I bet you guys thought you'd be waiting days, but I worked hard today! Here's the aftermath:
Ashlynn
I stand rooted in shock. It's chaos. Mac is traumatized. Dev is shot. I caused this.
I caused this.
"Jesus Christ, Dev, lay the fuck down," Matt spits, grabbing Dev's shoulders and lowering him gently. He rips open Dev's shirt and presses his balled up Armani jacket to Dev's wound. "Somebody call..."
"On it," Trace snaps. He's already dialing 911.
I grab his arm. "Where's Kat?"
"With Ben. He's getting her the hell home. Tam, Marianne, too. No way are they going to a part of what happens now," he says tersely and then he's speaking into his phone "We need an ambulance. There's been a shooting at this location. Yes, he's conscious. One. To the gut. Yes, that's right address..."
Varrick and the guards have already hauled Viggo back into the living room. Leed is trying to pull Mac outside, but now that she realizes her friend is shot, she's not having it. She's dropped to her knees beside him, crying and holding his hand, telling him over and over she's sorry. Leed is right with her, leaning over her, unable to leave her side.
He looks at me and his anger is a very evident thing, but he holds out a hand to me.
"Come here, please."
I go to him and despite his anger, he gently envelops me with one arm, holding me softly but completely against him. His embrace is not fierce like Trace's. It's the shelter like he gives me as we fall asleep in bedâhis warmth, his strength, his comfort.
But it's all too brief. After a moment of softness, he pushes me gently away by the shoulder. His eyes rake down my robe again. Then he touches my cheek and I jerk away, surprised at the pain. I forgot all about the backhanded blow Viggo gave me. I put my own hand up to my cheekbone, feeling the swelling, wondering if the bruising is already beginning.
I look into Leed's eyes and then down at my robe, finally understanding the black rage.
"I'm okay," I promise him. "Nothing happened."
"I can see that's a lie," he growls, gesturing at my cheek. "Shit happened. You shouldn't be here either, in the aftermath."
He grips my hand and looks toward the door. Then he growls and rips his head around, craning to see into the living room where Varrick has Viggo on the floor. He bows his head, staring at Mac's bright crown below him. He's shaking with rage. I've never seen Leed so at odds with himself. His normal grace and surety is completely gone. He looks like a drug addict in withdrawalâjerking,miserable in his body.
He is torn into pieces. He wants to be at Mac's side and she won't leave Dev. He wants to take me away from here. He wants to walk into that living room and kill Viggo with his bare hands.
Not knowing what else to do, I wrap my arms around Leed's torso. His hand goes to my back and I can tell he's trying hard to find his balance. We just stand there stupidly, watching Dev bleeding, Mac crying, Trace pacing, and Matt cursing calmly at Dev, keeping him alive by force of will it seems.
Dev's shaking violently now and trying to speak to Mac.
"It's alright..." he touches her cheek with a bloody hand. "Gunned down...with a Grammy statue...in hand...I'll live forever...rap legend..." He turns to Matt. "I think...I...I love your daughter...don't tell her...never said it...too hard on her now...tell my mother, though." He coughs and groans. "And tell... my father...I'm sorry...I know...he...tried...I know...I didn't...I'm...sorry..."
"Shut-up, and focus on staying alive. If you fucking die and break my Poodle's heart, I'll kill you..." Matt growls but he takes Dev's hand. Dev's gaze and Matt's are locked now.
"Fuck," Dev is focused on Matt and Matt's presence is ferociousâhe's literally forcing life energy into the wounded man. "Jesus...I can't feel..." Dev trails off.
"He's going into shock," I murmur. I dash into the spare bedroom and pull the blankets off the bed and grab pillows too.
While I work to elevate Dev's feet and cover him with a blanket Matt puts a hand on Dev's sweaty forehead. "Stay with me, Dev." He jerks Dev's hand roughly. "Stay the fuck with me, do you fucking hear me!!!"
"Yeah, I'm here," Dev croaks, opening his eyes.
Adam, Bodie and John Rourke arrive in the doorway. Adam takes in the scene and after a long moment in which he views Mac intensely, I see him take a breath. He drops on his knees beside Mac. He pulls her to him and puts a hand on the shoulder of the shot man. He leans over Dev and I see his lips movingâa prayer, a comfort, I'm not sure, but Dev smiles at Adam and calls him "brother."
