CHAPTER ELEVEN

          THERE WAS A BLOOD STAIN ON HER WHITE SHIRT JUST ABOVE HER NAVEL WHERE SHE HAD ACCIDENTALLY CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE MAN AS SHE HAD LEANT OVER HIM TO CHECK FOR OTHER INJURIES. She tried to hide it as she sat on the armrest of Beth's patio chair. It was a bit chilly and she had wrapped her arms around herself as night had fallen over Detroit.

Though she had stitched him up, something she seemed to be doing a lot in the last few days, he still hadn't woken up.

"That is not what I meant when I said we'd do another job." argued Beth as she looked towards Rio who sat on the steps leading into her home. The man with the eagle tattoo on his throat sat there with ease, arms resting over his knees and his fingers entwined together. He had an amused smile on his face and Lucy tried her best not to look at him. "Who's the guy?"

"He works for me." he shrugged, eyes flickering towards the brunette.

"Does he wash the money?" asked Annie, putting her hands in her pockets as she tried to hide from the cold.

"Regardless," Beth's voice went up an octave as she held out her arms in exaggeration. "there's been a miscommunication."

"Oh, so you think you can pick and choose what you wanna do and when you wanna do it?" Rio let out a humourless laugh as he looked between each woman.

"She thought it would be like driving for Uber." uttered Ruby.

"Who's at fault is not important." argued Beth as she shot her friend a glare. "We are not qualified to take care of a gunshot victim. I mean, your friend needs professional medical attention."

"Then why'd you call me?" asked Lucy with a grimace.

"Lucy -" Beth clenched her jaw before turning back toward the gang leader who was slowly shaking his head. He had shot the strawberry blonde a glare, too. "You're shaking your head. Why are you shaking your head?"

"'Cause that kid ain't going to no hospital." 

"Why not?" Annie wondered.

"'Cause there's people looking for him." he shot, narrowing his eyes and Lucy could see that his patience was wearing thin. His ring clad fingers tightened their hold on each other and his brows lowered in annoyance.

"What if those people show up here?" shouted Beth.

"Trust me, ain't nobody gonna shoot up Beaver Cleaver's house." Rio retorted as he reached for something in his pockets nonchalantly and placed a bundle of cash on the steps beside him.

It was perhaps ten grand if Lucy had to guess, maybe even a bit more as she couldn't see the bills clearly. Her fingers almost itched to take it when Beth said, "No, i'm sorry that's not going to work."

"No?" said Rio, taking out another bundle.

"I -" Beth stammered before clearing her throat. "I have children."

A third bundle of cash was added with the other two and Beth heaved a quick sigh, sharing a glance with Annie who shrugged happily, pleased. Ruby did the same, surprised at the amount they'd get payed for this.

"He's up there in my daughters bed! I'm never going to get that blood out." Beth continued to argue.

"I mean ..." Annie started as she pulled an unsure face. "she could sleep on the floor. Kids love that stuff."

"I'm pretty sure that'll cover a new mattress." added Ruby dryly. 

Lucy watched as Beth's eyes fell onto the money again before going to Rio, who looked at them with a smile so large his cheeks reached his eyes, thought a bit sarcastic as he waited for an answer expectantly.

"So, do we get the money now, or ..." began Annie as she pursed her lips.

"When I pick him up."

"When's that?" asked Ruby.

"When I pick him up." Rio raised his voice as he repeated his words while Annie grumbled underneath her breath something that none could understand. "So, we got a deal, ladies? Or what?"

The strawberry blonde was quiet for another moment before she nodded her head wordlessly. Rio grinned at that at sucked his lips in for a moment before he stashed the stacks of money back into his pocket and got to his feet before he went down the few steps.

"Good doing business with you, ladies."

Beth tried to hold in her scoff and brushed past him and back into the house, followed closely by Ruby who wanted to be anywhere but there. Annie saluted the gang member and rushed in after the other two, knowing Lucy would be close behind. The brunette pushed herself off the patio chair and got stopped by a firm hand on her wrist.

"I thought you wanted out?" he said, breath fanning over her cheek by how close he stood. "Changed your mind, then?"

"No," she met his gaze and pulled her wrist from his grip and took half a step back to create some distance. "I have nothing to do with this."

"And still you're the one doing all the work, huh?" 

His eyes flickered to her blood stained shirt that had revealed itself once she had gotten to her feet. Lucy had no answer for him because she was in fact the one who had taken care of him. The woman snapped her eyes towards the home but she could not see her friends through the see through curtains. "How's Juan?"

Rio searched her eyes for a moment. "He's alive. He'll pull through."

"Good," she said, honestly relieved. "i'm glad."

He towered over her and his eyes seemed even darker with the lack of light outside. The left side of his face was illuminated by the porch light and she could see the very small scar below his eye. His cologne was faint, but she could still smell it. Mixed with something she couldn't quite place, but it was pleasant.

