Turning of the Stars Ch. 06

"I'm so sorry," Anna whispered, tears pricking her eyes. Peter pushed her inside and stepped in behind her, gun in hand.

"Celia, what a lovely surprise," Corie said casually.

"Shut up." Celia knocked the cell phone out of Corie's hand and stepped on it, grinding her pointy heel into the screen.

"What the fuck? I hope you have a hundred bucks to cover my insurance deductable on that."

"I told you to shut your mouth. Peter, make yourself useful and point the gun at this little bitch."

Corie's eyes widened as Peter aimed the weapon at her and Celia ushered her backward down the hall.

"Did you say Grant was gone?" Celia asked.

"Did I? I don't recall. He could be here somewhere, it's a big place."

"Look you little freak, while I would just love for you to give me an excuse to have Peter shoot you in the face, it would make quite a mess and this would all work much better if you would just do exactly what I tell you to do."

"I'll try, but I'm warning you I've never been great at doing what I'm told."

"I'll start you off with an easy one, since I know your mental capacity is limited," Celia said with a smirk. She gestured to the storage room door with a perfectly manicured hand. "Go in."

Corie opened the door and they all filed into the room, closely packed with shelves full of boxes. "If you're here to rob the store room you should have waited a few days. I've only got three jars of olives left and I need at least one for tonight. Got a whole case of margarita mix though, if you want that." Corie casually pointed around the room. "And our delivery is coming tomorrow if you want to just-"

"Open the beer cooler."

Anna could see the muscle in Corie's jaw twitch and she hesitated just a moment before stepping over to the large walk-in cooler in the corner and pulling open the door. A wave of cold air hit Anna's feet and she shivered.

"Get inside." Celia tried to push Corie into the cooler, but she stayed at the entrance, blocking the opening. "Peter, hurry up and take care of them so you can go get the stuff out of the trunk."

"Oh, I'll take care of them. It'll be my pleasure." Peter leered at Anna and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her toward the cooler.

"We don't have time for that. Just handcuff them in there so I can go make sure there's no one else here." Celia's impatience was clear in her voice. Peter nodded, but the way he looked at Anna as he pushed her toward the cooler made it clear he had his own plans for what was going to happen once the handcuffs were on.

"What's wrong, Celia? Are you too afraid to take care of me yourself?" Corie spat out. "I can't blame you. A rich bitch like you couldn't possibly-"

The slap echoed through the storage room, knocking Corie onto her ass on the cooler floor with a dazed look on her face. Celia grabbed the gun from Peter's hand before stepping carefully inside. She stood over Corie, that same detached look in her eye that Anna had seen in the car, as she smiled and pressed the pointed toe of her shiny red shoe into Corie's chest, pushing her back down on the floor.

"You've caused me enough trouble over the years, you little slut. I know you were the one who talked Grant into forcing me out of the business. I tried to teach you your place. I tried to show him what a nasty little whore you are and somehow you pulled his strings and got him to beat poor Kenneth to a pulp. And then you let Grant go to prison for it. For you. As if you were worth a second of his time, let alone a whole year of his life. I don't know what kind of hold you have over him, but it's going to end today."

Corie just stared up at her, completely dumbfounded, while Celia pointed the gun down in her face.

"No!" Anna screamed, pulling against Peter's hold. "Leave her alone!"

"Isn't that sweet?" Celia crooned to Corie over the barrel of the gun. "She's sticking up for you. Do you think she'd still give a shit if she knew you've been fucking her boyfriend for the last six years? Really, she should thank me."

"You bitch!" Anna cried. "I knew you were screwing him behind my back." Corie looked from Celia to Anna, the expression on her face clearly indicating that she thought the entire world had gone insane. "If she doesn't kill you I'll beat the shit of you myself."

Understanding washed over Corie's features, but she quickly covered it with an indifferent shrug. "Hey, it's not my fault if you can't give him what he needs. I knew from the beginning your prissy vanilla ass would never be enough for him."

Celia smirked, clearly agreeing with Corie. "He is a man of eclectic tastes," she said fondly, the gun hanging forgotten at her side.

"Yeah, it didn't take long before he got bored with little miss bookworm and came looking for some real fun."

Anna roared with an anger that was, in part, real; the result of a brief speculation about what Celia might know about Grant's eclectic tastes. She tried to focus on Corie as she twisted and pulled against Peter's grip. "Let me go, you bastard. I'm gonna yank that metal out of her face and stick it up her ass."

Celia looked back and forth between the two girls with a gleeful expression on her face. Finally she made a noise that Anna could only describe as a sadistic giggle and turned to Peter. "Lock them in together, let them duke it out."

Peter gave a disappointed grunt and shoved Anna through the door. She tripped over Corie's legs and fell on the floor next to her, looking up just in time to see the door slam shut. "Tell me there's a safety latch on the inside of that door," she said, scrambling to her feet. She held out a hand to Corie, who pulled herself up and nodded thanks.