Adam turns to Mac.
"You're alright," he tells her. "You're safe."
"Dev is not!" she wails. "It's my fault! Adamâyour gun...it was your gun that shot him. Slade shot him with your gun."
Immediately, Adam turns to John Rourke. "Call Riley. Tell him to call the lawyers. Get her out of here." He turns to Mac grabbing her head and her attention, "Baby, listen to me, okay? You need to go. There are going to be a lot of fucking questions in a few minutes and what you've doneâcarrying a concealed weapon without a licenseâthat's not a misdemeanor here. This is not Tennessee, where the penalties are lenient. This is California. It's a big fucking deal. You could go to jail. I will stay for Dev. I will answer for the gun."
"Fuck that, I'm not leaving Dev. I'm not leaving you to answer for what I did." Mac growls through her tears.
"Mac," Leed growls.
"Sweetheart, please," Adam begs.
"Go, love," Dev encourages her.
"I said no!" she yells.
"Everyone, just calm down," John says. He strides into the living room. He and Varrick speak tensely in low tones.
Bodie is standing over Matt, and as blood begins to seep from beneath Dev, he suddenly falls to his knees. Bodes rips off his shirt and shoves it under Dev. "The bullet went through," he says. He puts his hands over Matt's, causing Dev to cry out as he flattens him against the balled up shirt. "Sorry, man. It's a son of a bitch but we gotta keep you from bleeding out. I've seen this. You make it to the hospital, you'll be alright. But we gotta keep the pressure on both sides."
Bodie wears the same anger as Leed and Trace as he leans forward to look at me. "This is what you and Marley have been huddled up about? Fuck, Ashlynn...you shouldn't have involved Marley in this. She has a record. It's sealed because she was so young, but it's still there. If she gets arrested again...she'll lose her license to practice. Her sentencing will be worse than a first time offender. Where is she?"
"Not here. I sent her, Kat, Tam and Marianne with Ben," Trace says. Bodie nods tersely, giving me another resentful glare.
Varrick and John return. John has a bag I recognize from the play roomâit's a serious first aid kitâlike the kind medics carry in war zones. Varrick added that to Viggo's playroom when I first returned to him with my V V marking.
"Let me treat him," John says with authority, dropping the bag by Dev's head. "At best, it will be forty minutes before he gets to emergency surgery. Bodie is right, I have to stop the blood loss. Armani isn't the latest fashion in wound dressing," John says dryly, pulling self sealing dressing packages from the bag. "I'm going to seal your wound, and you're gonna make it to the hospital fine," John works quickly with much more confidence that the rest of us. "You want drugs, man?" he asks as he's peeling away clothes and pressing thick pads onto Dev's stomach.
"God...yes..." Dev says through gritted teeth. Viggo leans down and rummages the bag, retrieving scissors and a package. He slits Dev's pants, rips them further, and stabs him with a morphine auto injector.
At their clear competence, Matt and I both give way. Matt slides around to the cradle Dev's head as Varrick pulls me to my feet by the arm.
"John's got him. Let's go. Now." Varrick is practically dragging me toward Slade's office.
Leed leaps in front of him. "Keep your goddamn hands off her," Leed growls.
Varrick lets me go holding his hands up in surrender. "I need to talk to Ashlynn. In private."
"Never gonna happen, asshole," Leed says. "Your days of intimidating her are over."
"It's okay. I need to talk to Varrick too."
"Fine. Talk. Here. Now." Leed crosses his arms over his chest. "Because I'm sorry Sweetheartâ I love you, but I'm going to need a fucking explanation for this bullshit."
Some undefinable thing inside me pops, releasing a flow of warmth. "You still love me?"
My lion gives me an exasperated look. "Ashlynn, I've been drunk for six weeks. I can't function in a world without you. Of fucking course I still love you."
Everything I've been holding together starts to come apart. I start to shake from the inside out. "I love you too. So much. Oh god, Leed...I was trying to protect your career, but I think I may have killed it instead. I'm so sorry." Silent sobs are wracking my chest.
