Chapter 49
The GPS tells me I’m only six minutes away from the diner, and I grip the handlebars and feel the vibrations of the machine beneath me. Riding this machine is a sensation of freedom and excitement where the journey becomes more than just reaching a destination.
It’s also a connection I share with Eden. She mentioned recently that she wants to start riding again and that’s something I’m also eager to do with her. I can’t wait to start racing in the rugged terrain of the desert when we all move to Terra Sands.
It’s Eden’s birthday in a couple of weeks, and I’m getting her a motorbike. It’s something I know she’ll love to do with me. Back in the day, we rode just before dawn, hiding from the paps and ensuring she kept her pop princess image clean. But that was then, and this is now. No one gives a fuck. At least not us.
Of course, I’m moving to America permanently, so I’ll need to start using terminologies such as motorcycle. Those gits in the bike shop had a right laugh when I used motorbike, then shut the fuck up when I mentioned all the upgrades I wanted, and some geezer recognized who I was.
As the drummer of a band, I’m usually the last person people will recognize. Eden and Jagger were always the first two band members people used to scream at if they caught them in public. These days, however, there’s not so much screaming. But I think last night’s concert put us back on the music map.
Despite being the least recognized member of the band, my heavy East London accent is a massive giveaway and pretty unusual for LA, so people here always take an extra second to rake their minds to try and figure out if I’m someone famous.
I round the corner and head into the diner”s parking lot, but I don’t see Eden. Fine, I’ll wait. She’s probably on her way.
This better be the last thing Catalina bothers Eden about. I know my girl has a heart of gold, and while she doesn’t feel guilty about letting her assistant go, she feels somewhat responsible for her.
If it were up to me, the old witch would be in jail.
I look at the clock on my phone, and we’re good with time for dinner, which we don’t need reservations for. It’s a no-frill dive with a shanty shack vibe where the Thai food is good with huge portions, and the best part is that it’s right by the water’s edge. I already messaged the lads earlier that I want an entire night with Eden, and they’re okay with it.
Haze mentioned that we should do some kind of roster of who goes when on solo dates with Eden. Fine by me. I think it’ll help since we’re all dating her and want alone time with her. Group stuff is good, and I enjoy watching my woman fuck my best mates, but sometimes it’s like waiting for my turn on the merry-go-round. But a devil’s threesome ain’t so bad, and there’s no waiting to be serviced.
I’ve been here a while, my mind is getting horny, and Eden’s a no-show, so I take my phone out to give her a buzz when it starts vibrating like mad.
What’s the fucking hell is this?
The app alert connected to Eden’s security device is going off like mad. It must be some glitch from it going off yesterday.
Now Haze is ringing me. The lads must have gotten the same alert.
“Where’s Eden?” he asks as soon as I answer the call.
“With Catalina.”
“Isn’t she with you?” I hear Jagger in the background. Haze probably has me on speaker.
“No, she’s gone off with Catalina to collect some documents from her hotel, and she’s supposed to drop her back here at the diner.”
“Mate, she’s set off her device.”
My heart drops a beat upon hearing this, and I stand up away from my bike at attention.
“Security’s ringing me,” Jagger says, and I imagine everyone’s now on alert.
“Did Eden say which hotel?”
“No,” I say, switching the call to the Bluetooth in my ear and getting my helmet back on. “Send me the location where it was triggered.”
“Just did,” I hear Callum shout from a distance. I check my phone, log the coordinates into the GPS device on the bike, and start the engine.
“Got it,” I say, taking off. “It’s a few minutes away from me.”
I rev up the engine and increase my speed.
“It might just be a malfunction,” I say, trying not to think the worst. “I texted Eden earlier. She seemed fine.”
“Well, either you’re right about the device acting up, or something’s made her trigger the alarm.”
“Did you know she was carrying it?” Haze asks.
I’m not sure if she still carries her gun in her bag, either, but I hope she is tonight. I used to be adverse to firearms, but with everything that’s happened, as alarming as it sounds to me, it might be a good idea for Eden to keep doing so.
“No, not a clue. She seemed fine when I dropped her off.” I stop at the traffic lights, shake my head, and go straight through them, narrowly missing a car running into me.
“Was that a car horn?”
“Just went through a red.”
“Has anyone tried her phone?”
“Callum and Jagger have. She’s not answering it. Security has traced the location of her phone, and it matches the alarm device. They’ve already set out to find her.”
I hear Haze on the move and his breathing getting heavier.
“We’ve all just piled into the SUV and are heading out now, but Huntington Beach is miles away. Stay on the phone with us till you find her.”
It’s not long until I drive into an abandoned mall with an empty parking lot. The flickering lights of a couple of lampposts cast eerie shadows on the cracked pavement. My eyes scan the area, trying to spot anything indicating Eden is here.
“Somethings not right,” I say and explain where I’m at. “What car has Catalina got?”
“White Chevy,” I hear Callum say.
“I see it. Looks like they’re just talking.” I stop the engine, get off the bike, and cautiously walk over to the car.
As I peer through the darkened window, a chill grips my spine. My heart quickens to match the pulse of fear and anxiety surging through me.
Inside the car, Eden’s held hostage by Catalina, who’s partially obscured in darkness, holding a gun aimed squarely at her. Paralyzed by the harrowing scene unfolding before me, I become acutely aware of the horrifying reality that threatens to unravel our world.
“Put the gun down!” I shout, and Eden’s eyes quickly dart to me, her eyes wide with fear. The guys in my ear yell with my sudden outburst of those grave words.
“Catalina!” I shout, trying to open the car door, only to find it locked. “Put the gun down!”
Eden’s also pleading with the woman.
Time seems to stretch into slow motion as fear and anxiety clench at my heart.
I swing my helmet against the driver’s window and crack it in an attempt to distract Catalina.
The tension mounts as I witness the scene unfold, each passing moment an eternity. The muzzle flashes in the dim light, the deafening sound silenced by the echoes of the deserted car park. The loud gunshot sound reverberates unforgivingly around me.
“Nooooo!” I scream.
In a surreal slow motion, Eden looks at me just before she crumples in slow motion.
“No!!! Eden. Fuck!”
Then Catalina turns the gun on herself.
Pop.
All it takes is one shot to her mouth, and the entire car is bathed in their blood.
“Fuck no!” Panic surges through my veins, propelling me into action. With frenzied determination, I rear back my leg and deliver a powerful kick straight at the car”s window.
The sound of shattering glass echoes in the stillness of the night. The window explodes into a thousand glittering shards, spraying outward like a burst of stars against the dark canvas of the evening sky.
With hands trembling as I fumble with the central lock, I run to Eden’s side with a sudden surge of emotion. As the door swings open, I’m confronted with the devastating reality of her lifeless form, bathed in a grotesque scene of blood.
“Eden! Oh god! ” My cries are reverberated through the deserted space.
I pull her out and cradle her limp body in my arms, tears streaming down my face as I grapple with the cruel finality of the moment.
“Call 911! Call 911!” I shout, but no one hears me.
The blokes in my ear are no longer shouting.
The world around me has just died.