Bernadette’s irises shrunk to a pinprick, limbs developing their own conscience as she found herself unable to stop their descent to the floor. As if someone’d switched her bone marrow with lead, she couldn’t find the strength nor courage to move. Breath hitching, any attempt at an inhale became a wheeze.
The man behind her had flashed the compact pistol out as he saw the other stagger back with bloodied hands. Once the woman was down, he pressed the muzzle flush against her scalp, looking back at Antonio with a cocked brow. Spotting the blade loose in her grip, he stomped at the hand, the woman letting out a whimper as the blade edge sliced into her palm before skidding across the floor when he flicked it. On his dark sweaty face sat a mocking grin.
Melina, standing behind Antonio, stopped in her tracks. She’d gone to take out her own weapon in hopes to ricochet the gun out, but the current placement the man had was beyond risky. Bernadette lifted her eye to look at the woman, to ground herself, but looked back down soon after. The ginger’s eyes muddled in anxiety, fear and aloofness – painfully obvious about the struggle with her emotions.
“Shoot her and nun of ya are getting back livin’. This whole place is my command, buddy,” Melina talked in a low tone, one that masked the fear onset in her eyes. The tone had even surpassed the tone she approached Nadra with hours earlier. A shiver forced itself down Bernadette’s spine as she trembled.
The man behind her let out a nasty noise deep from his throat. The gun pressed further into Bernadette’s hair.
“Sure, baby! Not that we will have any use after avengin’ boss. Father has enough cappies to just toss us aside. This ain’t the real deal family anyway,” he barked a loud laugh. Silence followed after. The man behind Bernadette and the ginger staring at each other with fire burning in their eyes. The ravenette closed her eyes, teeth clamping onto her bottom lip to stop her rattling breaths.
‘I’m so done for. I’m so fucking done,’ her mind despaired before, she prepared for the darkness to hit.
A gunshot echoed and a strangled sound escaped the ravenette’s throat. But nothing followed, except a heavy weight dropping onto her back as she slumped down with it. As much as she believed she’d just died, throbbing at her left wrist that came back with vengeance proved her wrong. Warm liquid dripped down her neck, soaking up on her back, cooling once someone lifted the weight pinning her down. It made her cringe with what little control she had over her body. Lightheaded with the overwhelming smell of metal, her minded drifted off into unconsciousness.
“Sorry, but the only one that can put her down is herself alone.”
As the body fell down on Bernadette, it uncovered the muscular build of an acquaintance of Melina’s. Well, acquaintance if they had hit it off the day they met. Anette stood with a gun pointing toward Antonio, left over from shooting the man that pointed the gun at her sister.
Small specks of blood dried on her white top; her eyes indifferent as she held the gun in her hand. Melina glared at the woman, who lowered the Glock in her hand down to hang on guard by her right side. Zivah struggled through the crowd, muffling a curse upon seeing the dead man laid on Bernadette.
Hauling the man off alone with some difficulty, she looked at both sides before shaking the ravenette in her light grasp. She didn’t budge, which prompted the other to put two fingers under the elder’s nose. Noticing breathing, she let out a relieved sigh, “She’s just knocked out.”
For a moment, Melina’s eyes seemed to soften. She shook her head to come to before she neared the unconscious woman.
“I’ll haul her back to Ant’s car, hope the guys snatched the others ‘live for ya,” she nodded to Zivah, who confirmed with a nod, a sweet smile stretching across her features.
The ginger stopped in her tracks when a gun pointed at her own head. She looked up to see Anette, who she’d been ignoring on purpose.
“Get your guys out and let’s talk,” she nudged the pistol to point at Bernadette, “I want her back with me, we can negotiate this there.”
Anette’s cold eyes glanced toward a secluded table at the rightmost of the club. Melina looked at Antonio and Zivah, “Get her back, I’ll go alone, if I’m not back in thirty do what’cha will.”
Although Antonio looked like he’d protest, he only pressed his lips into a thin line. He yanked the man he nicked with his knife and started pulling him away from the scene.