He grins, which is really crazy, considering, but it fills me with hope in this hopeless situation and quells the sobs before they start. He tags his chest arrogantly. "Is that all? Baby, greatness can't be suppressed by some industry bullshit or even criminal charges. As long as I've got you, I'm a fucking king. I'll be alright. Worry about Dev, not me."
He holds open his arms to me and once again I'm enveloped in his warmth. Once again he peels me away too soon. His eyes narrow at me. "But I'm still so fucking pissed about...whatever the fuck you've done. So start talking."
I open my mouth as Riley skids in the door. "Wait. For. Me." He jolts as he sees Dev on the floor, but in his unflappable British way, he calls down to Dev with complete mildness. "Blimey. Alright there, Cavendish?"
Dev's morphine is kicking in. "Thank god. Someone who knows how to make a decent gin and tonic. Riley...drink with me before I die..."
Riley looks at John for an assessment. John grins. "He's gonna be okay, I think. If he were going to die, he'd probably be dead already. I give him a 90% chance of survival."
"F-f-fuck you, this is sh-sh-erious shit...check it out..." Dev slurs. "I'm at the reaper's door/but death's my whore/seeing the light/bouncing back for the fight..."
Bodie laughs. "He's gonna be fine, he's already laying down his victory track."
Riley bends down and grabs Dev's shoulder. "Right. Hold that flow. We'll take that drink in the ambulance and you can entertain me then. Just give us a sec to straighten this lot out..."
He looks at Varrick and then past him, where two guards are keeping Viggo on the floor. He blinks and rubs a shaky hand over his lips. Then he clears his throat and says, "We have maybe four minutes before authorities arrive. Everybody who doesn't want to go to jail should follow me and get their stories straight. Now."
He stalks into Slade's office. We all follow, except Dev, John and Matt. Trace gives Matt a head jerk but Matt only says. "Nah, I gotta stay with the kid. I'll just follow your lead when the cops show up."
We all crowd into the office and Riley says. "Varrick, perhaps you should multitask...while we talk...we need all the footage from Slade's security cameras erased."
Varrick doesn't move. He's staring at me. "Tell me you found something. Anything."
"No evidence, but Varrick...I gave him Scopolamine. He confessed."
"Scopolamine?" Being an interrogator, Varrick is familiar with the official name of the compound "Truth serum? What did he say."
"He told me everything." I cross to Varrick and put my hands on his shoulders. His face is a mask and I say the words I'm sure he knows are coming. "Megan is gone. He didn't intend to kill her, but he lost control. He was trying to scare her into leaving you, because in his mind, he was trying to protect you from being hurt. She fought back. He lost control and stabbed her. He tried to save her, but she died."
Varrick puts his hands on my arms, I think to steady himself. He nods, lowering his gaze. After a long moment his eyes raise to mine again. "Where is she?"
"He took her to the embassy. He said a doctor tried to save her. He said a priest gave her rights. He said the ambassador there worked with your father to 'take of her.' Varrick...I'm sorry..."
He shakes his head breaking away from me. He leans on the desk, lowering his head. "It's not like I imagined. I imagined so much worse. She wasn't alone. She wasn't left, exposed in the wild, to...to..." he makes an almost inhuman sound and then it slowly turns into a throat clearing. "If a priest gave her rights...he would have seen Catholic doctrine followed. Her body is somewhere that's consecrated. A cemetery, maybe even the priest's parish. She's not lost. I can find her. That's all that matters now. I can find her."
Everyone is silent for a long moment. Leed wraps his arms around me from behind and I lace my fingers through his.
Finally, Riley says. "Varrick, that's not all that matters. We have to set things in motion to...contain your brother. He must be held accountable. If I'm understanding this correctly, Slade took the life of a young woman you loved. He attacked Ashlynn with a knife. It's likely he's brutalized more women."
"He still has his German citizenship. The diplomatic ranks won't hold him accountable now for a twenty year old murder they successfully covered up."
"Yes, but he just shot the son of British peer. I imagine Lord Cavendish could make some waves at the German embassy about an unbalanced German with diplomatic immunity running round like a lunatic free in America, knifing woman and gunning down British citizens."
Varrick's head snaps up. "Fuck. The Baron. I forgot. He's well connected?"
