Their Rose Petal

Chapter Forty

We ended up staying in Arizona for two days, now finally back home.  I spent the day cleaning the house, even making time to go to the grocery store before I head to work. The boys have both been gone since we got home. Bill's house is now being rented out and it leaves an ache in my chest. I went to his grave on the way to the store, surprised to see it was covered in fresh flowers.

Kinsley and I road together to work, her ranting about Damien.

"I mean, everything is great. The sex, the connection; lately he's just seemed distant, and I don't want to press the issue but I feel like it has something to do with me."

"Maybe it's something with work or family, Kins. But that's your man, if you see something is off you should ask about it. See if you can help." I shrug.

"Eh, relationships are overrated. Too much guessing involved. Now a consistent fuck?" She kisses her fingers. "Beautiful."

"Then break up with him and keep him around as a fuck."

She winces, shaking her head. "Yeah, no. Too many feelings involved already."

I can't help but smile at her indecisive behavior.

We work through our shift, talking and goofing off. We weren't that busy on the bar side. It was kind of relaxing.

Once we finish closing we get in the car to head back home. The house looks dead. No lights are on, meaning the boys aren't home quite yet. We head inside, I take a quick shower and get in my pajamas before I go downstairs to watch a movie with Kinsley. It's a comedy, we laugh and snack the whole way through. It's getting late and neither one of the boys answering my text. I eat through my nervousness.

There's a bang on the door that has us both jumping, we look to each other.

"I got it," I whisper, nerves rolling through my body. The boys have keys, they wouldn't knock. I look through the peep hole to see Neil covered in splashes of blood.

"Open the fucking door, Michelle!" He wiggles the door handle. I quickly swing it open and he rushes in. He slams the door before locking it back. His gun rests tightly in his hand. "Where's your fucking boyfriend, Kinsley?" He runs towards her. My heart pounds violently against my chest.

"What?" She asks confused. A gasp leaves my mouth when he places the gun against her head. His eyes are slanted into slits. Kinsley sits in shock, her usual joking demeanor replaced with a frightened one.

"Where is your fucking boyfriend, Kinsley?" He says deeper, anger seething through every word.

"Neil! Put that shit down. What the hell is going on?" I walk up to him, trying to grab his arm but the look in his eye has me freezing in my steps.

"We've wondered how Lorenzo and Alaric's people have known about this house, the warehouse, Roselet's. It's him! He's been feeding them fucking information and I think you have something to do with it! There's no way you've been around the bastard this much and not know. Michelle is supposed to be your family, you put everything at fucking risk for what! What did you get out of it?"

Kinsley has tears sliding down her face, wiping it off quickly. "I s-swear, I had no idea. I thought we were just two people falling in love."

He lowers the gun, not fully convinced but having no proof so he can't do anything to her. I know her. She isn't built like that, she wouldn't have put me in danger for any dick.

"It was him, you know." Neil spits out as if it's painful to speak. "The pictures- it was Damien. He watched you fuck, followed you around every opportunity he was able." He glances at me sadly.