s surgery went well. She is and will be okay, if not sore and in some pain for a little while. She’s sleeping off the anaesthetic right now, and needs her rest,” she adds.
“Can we see her?” Jack stands. He’s not really asking. I think he’d go in anyway, no matter what they told him. I’m so glad she has someone like Jack now. Someone who really cares for her.
“I can’t let you all in,” she says. “Just one for tonight, and I shouldn’t even be doing that, but given the circumstances, one of you can go in.” we all look at Jack, nodding in encouragement for him to go.
The relief I feel overwhelms me. Owen pulls me close again, settling back into the chairs where we stay most of the night.