"There is. Let's just hope they're too stupid to realize it. Give them a few minutes to leave the room and I'll try to open it."

"I thought she was going to kill you." Anna couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around Corie's thin frame, hugging her close. After a second or two she felt a couple of tentative pats on her back and released her, stepping back to see the uncomfortable expression on Corie's face.

"Yeah, I did too. I probably would have shit my pants if I hadn't been trying to wrap my brain around the fact that the crazy bitch got someone to rape me." She cleared her throat and met Anna's eye. "Thanks, by the way. For stopping her."

"No, thank you. I know you were only baiting her to keep her from leaving that creep alone with us."

"Alright, well we're even. Just don't hug me again and we'll be cool." She said the words with a faint smile so Anna knew she was kidding...mostly.

"You think they're gone yet?"

"Only one way to find out." Corie pressed the button to release the door from the inside. For a spit second Anna's heart soared as the door swung open, but it stopped short. Through the two inches of space between the door and the wall they could see the chain of the handcuffs holding it closed.

"Fuck. I guess that guy's not as stupid as he looks." Corie pushed on the door, rattling it against the cuffs, but it didn't budge. "I'm afraid to make too much noise...oh, fuck it." She reared back and slammed into the door with her shoulder then doubled over and clutched at her arm, groaning in pain. "Goddamn, that was not a good idea."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine." She bent and flexed it her arm to make sure. "If only I had some ice to put on it."

Anna lifted her eyebrows at that, but when she saw the tiny smile twitch at the corners of Corie's mouth she couldn't help smiling back. She had to admit, Corie's ability to joke was probably all that was keeping her from total panic.

"Fucking-A it's cold in here. Grant better hurry."

"What? Where is he?"

"He was out looking for you. As soon as I saw you on the monitor I sent him a text that you were here. I'm not sure how far away he was, but he's probably on his way now."

The two girls took turns kicking the door while Corie explained what Grant had learned from Officer Cooper and Anna told Corie about her conversation with Grant's dad. The kicking, while completely ineffective at getting the door open, helped keep them warm and gave them something to focus on. But it was also loud and it wasn't long before they heard someone open the storage room door.

"Hey!" Corie shouted through the opening. "It's a little chilly in here. If you two are done with your diabolical secret plan you think you could go ahead and let us out?"

A shadow crossed the opening and a face appeared, but it wasn't one they expected. Piercing blue eyes looked in at them with utter surprise.

"What the fuck are you doing in there?" Eric asked, pulling on the door to test the handcuff's strength.

"Oh, ya know. It's a hot day. Thought we'd cool off, maybe have a beer," Corie replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't suppose you have a handcuff key on you, do you?"

"Please be careful, there are two people with a gun out there somewhere," Anna whispered.

"Oh shit. Hold on a sec." Eric glanced over his shoulder at the closed store room door, dug in his black bartender's apron and pulled out a pen, unscrewed the end, and slid out the ink cartridge.

"Great, he thinks he's fucking MacGyver," Corie muttered under her breath.

Apparently she wasn't quiet enough because those blue eyes lifted to hers for the briefest of seconds and one side of his mouth came up in a crooked grin. He opened his mouth and Anna thought he was going to say something, but instead he stuck the cylinder in and bit down, pulling it through his teeth to flatten it at one end. Then he slid the flat end into the closed cuff to release the catch and the cuff slid open.

"Oh hell yes." Corie whispered.

Eric pushed the freezer door closed to remove the cuffs, then swung it wide. The girls rushed out, but he stopped them with a finger over his lips. He peeked out the storage room door and then stepped into the hallway, waving for them to go ahead of him toward the back door. They were almost there when Corie froze and Anna ran into her back.

"I smell gasoline." She turned with a wild look in her eyes. "Shit, they're going to burn it down." She dodged around Anna, but Eric caught her around the waist with one long arm.

"You're going the wrong way, sugar."

"Let me go, I have to stop them." She pushed against his chest trying to free herself, but he held tight and leaned down to look her in the eye.

"No. You don't. You have to get out of here before someone gets hurt." He nodded at Anna and she headed down the hall as he turned Corie and guided her toward the door. They spilled out into the alley just as a crowd of people came rushing toward them from the parking lot.

"Anna!" Grant shouted, rushing forward and catching her in his arms. She was still shivering from the cooler and his arms were so warm and tight around her she felt lightheaded as she clung to his chest. "Thank God. Are you okay? You're freezing."

"I'm fine, they locked us in the beer cooler."

"Who is it? How many people? Are they armed?" Officer Cooper fired off questions as he moved the crowd toward the parking lot and away from the door.

"Two. Celia and the man that drugged me. They have a gun, but I'm not sure who's got it now." Anna said around her chattering teeth. Somehow the warmth of Grant's arms around her was making her feel colder from the inside out.

