The Arrangement Anthology 2(134)

“You’re not hurt?” He shakes his head. “But I saw you get shot—I saw the blood. I saw Marty with the gun.”

“It was staged, Avery.”

“What? How? I saw Marty holding the gun and I saw your blood. I thought you were going to die, Sean. You were barely breathing. Are you saying that was all an act? Are you saying I saw an exploding ketchup bottle?” I glance at Marty and back at Sean. “I know what I saw.”

Sean’s voice is soft and patient. “No, you don’t. No one knows what they saw that night. It was a concert, Avery. There was smoke and flashing lights forcing your eyes to refocus every second. Marty held up his gun so they’d see him clearly raise his weapon. The rest was theatrics and luck. The strobe lights tricked your eyes into seeing something that didn’t actually happen. The fog machine covered me after I fell, the dye packs were top of the line, and the people in the ambulance and at the hospital were paid off. Avery, it was all fake.”





Chapter 5

My jaw is hanging open. “Why? Why would you fake being shot?” I can’t believe this.

“Marty’s boss put a hit on me. I did something that pissed him off and the hit was his version of payback. We orchestrated the shooting and tipped off the press to create media frenzy in the aftermath, making them think Marty took the shot. Avery, we did it all to make sure you didn’t end up in the ground next to your parents.”

My body goes cold as the remaining tension slips from my face. Shock makes my jaw drop. “My parents?” I think back to my mom’s note and fear pierces my heart. What does he know? “What’s going on? Gabe keeps warning me to run. If you don’t want me to take his advice, if you want to see my face tomorrow, you better tell me—”

Marty cuts me off, “Or what, Avery? You’ll run away? You’ll punch me in the nuts again? Thanks for that, by the way.” Marty squirms in his chair. The room is too dark to see him clearly.

Anger surges from within me. I turn to Sean. “You promised me no more lies. We were supposed to tell each other the truth, and this is what you do?”

“I know.” His voice is level, stoic.

“You promised me! You said you’d tell me everything, and here’s your chance. What about my parents? Tell me why the hell Marty is here with you. What the hell is going on, Sean?” My heart is thumping in my chest, threatening to explode against my ribs. My stomach sours and regret fills my mouth. “You said you were through lying to me, Sean.”

My rage turns on my friend, “And Marty—what the fuck? You let me think you tried to shoot the man I love? You let me think you stabbed me in the back? How could you? Both of you! How could you?” The two of them have been using me, tossing me around like a rag doll, as if their actions won’t affect me in the slightest. My anger fades. This is so Sean, so classically Sean Ferro. I gave him my heart and he’s still hiding from me.

What is he so afraid of? What’s behind those dark eyes that he can’t let me see?

“Because I–” Marty cuts off what he was going to say and jumps to his feet. His hands fly through the air frantically, as he searches for the words to explain. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I was supposed to get close to you, get what I needed, and then get the fuck out. Instead, I met you and I liked you.” He glances at Sean like he couldn’t care less what the man thinks. “Avery, I want to protect you from all of this, but you’re right in the middle of it and that’s the worst place to be. I won’t let them hurt you. Not now, not ever. Please believe me. I’d tell you the truth, all of it, if I could, but I can’t.”

Glaring at him, I don’t know what to say. His words swirl in my mind like a gust of wind. I can’t hold onto them without wanting to cry. He sounds sincere, but I’ve been jerked around too many times to believe him anymore.

“Who are you? You’re not a college kid with no money if you own this house—it’s worth over a million bucks, easy. And if you’re working for someone who puts hits on people, you’re what? An enforcer? A mercenary? Do you take orders and kill people?” I push up on my elbows and lean against the back of the chaise, finally able to at least sit up. I already knew Sean was into some messed up shit, but Marty’s involvement blindsides me. “Who are you?”

Worry is pinching his face. I hear it in his voice as it tightens and gets higher. “I’m the same guy you met on campus. I’m the same guy who held you while you slept. Avery, you know me.”

Sean glances at me, shocked. “You slept with him?”