No one blinks at her choice of words. And I notice that I don't mind it either.My girl.
"Where did the tarp come from?" We don't have anything like that lying around.
"My car." She shrugs.
"Oh, sweet Jesus." I rub my palms across my face. I glance at Lilly and Rhys, who both smirk at their respective devices. "And you two are just cool with this?" I gesture to the absurd scene.
Lilly peers up for the first time. "What do you want us to say? She's keeping my carpets clean."
"Yeah, it's not like she used the gun to..." Rhys pipes up, then glances at Jenn. "It hasn't, right."
Jenn just rolls her eyes.
"Where is Denielle?" I ask the room. If they are all congregated down here, why isn't she with them?
"I haven't seen her since dinner," Lilly informs me. "She went upstairs to check on a package."
"A package?" The hair on the back of my neck stands. "What package?" My rising tone brings everyone's attention to me.
"She got a delivery at work. I put it in her room," Jenn informs me casually as she inspects the barrel for gun powder debris. She slowly places the part on the plastic in front of her. "It was one of those post office, flat-rate boxes. I scanned it, checked the outside for foreign substances. It was harmless."
I feel the color drain from my face with every new word.
"Marcus, what's wrong?" Lilly sets the laptop between her and Rhys.
"How long has she been up there?" My pulse thrashes through my veins, challenging me to remain in place.
"Maybe an hour?" Jenn peers at the watch on her wrist.
An hour. Fuck!
I whirl around and race up the stairs, taking three at a time. Behind me, footsteps follow. I twist the knob as soon as I reach Denielle's door, but it doesn't budge. I hammer against the solid oak. "Denielle, open up!"
No response.
"KEL-LER!" My spiking adrenaline prevents me from taking a normal breath, and her name comes out chopped. My eyes fly around for something to unlock her door. I'm about to kick it in when Jenn holds out her Leatherman. Relief surges through me. I take it without hesitation and flip open one of the blades. Lining it up with the coin turn, I twist and am through the door in seconds.
The bedroom is empty. My stomach drops at the sight. The package Jenn mentioned sits on Denielle's bed, but she is not here—not in this room. Something hangs out of the box, but I don't waste time checking it out. I know where I’ll find her.
I still have the knife in my hand, ready to use it again. Thankfully, she didn't barricade herself in. Pushing into the bathroom, I find my worst fear come to life.
My heartbeat stutters and slows before taking off in a thundering rhythm. My mind catalogs the visual, at the same time I refuse to believe the pictures my eyes send to my brain.
The bathtub is filled to the rim with water, and puddles pool on the tiles around the claw feet. Denielle's feet hang over the far edge, the rest of her body submerged. All that's visible is her long, dark hair floating around her form. Her face is hidden. The sound of the Leatherman clattering to the tiled floor faintly registers. I lunge forward, plunging my hands in the water. Several things run through my mind at once. I need to get her out. I have to protect her from her friends witnessing her like this. My body covers Denielle from view as I try to find the right hold to pull her out. No, no, no. I'm shaking and slip as I attempt to hook my fingers under her arms. Water splashes everywhere as I lean over the side of the tub. My upper body skims the surface as I finally get ahold of her, and water drenches my front. Pulling her from the water, she doesn't struggle. The blood in my veins turns to ice.
Please don't let me be too late.
I land on my ass, Denielle's weight pushing me off balance. Her legs are the last to follow and drop with a loud thud to the floor. The irrational thought that this will cause her heels to bruise flitters through my mind. Cradling her lifeless form, water seeps from her clothes, creating more puddles around us.
"Oh, my god!" Lilly's shrill shout announces her arrival.
I glance up as Jenn shoulders into the bathroom and drops to her knees next to me. "Marcus, let me check her."
Logic tells me I need to look for a pulse, make sure she is alive, but my arms are locked around her. I can't move. Now that I have hold of her, I can't let go. My breath comes in short bursts, causing black spots to fade in and out in front of Denielle's ashen face.
Rhys also crouches at my side. He lightly touches my shoulder as Lilly's sobs fill the room. "Put her on the ground so Jenn can look at her." He is weirdly collected. Why is he so calm?
For the first time, I manage to remove my gaze from the woman I used to hate with every fiber of my being. I have spent so many years letting anger and revenge rule my life, not allowing myself to see the good. Denielle Keller chases the darkness away. She deserves the world.