16. The Unknown #3
Ari laughed. “God, she was always ruining the fun with her logic…” Ari’s face fell as she covered her mouth to hold back a sob. Diamond tugged on her hand, pulling Ari onto her lap to comfort her.
Jax entered the living room and observed the four distressed women. “Keith will be here any moment. Just to keep an eye on you…”
Ari frowned. “Why?”
Jax and Deja exchanged looks before Deja spoke up. “Because Kristin didn’t kill herself.”
“What are you talking about?” Shawna asked. “The police said-”
“The police don’t know shit,” Deja said. “Look, girls, I know it sounds crazy, but Kristin was killed. And I think the guy is still out there.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Diamond blurted.
“Shouldn’t we call the police?” Ari asked.
“The police think it’s a suicide. They won’t help us,” Deja said, looking at Jax. “But Jax and his brothers will…”
The girls blinked at Jax, confused. “What are you guys in the mafia or some shit?” Diamond asked.
“No,” Jax said, hesitating to speak. “I’m very protective of Deja… and by extension… you.”
“...Thanks?” Ari said, confused.
“Somehow, that’s not comforting,” Shawna said.
“Like at all,” Diamond added.
Jax blinked at them. “Okay, well…” He turned around and walked out.
Deja quickly rose to follow him. “I promise I’ll explain. Just… give me a second,” Deja said to her friends. Following Jax outside Ari’s house, Deja grabbed Jax’s hand. “Did you malfunction?” she asked.
Jax sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just… angry. You were in danger, and I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Besides… I’m a Reaper too. I can protect myself.”
Jax tried to smile, but angst overwhelmed him. “Jamie is dangerous, Deja…”
Deja looked down. “I know…” she sighed. A car pulled up in front of the house before Joseph jumped out. “Joseph?!” Deja blurted.
“I rushed over as soon as- I- Is it true?! Is she-!” Joseph struggled to speak. Eyes watering, Deja reluctantly nodded. Joseph’s eyes widened in horror before his hand flew to his mouth. “Oh god! No! Please!”
Joseph fell to his knees as his cries echoed around them. Deja looked at Jax desperately until he nodded his understanding. “Keith will be here soon. But if anything even remotely seems off, you call me. Understand?” Jax ordered. Deja nodded as Jax wrapped his hand around her neck and kissed her.
Jax walked past Joseph as Deja crouched down in front of him. “Come inside, Joseph…” Deja said.
Joseph shook his head. “I can’t… The girls-”
“That doesn’t matter right now,” Deja said, helping him to his feet. “We need each other…” she insisted. Joseph’s nostrils quivered as he sadly nodded.
Joseph rubbed his hands together, trying to bite back his tears. He looked up and saw Diamond and Shawna sitting across the room, staring at him with unfriendly gazes. His eyes fell when Ari approached him with a cup of tea. “Thanks, Ari…” he smiled.
An awkward silence settled before Ari grabbed the remote. “Um… I’m just gonna… put something on…”
Deja looked outside the window, searching for Keith, when her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number
Call her.
Deja instinctively panicked as she shot up from the couch. “Deja?” Shawna asked, confused.
“I… have to take a call,” Deja said, leaving the room.
Joseph watched Deja leave before he looked back at the girls. “...are you girls gonna stay silent the whole night?”
“Depends… Are you ever gonna leave?” Diamond asked.
“Guys,” Ari sighed.
“What is your problem, Diamond?” Joseph asked.
“Really?! What is my problem?!” Diamond snapped. “How about my friend you cheated on is dead!”
“Are you blaming me?” Joseph asked.
“Just shut the fuck up!” Shawna snapped. “Both of you!”
“Fuck this,” Joseph said, standing to his feet.
“Wait, Joseph!” Ari said, stepping in front of him. “Let’s just… talk this out.”
Joseph’s nostrils flared. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he muttered as he walked past her.
Deja dialed the unknown number for the fourth time and got no answer. So she texted.
Deja
You’re a fucking coward, you know that? Targeting my friends like a little bitch. And now you won’t answer your stupid fucking phone.
Unknown Number
Call her.
