✔Paint Me a Murder | Book 1

Chapter 13: Searching for the Truth

Death shouldn't be celebrated with pizza, wings, and beer.

Kazimir didn't understand how the gangsters could stomach eating given what had happened. They downed booze mirthfully and gobbled up the pizza and wings ordered for them. Perched on a bar stool off to the side, Kazimir checked his phone for texts from Jordy, who updated him on Samantha's condition. While Jordy was upset with him for leaving, Kazimir insisted that Samantha wouldn't have wanted him there. She needed to be around someone who cared about her; someone who she could trust.

The only concern Kazimir had was that Samantha might try pinning the assault on him. He needed an alibi. Maybe Everly could lie for him? He'd hate asking her such a favor, but she seemed to have a good relationship with that detective. Detective Lindel would probably believe her too.

Nausea clawed at his stomach as he stuffed his cell phone in his pocket when Emmett approached him. The gang leader passed him a paper plate with a slice of pizza and a can of beer.

"I thought you said we're gonna talk about what happened." Kazimir looked up at Emmett, frowning.

"We will. Later though. Just try to enjoy yourself," Emmett replied. "We don't need to start an argument with everyone. That will only make them distrust you more."

"Fine."

Clenching his jaw, Kazimir bit down on his tongue and held back what he wanted to say. He knew trusting Emmett would be a terrible decision, but he hadn't expected him to be so ruthless. Who the hell gouged someone's eye out? Kazimir shivered just remembering the eyeball detached from Samantha's face. He hoped the doctors were able to treat Samantha properly and stop the bleeding. The saddest part was how she'd lose vision in her right eye.

Charlie came up to them, chugging on his beer. "Damn, I wish I coulda saw you rip that bitch's eye out. Serves her right for messing with one of our own."

"And now we have more territory." Alfie added as he pulled a slice of pizza out of the box on the coffee table.

"Those vipers didn't know what hit them." Charlie laughed. "I saw those fuckers running for their lives, bout to piss their pants."

Kazimir shrunk back when Charlie got close, but he didn't lay a hand on the artist. Charlie went on boasting about the injuries their foe sustained. It just made Kazimir's head throb. The pulse-pounding music Alfie blared through the speaker didn't help either.

Amid the celebrating gang members, Kazimir realized Everly was absent. Otherwise, he would've stuck by her side, as she seemed less threatening out of the bunch. He didn't want to stay around and keep listening to them go on about how Emmett gouged Samantha's eyeball. It hurt his heart too much.

After nibbling on a few bites of a pepperoni slice, he walked off to the room he shared with Emmett. Against his better judgment, he messaged Samantha to check up on her. She didn't answer. No surprise there. She was probably recovering and wanted nothing to do with Kazimir

He brushed his fingers along the strands of his old dreamcatcher before hanging it on the wall above the bed. He'd purchased it from a very convincing homeless woman when he was about thirteen. It was humiliating to have nightmares at that age, or at least he thought it was. Kazimir felt like something was terribly wrong with him. It was probably the coke that meddled with his mind, but he needed something to chase away the frightful dreams. By having the charm near the bed, somehow it felt like it protected him. It helped him sleep better too.

The bedroom door creaked open, startling Kazimir, who'd been rummaging through his underwear drawer for his hidden drug paraphernalia. Alfie stood there, munching on a buffalo wing. He glared at Kazimir like he wanted to burn a hole straight through his head.