By now, everyone in Rita’s had turned their attention to our scene and patrons were beginning to notice the gun in Amber’s hand. A few ran out before she started waving it.
“Everyone calm down, would you?” She laughed. “I’m not a psycho!”
I closed the distance between Candace and I. I stood in front of her with my arms outstretched, placing my body between her and her mother. Coming into this, I knew there was a chance Amber would be dangerous, but I hadn’t thought for a second that she’d bring a gun.
“It’s going to be okay,” I tried to console Candace.
“Here’s how this is going to go,” Amber began. “I’m keeping you all here until my former husband coughs up enough money to get me out of dodge.”
“And what about me?” Candace asked.
“Oh, sweetie. If I get my money, then I don’t give a damn.” Amber stumbled forward and everyone in the bar jumped, scared she’d accidentally pull the trigger.
“Look,” Amber continued. “I’ll be honest with you, I never wanted kids. This can’t be too surprising. You and Aiden were just a means to an end. The end being your father’s fortune.”
I looked back at Candace. Tears were streaming down her face.
“I hate you,” she told Amber.
Amber rolled her eyes, but she backed up a bit as the words hit her head on. Something in me felt almost sorry for her. Almost. I thought that somewhere, deep deep down, Amber did care about her children, in whatever way she was capable of doing so. But she cared about herself more.
“Amber, why don’t you let Candace go? I know you don’t want her to get hurt.”
“Nu uh. I let her out and my money goes bye-bye.”
“I’ll stay,” I told her.
“And what makes you think Brenton will hand over my stack of cash in exchange foryou?”
I debated announcing my pregnancy, but Candace had been hurt enough. I didn’t want to drop another bomb on her like that. And I also still wasn’t convinced I wanted Brenton to know, though I had other things to worry about at the moment. Most of all, I wasn’t sure what Amber would do with that gun if she knew I was carrying Brenton’s child.
“Let your daughter go, Amber.”
By now, customers who had been close enough to the door were slowly trickling out. Amber didn’t care about them. I looked outside the small windows at the front of the bar. There were no signs of cops yet from what I could see. The two women who had been playing darts were cowering in the far corner, beneath the boards.
“At least let everyone else go. They have nothing to do with this.”
Amber glared at me and considered this. She nodded, motioning with her pistol for the women to leave. They looked at each other and then back at Amber.
“Are you waiting for Christmas? Go!” Amber screamed.
They went running and then it was just the three of us. Amber followed them to the door and locked it as they left. Then she went back behind the bar and poured herself another shot.
“Thirsty?” She asked me and Candace. “We might be here a while.”
Neither of us responded. We were standing in front of a booth against the wall. I motioned for Candace to sit and I sat next to her. Amber was busy making herself another drink.
“What do we do?” Candace whispered to me.
“I’m not sure.”
Red and blue lights pierced the windows now and I grew more hopeful.
“There’s a window in the bathroom,” Candace said.
I looked down at the teen. Her tears were gone. Now, she looked determined.
“Good idea. Tell your mom you need to go.”