Riley shrugs. "He's a member of Parliament and the title has been long-held in his family. I imagine he's more well-connected than most with the same standing. But he and Dev...they're estranged."
Varrick shakes his head. "That doesn't really matter, does it? When push comes to shove a father will do anything for his son."
"Right, I'll call him just as soon as Dev is assessed at the hospital." Riley blinks. "That security footage, Varrick."
Varrick rounds the desk and types in a password and begins clicking through a system with the mouse. "What footage? Viggo's system is currently being upgraded. His whole system has been off-line for forty-eight hours. He's terrible about reading his emails, though. To bad he didn't realize..."
Riley takes his glasses off and cleans them as he looks at me. "Ashlynn, you are the most troublesome woman I've ever dealt with, but I think you better tell us all exactly what mischief you've been up to tonight, so that we can find the loopholes to maneuver..."
I tell them the ninety second version. Leed curses the whole time, but he never removes his arms from around me.
Minutes later, when the EMT's and the police arrive, we've all agreed on a mostly true version of events.
I will tell the whole truth of my history of Slade, up through tonight. The only details I will leave out are the Devil's Breath, and anyone's involvement other than Mac. I will simply tell the police that Slade was extorting a BDSM relationship with me and I feared for my safety, and Mac had come along to supervise. Then the evening went wrong and Slade became violent with both of us without our consent. Mac and I both have bruises from our encounters with Slade, plus he has the scratches I inflicted when I tried to fight him off earlier. He won't remember a thing when he finally comes around from the Devil's Breath and it doesn't leave a toxicology imprint either, so no one can prove that I drugged him.
Somebody does have to take the wrap for the gun, however. If we try to conceal the weapon that shot Dev, it will make the whole story look suspicious. The gun is registered to Adam in Tennessee. There's really no time for Madam to have a huge fight over it, but they do anyway, because when did practicality ever stop Madam from arguing?
"There's no point in discussing this," Adam tells Mac. "Our daughter needs you more than she needs me, right now. I'll tell the police I was carrying the gun. End of discussion."
"Fuck that, Adam. You are insane if you think I'm letting you go down for this."
"No, you listen to me know. You vowed to try to understand me, and this is one of those times where you have to fucking understand where I'm coming fromâit's my responsibility to put you and Lennon first. If there's static over this, it's absolutely falling on me. I'm pretty fucking pissed that you brought a gun into this situation, but it's my fault, really. We act like goddamn outlaws with our guns on the farm, because we have such a large amount of private property that we can, but you didn't think through the consequences of how easy it is to lose control of your weapon in a real life situation. It never crossed my mind that you would ever think to take one of the guns off the farm. Later on, we can fight about how you kept shit from me and stole my gun and how dumb it was to think that a little target practice makes you qualified to play cops-and-robbers in real life. Tonight, it's my job to protect my family. I'm the registered owner. It's my fault I let my batshit crazy wife know how to open my gun safe."
"Adam," she growls.
"Don't fucking argue with me, Mac. I will tell them that I was carrying it and in the confusion, he took the gun from me. If I get arrested, we'll deal with it. What's the statute on a non-permitted weapon in California, anybody know?" Adam calls around.
Riley is grimacing, checking his phone. "Best case... fines. Worst case...a year in jail."
"A year?!?!?" Mac exclaims.
"Oh, I'll bounce out quicker than that," Adam says to Mac, kissing her head. "Worst case, you might have to replace me on tour," he grins at Trace.
"Fuck. Another tour busted by Adam's bullets," Trace groans.
"He's not going to jail!" Mac exclaims. "Because he's not taking the wrap for something I did!!!"
"This sounds like a band vote," Leed sighs.
"What?!?! Noâit's not a band vote! How it it a band vote?" Mac holds up her hands, still bloody with Dev's blood. "Dev is shot, he could be dying out there, it's my fault..."
Varrick opens the door. "The rapper still alive?"
"Yep," John calls casually. "He's got most of his rap completed. Matt's recording it on his phone."
"Dev's gonna be okay. This ain't about your guilt. This whole thing was about Slade trying to take down Leed, potentially even the band. It's a band vote," Trace agrees.
