Guilty (BWWM)

(Blood) Brothers

Present

June 21, 2013

3:04a.m.

Trigger warning: graphic sexual violence is mentioned later on in the chapter.

Corrine drove with urgency, but not to where she was told to go. No, she had other plans.  Call it pride, call it foolish, call it plain stupid.  She'd decided that instead of immediately following Bleu's plan, she would take a detour to see her supposed bestfriend.  A confrontation needed to happen, or at least that's how she felt at that moment. 

 Had Val known this entire time what Los was planning?  Was she innocent?  As she sat outside of Val's home, these questions played on a constant loop before she got up the courage to get out of the car and find out straight from the source.  She braced herself as she trekked up the cobblestone  walkway, not sure what she was to expect.

All of this was new to her, but she wasn't naïve enough to assume that, if Val really was guilty, there wouldn't be a fight of some sort.  Fighting, she was used to and ready to do if necessary. 

Ringing the doorbell frantically, she leaned against the frame of the door as she waited for her 'friend' to answer.  On cue, the door swung open revealing the wild image of Valencia, who'd been posturing to spew cuss words at whoever was bold enough to ring her doorbell like that.  Upon seeing Corrine, however, her eyes widened as if seeing a ghost.

Corrine kept her expression neutral as she gauged Val's reaction.  It was even more obvious, in that moment, that Val was indeed aware of what was supposed to happen to her and Bleu.  Her eyes narrowed; Valencia caught the hint and made a move to slam the door in her face.  Corrine stuck her foot out and wedged herself between the opening, shoving both Val and the door back.

"You knew," there was no question, at this point it was clear that she'd betrayed her.  Val steadied herself, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for the unexpected. 

"I did," she nodded in confirmation.

"How long has your husband been planning this?"  Corrine asked as her fists clenched at her sides.

Val exhaled deeply, chuckling a bit.  "It's been a long time coming, since before you two started your little fling."

"You conniving ass bitch-"

"Don't give me that, babe.  I warned you way back when you confessed to me, that this life wasn't for you.  Did you think this shit was a game?  The moment you got involved with Bleu you became collateral damage, boo.  That's just how it goes."

"So you were just going to let your husband kill me?"  Corrine shouted.  Val turned her head to her right, staring down the hallway before reverting her attention to Corrine.

"I tried to save you multiple times, but you wouldn't give him up!  When O'Riley came to your house the night Richard was killed, you had the option then, to give him up.  Who do you think kept pushing for him to get you to give Bleu up so that you could walk free?  You chose him over and over, so I had to make a choice, too.  It was either you and Bleu, or my family, and I damn sure chose us!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back, Corrine charged for Val, who'd braced herself for impact, only for Corrine to be tackled from the side.  Her head banged against the carpeted floor, she hissed in pain as she tried to blink her vision back to normal.  As her doubled vision cleared, she came face to face with the devil himself, Connor O'Riley.

******

The flame of his lighter flicked, lighting the end of his cigarette.  Bleu waited, Smith & Wesson in hand, for Los to be man enough to show himself.  Just like he was counting on, ten minutes passed before bullets shot through the front door.  The door was kicked off the handle as Los walked across the threshold.  Bleu chuckled at the dramatics before putting his cigarette out on the step he was sitting on.