CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

         DETROIT WAS CLOAKED IN DARKNESS AS LUCY NAVIGATED THE FAMILIAR STREETS TOWARDS HIS APARTMENT. The glow of the streetlights cast a soft halo over the pavement, but the night felt unusually heavy. Her purple scrubs clung to her from the long shift at the hospital, exhaustion and adrenaline still coursed through her veins. 

Each step felt like a small victory against the fatigue that threatened to pull her under.

The apartment was dark when Lucy stepped inside. The ache in her legs made her sigh as she closed the door softly behind her. It was almost ten, and she had been looking forward to getting home, maybe running through the plan one more time with Rio before collapsing into bed. 

She laid her keys on the small table by the door and called out, "Chris?"

No answer.

That was odd. He said he'd be here. She frowned slightly, her eyes scanning the quiet apartment. The kitchen was dark, and the hum of the refrigerator was the only sound that greeted her. She kicked off her shoes and walked further inside, flipping on a light as she went.

"Chris?" Lucy called out again, her voice a little louder this time as it echoed through the apartment, but there was no answer. 

The silence that followed felt unnaturally heavy, settling over her like a thick blanket. A growing sense of unease coiled in her chest, tightening with each passing second.

As she approached the bedroom she half expected to see him there, maybe sprawled out on the bed catching up on some sleep. That would have made sense, he'd had a long day and she was late getting home. But as she pushed open the bedroom door, a stillness greeted her.

The room was untouched. The bed was neatly made, not a wrinkle in sight, the soft blankets smoothed out in perfect lines. The air smelled faintly of his cologne, musky and warm as i lingered there. She inhaled deeply, hoping for some reassurance, but all it did was fuel the growing anxiety bubbling beneath her skin.

Her gaze drifted over the room, scanning for any sign of anything out of place. It was all too perfect, too quiet, too... empty. And then her eyes landed on the dresser in the corner, and a small detail made her heart skip a beat.

The top drawer that was usually closed, was slightly ajar just enough to notice if you were looking closely. Her brow furrowed as she stepped closer, her fingers brushing over the polished wood. She knew Rio was meticulous about his things, never leaving anything out of place, especially not in this room.

The knot in her stomach tightened further as she reached out and slowly pulled the drawer open. Her heart thudded in her chest as she sifted through the contents, folded t-shirts, neatly stacked socks but the moment her hand touched the smooth, empty space where his gun normally rested, the air seemed to leave her lungs.

The gun was gone.

He never took the gun unless it was absolutely necessary. And he didn't need it if he was just with Marcus. That's what he'd said today.

Her mind raced, piecing together the unease she felt with the growing realisation that something was wrong. They had planned to review everything tonight, the plan with Beth to get rid of Agent Turner. Every detail had been mapped out for days from now, but if Rio wasn't here and the gun was missing ...

She pulled her phone from her pocket, her fingers tapping the screen as she dialled his number. It rang once, twice, before going straight to voicemail. Her breath caught in her throat. That sick feeling in the pit of her stomach twisted even tighter. She quickly hit redial, this time her voice more urgent as she spoke into the silence of the call.

"Chris, is everything okay? Call me back as soon as you get this."

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her foot tapping anxiously against the floor as she stared at the phone in her hand. The apartment suddenly felt too quiet, too empty, as if it was closing in on her. The framed photos of Rio and Marcus on the wall seemed to watch her, silently adding to her growing sense of dread.

What if he'd decided to go through with the plan without her? The thought hit her like a punch to the gut. What if he was trying to keep her out of it to protect her? He knew how much Beth meant to her, how hard it had been to even come up with it. The anxiety that had been simmering beneath the surface all day now flared to life.

If Rio was already moving without her, there was no telling what could happen. Beth was her friend, she had convinced herself they could make this work, that they could end this nightmare with Turner. But if Rio was doing something reckless...

She stood abruptly, her heart racing as she paced the room glancing back at the phone. No call back. No message.

"Goddamn it, Chris," she muttered under her breath. She dialled his number again, pressing the phone to her ear as it rang and rang before going to voicemail once more.

Frustration gnawed at her as she sank back onto the bed, her fingers tapping restlessly against her thigh. There was only one person who might know where he was.

Without hesitation, she pulled up Juan's contact and pressed the call button. The phone rang twice before his groggy voice answered on the other end. "Hello?"

