Guns and Roses

Thirty Nine ~ Quinn

About half an hour after Rya shouts through the door, I finally drag myself out of bed. I've been dressed since 6 but I didn't want to leave the room.

She might still be here.

It was only a few weeks that we shared but it was the toughest few weeks of my life and we spent nearly every day together. I thought we had bonded in a way that I havent with anyone else.

She was a goddess. I practically worshipped the ground she walked on because she was there for me when I needed her. She asked all the right questions and made me feel like I could trust her.

But I was only a pawn. She never cared about me. I was a source of information to her and nothing more. I am an idiot.

My phone pings with a notification. Reggie has sent me another article from across the country about Kira. He refuses to believe that she's dead the same way Rya did about her mum and I did about my grandfather.

All three of us have lost someone in the same way and the only connection I can see so far is Rya. Her parents, her name in the shop, her family's business.

Trafficking. I spent hours looking over stories from around the world from survivors of human trafficking, the families of people who were still missing and the people who didn't survive. Every one seems more horrific than the last.

A month ago, I could have convinced myself that she was safe. That some creep had picked her off the street and she was locked in a cupboard somewhere to be found by the end of the week. But not now. I've seen horrors that I could never have imagined and I know deep down that shes gone.

I walk out of the room and run down to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before I leave. As I reach the doorway, I smell something strange. Something I've began to recognise since living in this house. Blood.

My steps slow as I approach the table and edge around it. A rolling pin sits on the wooden surface, both are stained a deep red. "Quinn?" A voice behind me calls out and I turn to see Lisa standing there with a wash basket in her hands. She sees the rolling pin and she puts the basket on the floor. "Rya?" She calls out loudly.

I stare down at the floor and see the red puddle slowly growing. Whoever it is, they died recently. I see a foot clad in black tights.

Rya would have been wearing her uniform with black tights.

I look up the body at the black skirt, white shirt that's slowly standing red and then what once was a face surrounded by blonde hair.

My stomach flips as I see the mess of Mika's head and I turn away. Lisa starts to mutter worriedly in Russian and then grabs my shoulders. "Go to school. Maybe find someone to stay with tonight. I'll deal with this" she pushes me out of the kitchen and slams the door.

Rya must have done it. The Petrovs have been pushing every button she has and she's finally snapped.

Rafa's low voice starts to echo from upstairs and my heart starts to race. She might be boss but Rafa is going to lose it when he finds out about Mika. He's nearly twice her size and Rya's still injured. She hurt herself trying to take down me never mind him.

I start to run for the front door and out into the front garden. My feet slam against the gravel driveway as I start towards the school. I dont have the stamina to run the whole way but I only need a head start from Rafa.

I run for around fifteen minutes and then I feel like my lungs are going to give out. I dont have any of my things but it doesn't matter. I'm going to grab Rya and then both of us are going to get the hell out of here.

I walk even though my body wants to curl up untom I catch my breath. I'm still about five minutes away and the bell has already went. Rya will be in Home Economics with Reggie. Rafa doesn't know that so that gives us maybe ten minutes to get out.

I reach the school and dart through the back door without any of the teachers seeing me. I run up the stairs towards the kitchens and I stop. If I walk into the wrong class, the teacher is just going to send me to English which is where my timetable says I should be.

It's either room 405 or 407. Or maybe that's Kira's art class? Or is that 307? Fuck.

"Its Room 405" a voice with a Russian accent says behind me. I turn and see Rafa standing behind me with the paper copy of Rya's timetable in his hand. "She really needs to stop leaving this at home" Hes got a point but I'm worried about the gun on his hip.

He laughs at me as my eyes jump between his face and the gun. "Worried?" He asks. My phone buzzes. "You should look at that. Might be important and I'm not in a rush"

I do as I'm told and check my phone. It's from Rya.

Rya: I'm sure this is obvious but if anything goes down, you dont have a clue about the mafia stuff. Ok?
Rya: Also, delete these messages.

I wipe the last messages and put my phone back in my pocket. When I look back at Rafa, he's a lot closer than he was before. His hand swings towards me and I notice brass knuckles just before they crash into the side of my head and the corridor spins.