"Absolutely. Who takes the wrap on the illegal weapon charge potentially effects the tour, and how we get through this whole clusterfuck with the label and Slade...Adam has more legal ground to have the gun. He is the registered owner. You do have concealed weapons training in Tennessee, right?" Bodie muses.
"Of course."
Bodie grunts. "Yeah, you're in much better shape to be carrying it than Mac. It's a band vote."
"Everybody in favor of saying Adam brought the gun..." Trace raises his hand.
All the guys toss up a hand.
"Fuck you," Mac hisses and wraps her arms around Adam's neck. "I'm sorry, Adam. I'm so sorry."
He pats her back. "I know. It's a fucked up situation. I thought I was empowering you, teaching you to shoot. Instead I got you in this mess and now a friend is shot. I'm sorry too, baby. I'm so fucking sorry Dev got shot, but I'm also so fucking glad it's not you lying on the floor in there..."
"That's so wrong," Mac cries on his shoulder.
"I know, but it's still my truth," he gathers her in his arms.
Emergency lights are reflecting through the shaded window. I know it's time to face up to the situation I've created. "None of this is Mac's fault," I say softly. "It's all mine."
No one disagrees, but Adam says. "You were very brave, to try to handle Slade. But it's a family thing and if we go down, we go down together. You would never have met him if it weren't for us. You've dealt with too much shit all your own, Ashlynn."
"Word," Bodie sounds.
Trace cracks his neck. "I can't believe you wouldn't come to me with this..."
I shrug at Trace and look at Leed. He laces his fingers in mine, but he says nothing.
"Let's go, ladies and gentlemen," Riley says, "We don't want to appear to...contrived...remember...as far as Slade's lawyers could spin Dev's shooting...it could be a home invasion. We are on shaky ground. Our lawyers and Matt's are on the way."
Everyone files toward the foyer, where Dev can be heard woozily rapping.
Leed holds me back by the hand. "You know that you are the only one assaulted by Slade that probably has a leg to stand on? Even Mac...was technically an intruder tonight. Are you prepared for this? To tell your story?"
I bite my lip. "I'm afraid of what happens to you and Soundcrush. What if nothing happens to Slade because of his diplomatic immunity? What if Varrick can't prove that the embassy covered up Megan's death? What if I try to get Viggo sent to jail or psychiatric confinement or whatever by bringing assault charges against him and it doesn't work? What if everything goes back to business as usual? If that happens...Soundcrush is over..."
For the fourth time in the last few minutes, he wraps me in his arms. "What-if's will drive you crazy, baby. There's no way forward but through this. You have to tell. You have to try."
I rest my head on his shoulder. We have a quiet moment. Leed strokes my hair from my ear and murmurs.
"Ashlynn...we are...going through this together, aren't we?"
"There is no where else I would rather be, but Leed...you're still angry aren't you?"
"Yeah. I'm angry. Because you scared me. Because you did this crazy shit tonight. Because you walked away instead of telling about Slade. Because I can't lose you. Because you are my world. Because I love you. At the heart of it, it's all love. Let's just...get through this crisis and let all the feels ride for a minute, okay? First comes making sure you are safe from Slade, and that Dev comes through, of course...just one step at at time, okay?"
In his arms, that sounds reasonable. That sounds right. "Okay," I murmur, and he continues to hold me.
"Ma'am? Ms. Ballard?" A female detective in plain clothes is standing at the study door. She flashes her badge. "I'm Detective Branson. I understand you have a complaint to make against the gentleman in custody..." she checks her notepad... "Viggo Von Schlater? She looks at my face. "Did he assault you?"
"Yes. But it's not the first time. He's a very sick man and when I left a consensual relationship with him a year ago, he did this." I take a deep breath, loosen my robe, holding it mostly to me, but showing most of my scar. "He's been extorting my silence, ever since."
She meets my eyes, calmly, but there is empathy there. "Ms. Ballard, I think you're going to need to come downtown and make a full statement, and have photographs of your scars entered into evidence. Are you willing to do that?"
I look at Leed. For the first time tonight, his eyes are dark with rage. They are bright with love and encouragement. He gives me the crooked smile, a hand squeeze, and a nod.
I turn to Detective Branson. "Yes. I can do that."
I can do that because with Leed's love, I am braver than I thought I was.