"Juan, it's Lucy." she said quickly, barely masking the urgency in her tone. "Do you know where Rio is? I can't get ahold of him."

There was a long pause, too long for her liking and she could practically hear the gears turning in Juan's mind. "I'm not supposed to say, Lu."

Her patience snapped. "What do you mean you're not supposed to say? Is something going on?" She stood up again, pacing the length of the bedroom as her pulse quickened.

"I can't—" Juan started, but Lucy cut him off, her voice sharp.

"Fucking tell me where he is."

Another tense silence followed, and she could almost hear Juan cursing to himself on the other end. "You really don't pull any punches, do you?" he muttered. "Alright, just... hold on."

Lucy waited, her heart pounding in her chest and her grip tightening on her phone. She walked toward the door, grabbing her keys from the table, a sense of dread settling in her bones. She slipped back into her shoes.

This wasn't right. Something was happening.

There was a muffled sigh from the other end of the line.

"He's at one of the abandoned buildings near the warehouses." Juan finally said, his words quick and clipped as if he was already regretting telling her. "But Lucy, you didn't hear it from me if Rio ever asks. You know how he is."

Lucy's pulse quickened. The abandoned warehouses? Why would he be there, especially tonight? Her gut told her this was about more than just business, it had to be about the plan, and the sick feeling twisting in her stomach only deepened.

"I swear, I'll keep your name out of it." she muttered, her voice barely a whisper as she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.

"Lucy, seriously. Don't go." Juan warned, his tone shifting from groggy to urgent. "Whatever he's dealing with. Let him handle it."

But she was already moving, keys in hand as she rushed down the stairs of the apartment building. "Thanks, Juan." she said, hanging up before he could argue further.

The night was cold and the streets were empty as she climbed back into her car. The brunette gripped the steering wheel tightly and her knuckles turned white. Rio was more than capable of handling himself but she didn't trust the FBI and she most certainly didn't trust Beth to not try and kill him again. 

Her heart thudded against her ribcage as she drove through the nearly deserted streets, her mind racing. Why would he do this alone? Did he think he was protecting her by keeping her out of it? The thought both angered and scared her. She didn't need protection, she was in this just as deep as he was. They had made the plan together, for God's sake. Beth was her friend, and Lucy had wrestled with the morality of it all for weeks. The least he could do was trust her enough to follow through.

The city blurred past in streaks of orange and red as she neared the warehouse district. It wasn't long before the familiar sight of the old, abandoned buildings came into view. 

Lucy pulled up to the curb, her car idling in the dark as she scanned the area. The buildings across from her were shrouded in shadows, but then she spotted something, a faint flicker of light coming from one of the windows in the building opposite. Her heart leapt into her throat.

She killed the engine, her breath fogging up the window. That had to be him. She prayed it was. 

Lucy swallowed and slipped out of the car, shutting the door as quietly as she could. The cold bit into her, but she barely felt it. Her nerves were through the roof, her mind sharp with adrenaline. 

The flickering light pulsed from the upper floor of the warehouse, casting eerie shadows across the broken concrete. Lucy moved swiftly, her footsteps light as she crossed the street and approached the building. She prayed Rio hadn't started anything he couldn't finish, at least not without her.

The brunette stepped into the building through a side door, the darkness swallowing her whole. The cold, musty scent of dust and decay filled the air as she moved carefully through the dimly lit hallway. Her footsteps echoed softly against the cracked concrete floor.

She reached the stairwell, gripping the rusty railing as she began her ascent, her body tense with anticipation. The distant sound of her breath mingled with the creaking of the stairs underfoot.

By the time she reached the third floor, she paused for a moment to catch her breath, but then her blood ran cold.

Voices. Rio's voice.

He sounded angry and she froze as she tried to make out the words. He was furious and his tone was filled with barely contained rage. Then came the sound of sobbing, desperate and broken. Beth.

Lucy's heart twisted painfully in her chest as she heard her cries, pleading and uneven. She couldn't make out what either of them were saying, but the raw emotion in their voices sent a chill through her. Something had gone horribly wrong.

Her breaths were shallow her pulse racing as she continued climbing, the sound of their argument growing louder with every step. By the time she reached the fifth floor, her chest felt tight with anxiety. She was close enough now to hear Rio's voice, clear and biting.

"You think this is a game?" Rio's voice was laced with venom, barely contained fury rolling off him in waves. "Just fucking do it."

