Into My Heart

XLI

SAMANTHA 

"Crap."

As soon as Kristie enters the hospital room, quickly followed by Shelina and myself, we all just see one thing: the blood all over the floor, and Abby's ghost-like face as she was watching over the dead body of Cody Press.

Almost throwing up, I ask:

"Abby, please tell me you did not just kill a drug lord?"

My new sister just takes her face between her hands, obviously trembling like an autumn leaf, almost falling on the ground since her legs do not seem to be working properly anymore. Before I can say anything stupid, Kristie rushes toward Abby, before holding her into her arms, staring at Shelina and I for some help.

The Canadian immediately realises that I am on the verge of fainting. While she grabs my arms, she slowly and calmly says:

"Samantha, we cannot afford two people in state of shock right now" and, one of her hand going up my cheek, she adds in a whisper: "I need you to be strong for your sister right now. Can you do that?"

Slowly nodding my head, I watch as the brunette walks over the body and joins Kristie, looking around the crime scene. 

Kristie is unbelievably calm. 

"Alright, we have to think of a plan: what do we think about staging a suicide?" she asks, staring at Shelina with hope. 

"With Abby's fingerprints all over the gun?" the Canadian remarks, raising her eyebrows, before adding: "Maybe if you have disinfectant we can erase them?"

I search my bag and find some (thanks COVID for making us be more clean and sanitised), before throwing it at my sister, who catches it immediately. She then grabs a hanky and carefully proceeds in grabbing the gun and cleaning it. Meanwhile, Shelina walks by the body again, in order to stand next to me. 

She seems worried, but not panicked. 

While Kristie erases Abby's fingerprints and take the dead man's fingers to touch the gun, Shelina obviously is thinking about what's next.

"This is great: Cody Press was desperate about her daughter's attempted suicide, I discovered the body while visiting my fiancé in the hospital, and now Stacey Press is the head of the Press family, and I think she can be turned around."

"Only one detail..." Kristie starts, after finishing with the gun and now hugging Abby tight, "... wasn't Mallory there to come with you here, Abs?"

Abby's eyes suddenly go wide, as she nods her head, her hand on her mouth: not only did she murder her future girlfriend's father, but she also killed her friend's dad... When she runs outside the door, we all know she is going to puke somewhere, so Kristie runs after her. 

As for me, I just stand there, mesmerised. 

"Sam, it's gonna be okay" Shelina starts, thoughtful. 

When I turn to her, she immediately realises that I am mad. 

"I don't know what's more scary: that Abby actually killed someone, or that my sister and you seem to know better how to handle a murder than your love lives."

Raising her eyebrows, she responds:

"Seems like you don't know my life and me as well as you thought... And your sister's, obviously."

"Kristie's a sociopath."

"So am I" Shelina lets out, not impressed.

Whatever, I think to myself, wondering what mess I got myself into. 

Before I can say anything else, Shelina says:

"You should find your sisters, and get the hell away from this place: I will try to find Mallory, and if she's not there or as soon as I do, I'll call the cops and try to be the best across I can be."

"Alright, meet you in two hours in your office." I agree, before leaving. 

* 

When I knock at the door, I realise it is open. 

The news travelled fast within the small town of Orange: it is not every day that the most influent person of the city is found dead in the local hospital. Furthermore, a suicide was pretty poetic after what happened to Christen. 

More than my own well-being and liberty, I was worried about Abby: I know that Kristie went home with her to provide her with an alibi, but I had no idea how she was doing mentally speaking. I mean, first she almost lost Christen - who she is obviously  and deeply in love with, it shows so much that it makes my eyes burn - but today she killed a person (although he was an absolute douche). Also my concern: now that The Patriarch is dead, there will be a race to take over his position. And what about the gangs? And their business? Everything was put on hold now. 

When I step inside the room, I discover a way more disturbed Shelina than two hours ago: she was sitting on her desk, her face buried in her hands, slightly crying I think. Frowning - I was not expecting her to show any sign of weakness, since she is so strong and has her mask on all the time - I cough softly, singling her than I am there.

Her eyes meet mine, while she wipes her tears away. 

"Sam, hi, sorry I haven't heard you come in" she says, looking away from me, as if she was ashamed of letting her emotions get the best of her. 

"No, I'm sorry" I immediately react, nodding my head slowly. I take a step closer, continuing on a soft tone: "Are you okay? How are you holding up?"

She has a sad smile on her face.

"I'm... fine, don't worry."

"You're obviously not, but if you wanna play this play-pretend game with me, then fine let's pretend." I say, slightly annoyed for some reason. 

"Mh" she lets out, surprised by my reaction, "well what do you want me to say, Sam? That I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown because Stacey Press just announced me that I am to take over the empire with her? That I have no idea how to protect all of you from this wicked family and every danger related to their business? That-"

"Okay, okay" I interrupt her, utterly worried. 

Not really knowing why, I break the large distance between us and force her into a hug. She doesn't respond at first, probably not used to such emotional display, but I hold her even tighter against my chest, softly caressing her back. After some time, she wraps her arms around my waist, squeezing as well. 

After a few seconds, when I break the embrace, there is a slight second of silence, while our eyes just caught each other, before she awkwardly coughs and looks away. As I take a few steps back, she regains her mind and says:

"M-mh, you know, Sam, if you don't wanna keep risking your life working with me, just say the word and I will set you free: enough people have been involved in this mess."

"No" I instinctively say, frowning. As she looks at me again, I urgently add: "I will not leave you alone."

Another awkward silence follows, before she breaks it by saying:

"Alright, then you better start hacking the late Cody Press' computer before his wife comes home from the hospital and pitches us her masterplan to take over the family business..."

I sigh: it is not going to be an easy path.