Suddenly, his hand dug into the pocket of her jacket and she watched him with furrowed brows as her heart began to pound from the sudden movement. She could feel the weight of what he left her and he leaned in slightly towards her ear.

"You've already delivered."

✧✧✧✧✧

          IT WAS FIVE AM AND LUCY SAT ON THE STAIRS OF HER FRIENDS HOUSE WITH HER EYES HALF CLOSED. Beth and Annie sat a few steps below her, the latter snoring against her sisters shoulder. It had been a few hours since Rio had left them to fend for themselves and his guy still hadn't woken up.

He had given her ten grand and it was still safely hidden in the pocket of her jacket. He had left her on the porch before she could even see what it was and she had no idea what to do with it. Lucy couldn't tell her friends, she'd have to come clean about the fact she had taken a different job for him so that she didn't have to go to Canada with them. The woman felt worse by the minute.

"Are we going to sit here all night?" she yawned. "Can't we take shifts?"

"And if he wakes up?" muttered Beth. "You want to be alone with him?"

"Fair enough." Lucy closed her eyes for a moment.

The front door opened and Lucy sat up quickly, alarmed but leaned back against the banister once she saw it was just Ruby. "I brought chilli. Stan made it, it's spicy."

"Uh, thank you." Beth rubbed her eyes. "I'm so hungry."

"Did you stay up all night?" wondered Ruby as she discarded of her coat by the door and walked in with a big dish of food.

"I mean, they stayed up all night." voiced Annie as she awoke from the commotion. "I slept like a baby."

"Is he still out cold?" questioned Ruby.

"Hmm," hummed Lucy, barely keeping her eyes open. "checked on him an hour ago. Stitches look neat and his heart rate is strong. Don't know why he's still out."

"Maybe we need like smelling salts or something." suggested Beth tiredly as she tried to push Annie off of her.

"Yeah, because its eighteen-ninety-two?" grumbled her sister.

"Do you even want him to wake up?" Ruby leaned on the banister at the bottom of the stairs as she looked towards her half asleep friends.

"I want him to not die in my house."

Lucy flinched from the massive thump coming from the floor above them. It was so loud that she could feel it vibrate through the home and she was on her feet in an instant. The door to Emma's room was still closed and when she opened it she half expected the boy to be in the floor, but instead it was empty and all she saw was the massive blood puddle on the sheets.

"Oh, my god." breathed Beth as she took in the scene. "His gun, go get his gun."

"Where is it?" panicked Annie.

"Linnen closet." 

Lucy glanced towards the bathroom door, which was closed and she was sure that it wasn't closed before. Slowly she made her way towards it and peered over her shoulder to Beth who was arguing with Annie and Ruby about where she had hidden the gun.

"I can't find it!" "It's on the top shelf, Annie."

Maybe he was as nice as Eddie was or even Juan but she couldn't be sure. Lucy slowly pushed the door open and was met with darkness before she carefully reached inside and flicked the lights on.

Lucy let out a shriek in fright as a gun was pressed to her forehead and a hand wrapped itself around her throat before she was pushed back against the wall. The painted Emma had made years ago fell to the floor, glass shattering over the floorboards.

"Lucy?" Beth was in the room immediately and gasped.

"Where am I?" He seemed genuinely confused, which made him hostile and dangerous. He flinched from the pain in his side and it was leaking with blood, stitches popped. "Where the hell am I?"

"My house." breathed Beth. "You're in my house."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm a friend of your friends. He thought that you would be safe here." 

"Which you are." said Lucy and his light blue eyes fell back toward her. "Look, I stitched you up but you seem to have popped them. You're bleeding and I can help you."

"I need a car." he demanded.

"You're not gonna get very far." she tried, nails digging into his wrist as he still held her by the throat. "You have a gunshot wound."

"Get me the fucking car keys." he spat, and Lucy closed her eyes to avoid getting spit in them. "Give me them now, or i'll put a bullet in you."

"Are you getting the fact that we actually helped -" Annie began, but he silenced her as he pulled his arm back and smashed the gun against Lucy's forehead. The woman fell to her knees as he let go of his hold on her and grabbed onto her head with a cry. 

Blood dripped down her face and onto her already ruined shirt.

Her head was spinning and she couldn't see from the red liquid that had gone into her eye. Lucy heard Annie whimper as Beth tried to calm him down. "Okay, downstairs. On the counter. Just take it."

His footsteps were loud as he stumbled down the stairs and made his exit. Ruby got to her knees beside Lucy and winched at the damage done to her face before she grabbed her cheeks to get a better look at it. It hurt and her head was already pounding with an upcoming migraine.

"I am so fucking done with this." she muttered, eyes clenched shut.