The brunette reached the top of the staircase and without hesitation peered around the corner of the room. Rio stood in the center, his stance rigid and imposing, his hands clasped behind his back. His dark eyes were locked on Beth, simmering with fury. Every inch of him radiated power. He looked like a man on the edge, ready to tip over.

Beth stood a few feet away, her whole body shaking. Tears streamed down her face, leaving trails in her smeared mascara. Her hair was a wild mess, strands sticking to her tear-streaked cheeks. In her trembling hands was Rio's golden-plated gun.

"I don't have all night." Rio growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes bore into Beth, challenging her. "Or i'll put a bullet in your head and trust me she asked me not to."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as she followed Beth's gaze, her heart stopping when she saw what had captured the blonde's terrified focus. Across the room, Turner was tied to a pillar his suit torn and bloodied and his face barely recognisable through the bruises and cuts. His once sharp features were now swollen and battered. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he looked up at Beth with pleading eyes.

"I-I don't want to do it." Beth's voice cracked.

Rio stood unmoved, his expression cold and unrelenting. He stared her down, eyes dark and menacing, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Well, I didn't get a gift receipt."

Beth's lip quivered, tears welling up and spilling over in streams that streaked her already ruined makeup. Her chest heaved with shallow, panicked breaths as she turned to face Rio. Her voice was broken, raw with desperation. "Why don't you just do it?" 

He took a step closer, his voice dropped low and full of threat. "Because this is on you."

"No, it's not!" Beth growled, anger flaring in her voice.

"Yeah, it is." Rio shot back, his tone cold and unyielding. He didn't flinch under her gaze, the intensity in his dark eyes unwavering. 

"You put this on me!" Beth yelled, her chest heaving with the weight of her accusation. "You put everything on me! The money... the laundering! You've placed it all on my shoulders so that it's never on you! Nothing is ever your fault!" 

"Yeah, well, now you've got a bigger problem, don't you?" Rio shot back, nodding toward Turner, who was still bound and bloodied.

Beth's expression hardened as she glanced at Turner, then quickly turned her gaze back to Rio. "You think he's my problem?" she retorted, her grip tightening around the gun in her hands.

Lucy had no idea what to do, she was paralysed as she watched them argue. The woman saw their plan playing out before her eyes but it wasn't right. It wasn't what she had in mind and her eyes widened as she saw Beth's fingers tighten around the weapon as she screamed at Rio. Lucy's gaze darted between them, searching for an opening, a way to bridge the chasm of anger that separated them.

"He's not my problem!" she yelled, and as she was about to lift the gun the brunette pushed herself forward without hesitation.

Lucy barrelled into the blonde, her body colliding with hers and the gun clattered to the floor. They tumbled to the ground in a heap, the sudden movement disorienting both of them.

"Stop!" Lucy shouted, her voice sharp and urgent as she wrestled with Beth, trying to pin her down. 

Beth thrashed beneath her, the two women entangled on the floor as Rio stood over them,  confusion swirling in his eyes. "Get off me!" Beth screamed, her voice cracking under the weight of their struggle.

"Please, just listen!" Lucy pleaded, her grip tightening as adrenaline coursed through her. "This isn't how it has to end. We can figure this out together!"

For a brief moment, Rio stood frozen, disbelief etched on his face. The chaotic scene unfolding before him felt surreal, Lucy was not supposed to be here and a fresh wave of anger surged within him, clouding his judgment.

Just as he opened his mouth to intervene, Beth twisted her body and grasped the gun that had clattered to the floor. Lucy's heart dropped as she realized what was happening. In an instant, Beth's fingers closed around the weapon, and panic coursed through Lucy like fire. She lunged forward, desperate to pry the gun from Beth's grasp.

"Get off me!" Beth yelled, fury and fear mingling in her voice. The gun trembled between them, a dangerous synbol of their unraveling lives.

"Lucy, get back!" Rio thundered, his voice sharp with urgency. The fear in his tone sent a chill through Lucy, the realisation of the potential violence hanging in the air.

Then, without warning a sudden shot rang out, echoing through the room like a clap of thunder. Lucy felt time slow as the sound reverberated in her ears. She flinched, her body tensing violently as her ears rung from the deafening sound.

Before she could comprehend what had just happened, another shot followed piercing the air with a sharp crack. A third shot fired, and then everything fell eerily silent. A suffocating silence, enveloping the room in an unsettling stillness. 

well ...