Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
Kelley pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Ulrich Drummond's number. Things were falling apart too fast and he had no idea how to fix any of it. He should've taken more precautions, taken more steps to find Andrea. He should've just had Marcus killed then none of this would've happened. Grace would still be at home with Mason and Andrea wouldn't have been hurt.
“Kelley.”
“Drummond, I’m sending you a list of things we need. Take the damage from our medical account. This needs to stay quiet. Location is at Mason James’s house.”
“I’ll get on it.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
The line went dead and Kelley stepped on the gas. He rounded the corner and saw Lee’s car parked at the curb. Another frown appeared as he climbed out of his car and looked at the house. The house was dark and the engine of Lee’s car was cold.
At the front door he inserted his key in the lock and the door shifted open. He pulled the gun from its holster and pushed the door fully open with his foot. He moved quietly into the house and cleared the first floor. Nothing was amiss or out of order and that just alarmed him more.
He took the stairs with trepidation in his heart. “Lee?”
The hallway was dark but Kelley knew the house, as well as he knew his own house. He moved forward slowly, his gun aimed in front of him. “Marella?”
The main bedroom’s door was ajar and Kelley pushed it open with his hand. Moonlight filtered into the room from the open curtains and he felt the blood drain from his face. “Lee! Shit!”
Kelley slid the gun back into its holster and skidded to a stop as his knees made contact with the carpet. Lee lay on his stomach, his body covering Marella’s. Kelley swallowed bile and pressed his fingers to Lee’s throat.
Kelley pulled his phone out and dialed the emergency services. “I need an ambulance at 441 Rochester Avenue. They’re both unconscious and bleeding! Hurry!”
Kelley shifted and pushed Lee off of Marella. She had blood on her stomach and Lee’s back was soaked in blood as well. He looked around the room and stood up quickly, switching the lights on. There was blood on the carpet and the room was in disarray.
He heard the sirens and hurried down the stairs, threw the front door open and met the ambulance as it parked on the street. A police car stopped right behind them and the paramedics appeared with a gurney. A second ambulance parked behind the police car and they too came running.
“Upstairs in the main bedroom, at the end of the hall.”
“Sir … we need to ask you a few questions.”
Kelley ignored the police officers and followed the paramedics into the house. They went up the stairs and Kelley ran down the hallway. In the main bedroom they were working on Lee and Marella and Kelley wiped his eyes.
“You can follow us to the hospital.”
“She’s pregnant, five months now.”
The paramedics nodded and the police officers helped them to get Lee on the board and then onto the gurney. Kelley pulled their medical insurance card and their ID’s from their wallets and handed them to the paramedics.
“Sir …”
“I’ll speak to you at the hospital. I have to know they’re okay.”
The officer nodded his head and one police officer remained at the house to start processing the crime scene as he called in back-up. The second police officer followed behind Kelley to the hospital. He was stopped in the waiting room as they pushed both Lee and Marella through the doors going to the operating theatres.
“How do you know the victims?”
“Lee’s my best friend, like my brother and Marella’s his girlfriend.”
“Full names please.”
“Lee Munroe and Marella Carter.”
“We’ll need contact details for next of kin.”
Kelley took the notepad he offered and wrote names and numbers down. He didn’t even know if the number he had for Marella’s parents worked or not but he couldn’t worry about that now. Someone had shot Lee and Marella and that someone was going to pay.
“Do you know what happened?”
“No, I found them in their room and called the emergency services.”
“Why were you at their house at this time of the night?”
Kelley pulled the key from his pocket. “We all have keys to the other’s houses. I went to check on Lee because he wasn’t answering his phone. I was with Mason James at his house and we were dealing with a personal family tragedy. It’s not like Lee not to answer so I became worried and went to his house.”
“Do you know of anyone that would want them dead?”
Kelley knew of a few names but he wasn’t going to tell the officer that. “No.”
“We’ll be in contact should anything else come to light.”
Kelley nodded and handed the officer his business card. He hadn’t made the call yet. Mason had enough shit to deal with at home. Carey and John’s presence were needed more at Mason’s house now. Connor was busy with Kirk and Milana … shit he’d left Milana there without telling her he was leaving.
He scrolled down to her name and pressed the dial button. It rang six times before she answered and Kelley sighed in relief when he heard her voice.
“I’m sorry I left without telling you.”
“What’s wrong, Kelley? You don’t sound like yourself.”
Kelley smiled sadly because she already knew him so well. “It’s Lee and Marella. I’m at the hospital but I don’t want you to tell Mason. He’s got enough to worry about now.”
“What happened? Are they okay?”
“They’re both in surgery, they were shot, Mila. I found them and I have no idea how long they lay there bleeding. I don’t know if they’re going to make it.”
“Who do I call, Kelley?”
“Call Jesse, let him pick you up.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“Mila … I love you.”
It was quiet for a few seconds and in those few seconds every hope that Kelley had of her loving him pulsed through him as his heart beat against his ribs. “I love you, too, Kelley.”