Deja yelled angrily, not knowing what the hell he was talking about. “Call her? Call who? What the hell is your problem?!”
“That could have gone better…” Ari frowned, walking back into the living room.
“Fuck his cheating ass,” Diamond said, annoyed. “Can I use your shower? I need a distraction from this insane night.”
“Sure,” Ari sighed. “Fresh towels are in the linen closet.” Diamond grabbed her bag and headed for Ari’s bathroom.
“I’m gonna call my mom. Let me know when Deja gets back,” Shawna said, wiping her face. Ari shook her head sadly.
After undressing, Diamond turned on the water to let it heat up and closed the bathroom door. Sitting on the toilet, she scrolled through Kristin’s socials, reminiscing over her pictures.
Shawna sat on Ari’s bed, crying silently as she called her mother, while Ari sat alone on the couch in her living room, trying to drown out her sorrow with the TV.
Deja looked up and down Ari’s street, anxiously anticipating Keith, when she got another text.
Unknown Number
Call her.
“Oh my god! Call who? Who the fuck am I supposed to call?!” she snapped impatiently. She absentmindedly went through her contact list when suddenly she stopped.
She called Kristin.
She looked up at the sound of Kristin’s ringtone and her heart stopped.
“...K-... Kristin…?”
The phone stopped ringing, and Deja dialed again until she heard it ring. She followed the sound until she arrived in front of a car where the light of the phone’s screen flickered.
Joseph’s car.
Diamond stepped into the hot shower and closed her eyes as the water ran down her face. Using soap and a rag, she scrubbed her body when she heard the bathroom door open.
She pulled back the shower curtain, but no one was there.
Except the door was cracked open.
“Yeah, no. See, this what we not finna do,” she said, grabbing a towel. Diamond stepped out of the shower and grabbed Ari’s hair dryer before she slowly opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
“Look at me being paranoid as hell. I blame Deja,” she muttered, walking down the hallway when she was abruptly smashed into the wall. She screamed as a blade went straight through her shoulder. Diamond kneed her masked assailant in the stomach before they both fell to the ground.
Shawna ran out of the bedroom, and her eyes widened in shock to see a bleeding Diamond crawling toward her. “What the hell?! Diamond!”
“Shawna!” Diamond cried. Shawna quickly grabbed Diamond and pulled her into the room before slamming the bedroom door shut.
“Who was that?!” Shawna asked.
“Bitch, Santa Claus! How the fuck would I know?!” Diamond grimaced in pain.
“Is he still out there?” Shawna asked.
“I’m not tryna find out. Also, help me. A bitch is bleeding,” Diamond said. Shawna grabbed a towel and pushed it against Diamond’s shoulder when they heard banging from the living room.
They looked at each other wide-eyed. “Ari!”
Ari clawed at the masked assailant, struggling beneath him as she tried to gasp for air. His blade pressed against her bleeding neck. Tears streamed down her face as her life flashed before her eyes.
His head abruptly slammed against the table when Ari saw Deja standing above her, holding a cooking pan.
Deja swung the pan, smashing it against his head again until he stumbled to the ground. She went to hit him again when he grabbed her leg from under her until she fell backward. Climbing on top of her, he wrapped his hand around Deja’s neck.
But Deja grabbed a fork on the ground and rammed it into his eye. He screamed in pain and clutched his face. Pushing him off, Deja grabbed his knife and mounted him.
“Deja, wait-” she heard Joseph beg as he held up his hand. But Deja shoved the blade through his hand and into his chest until his back hit the floor.
She sneered with disgust at his face. “Beg again!” She ripped the blade out and shoved it into his chest again.
Ari looked on in shock and horror as Deja splattered her kitchen with Joseph’s blood. By the time Deja stumbled off of him, his body was nearly slashed to pieces.
Ari screamed at the abrupt sound of her front door breaking in before Keith ran into the kitchen. Keith looked at Deja, startled. “Baby girl!” he said, falling to his knees in front of her. “Look at me, baby! Are you okay?!”
Deja dropped the bloody knife as she looked from Joseph’s torn corpse to Keith’s blue eyes.
“No…”
*?A Scottish Highland lullaby
*?My princess
*?The Dictator