Rising from Bernadette’s side, the gang leader looked at Anette, who lowered her gun to her side again. Not waiting for the other, she started to walk toward the reserved table.
“Finders keepers. Why you appear alluva sudden?” Melina talked, a thin smile despite her serious tone flowing through her teeth. In contrast, the other ravenette bore a grave expression, crossing her arms as she leaned back.
“I saw what happened. I’m thankful for you taking care of her, but I suggest you return her and cut her off from here. I’ve been trying to keep her away from this and you’ve decided to insert yourself into it, let alone bring her back into her day‒”
“Into her day?” Melina snorted, “You’re the one who sent me her number to me when you could’ve given me yours and let me go and slit your neck in the café next day.”
“It was a deal,” Anette blurted, and Melina’s teeth showed in the morphed smile when she raised an eyebrow.
“Ion remember making a deal with a white boy.”
Anette looked offended enough to Melina’s smug satisfaction, but it deflated as soon as the other started talking nonsense again.
“A dog, boxer,” the ginger’s eyebrows pinched together at the cryptic response. She looked close to laughing as Anette continued, “A dog that isn't inherently aggressive, but attacks out of self-defense or under order.”
Anette fished something out of her jacket pocket, upon closer look Melina concluded it to be a dog collar. She couldn’t keep her laugh in anymore.
“The fuck? I ain’t givin’ her back if ya participatin’ in some weird ass siblin’ play. Gross.”
Anette’s face twisted in disgust, but as she talked, she kept up her calm tone. Twirling the collar around her finger.
“Nothing of the sort,” she stopped for a breath as the leather collar came to a stop, “but this is hers. I suggest to just give her up, she isn’t worth your time. After all, siblings belong together. Afraid I’m the only who knows how to take care of her, her sister is gonna be happy to have her back.”
The ginger’s head lolled to the side, the other not knowing whether in thought or lack of care.
“She don’t look disabled to me,” she murmured, looking into Anette’s eyes. Her own eyes portrayed innocence, no clear focus; whilst the other’s looked focused in a way a wildcat would stalk prey.
“We’re not talking about physical disability,” Anette corrected, and Melina rolled her eyes, “Why are you even so amendment on keeping her, anyway?”
“Y’know, to spite you,” Melina guffawed.
Anette raised her eyebrows with a frown, “I doubt you actually trusted me back there. Especially because I was very drunk.”
Melina shook her head, “Listen, ionno what stuff ya two have between ya. You know her for her life and I barely know her for a week or whatever. I said: finders, keepers. Consider her a truce reward almost, ya guys are safe in these bars as long as she is.”
The other bit the inside of her cheek, muttering under her breath. “Don’t come crawling back when she bites you.”
Melina quirked up at this, “Say‒” but Anette cut her off.
“Have fun finding a job for her,” the two got up at the same time, the ravenette throwing down the collar and a card. On the glossy surface, a scribbled phone number.
“Tell her to call her sister sometime,” the last words said before she turned around to leave.
Melina stuffed the two into her own pocket before heading out, finding the rest of the members having cleared the club. With a scowl, she headed toward the exit. The conversation before stuck to her like stray chewing gum.
At this point, she wondered if the two even talked about the same Bernadette. Melina could only remind herself of the expression the older showed in the way she handled the blade. She seemed well equipped with knowledge of fatal spots on one’s body. Her motions stayed fluid throughout and without much struggle when it came to digging the knife in.
Afterward, her face changed in a flash when the gun clicked. Her anguish reminded her of the first time Melina’d seen the other after a murder. Anette had dehumanized her, but the way the other bodily felt her emotions felt far more human than anyone else. Maybe it’s the years the sisters knew of each other, meanwhile Melina barely saw her for a week; or maybe they tried to monger into handing the ravenette over.
The ginger shook her head as she walked out, heading toward the familiar dark car by the curb. She’d have to pry when the time is right.
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