"They're gonna set it on fire. You have to stop them." Corie's teeth were chattering too, and she was rubbing at her bare arms with both hands. Eric walked up behind her and draped his white button up over her shoulders. Corie pulled it around her and glanced back, but the thank you froze on her lips as she did a double take. Anna couldn't blame her, it was a striking sight. Nearly all the skin exposed by Eric's white undershirt was covered in colorful tattoos.

"Thanks McGyver," Corie finally said, her eyes still on Eric's arms. The arm Anna could see had a green and gold dragon curled around it, its face with a grinning mouth full of teeth about to leap off his shoulder.

"No problem, sugar."

Officer Cooper lowered his radio after reporting what he knew and herded the group back down the alley toward a line of police cars in the parking lot. "We're gonna get the EMTs to check you two out, just in case," he said to Anna and Corie.

Both girls protested, but no one listened and within a few minutes Anna found herself sitting in the back of an ambulance with Corie, both of them draped in silver thermal blankets while a couple of paramedics checked them over. Grant was just outside the open doors watching them with an eagle eye and Eric stood not far away talking to a police officer. They overheard him saying that he'd just stepped into the alley for his break when he noticed the back door to the club was open. Knowing it was unusual for the door to be left unlocked, he'd peeked in to investigate and that's when he heard banging that turned out to be the girls kicking the cooler door.

From the ambulance Anna watched the fire truck pull silently into the parking lot and not long after she saw two police cars pull out, one with Peter in the backseat, the other carrying Celia. She hadn't realized how afraid she still was until she saw them both disappear around the corner.

"Fucking crazy bitch," Corie murmured, surprising the paramedic taking her blood pressure.

"Can't argue with you there," Anna agreed.

By the time the paramedics were done with Corie and Anna most of the excitement was over, but the parking lot was still full of milling police and firefighters. The building was still a crime scene, so they stood in the parking lot giving what seemed like endless statements to the police.

Anna and Corie were sitting on the trunk of Corie's car telling Grant about how Eric had jimmied the handcuffs open when Don walked up and clapped Grant on the shoulder. The similarities between the two men were more apparent when they were standing next to each other. She was shaken from her thoughts by Corie craning around.

"Hey what happened to that guy, anyway?"

"Who Eric? I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while. I guess he left when he realized he wasn't going to be working anymore tonight."

"I forgot to give his shirt back." Corie tugged at the collar of the shirt she was still wearing, pulling it up to her nose and sniffing it. Anna had to suppress a smile before she could answer.

"I'm sure he won't mind it you hold onto it for a while."

Don turned toward them and gave the two girls a bright smile.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, Anna."

"Grant said you helped him look for me. Thank you."

"It was the least I could do, sweetheart."

"Watch it, Dad," Grant said, his eyes narrowed.

"What?" Don looked at Grant with such an innocent expression Anna couldn't tell if it was sincere or contrived.

Grant's suspicious look faded into something more like amused annoyance and he shook his head. "Just try to dial back the charm when you're talking to my girlfriend."

Don laughed and winked at Anna. "I don't think you've got anything to worry about with this one, but I'll try." He turned his gaze on Corie and smiled affectionately. "Corinne, it's good to see you again. I only wish it were under better circumstances. Are you okay?"

"Thanks Don, I'm fine. It's nice to see you again, too."

Don turned to talk to Grant and Anna lifted her eyebrows at Corie. "Corinne?"

Corie rolled her eyes. "Don't even think about it, he's the only one who gets away with calling me that. And that's only because he pestered me for years about what my real name was and I made the mistake of thinking telling him would shut him up."

They looked over at the two men talking and Anna noted with amusement that they both stood the same way, arms folded across their chests, heads tilted at the exact same angle.

"It's good that they're talking again, right?" Anna quietly asked Corie.

"I think so. I've always liked Don. I can't help it, he's a nice guy. They butt heads a lot and sometimes it seems like he is trying to piss Grant off on purpose, but he's not a bad guy. Grant's too hard on him. This is the longest they've been angry at each other since I've known him."

"What happened?"

"Nothing really, they're just two stubborn assholes. Don wanted to hire an expensive defense lawyer and Grant refused to let him. Don made a rude comment about how bad a conviction would look, Grant accused him of only caring about his career, they both blew up, next thing you know two years has passed and they haven't spoken to each other."

"That's so sad."

Corie shrugged. "Yeah, it is. They may not get along, but they're family and they're lucky to have each other. "

Anna looked at her speculatively, noting the envious tone to her voice. She felt a pang of regret. It had been nearly a month since she'd talked to her own family and she realized she missed them. The last time she called things hadn't been serious enough with Grant to mention him, but she had a sudden urge to tell her mother all about him and decided she'd have to do that very soon.

When the local news stations started showing up trying to get footage of the chaos Don left in hopes that it might put a damper on the paparazzi and the rest of them retreated into the restaurant, which had already been closed to customers for the evening. Grant had the remaining kitchen staff whip up some food and fed the remaining police and fire fighters, earning him the eternal goodwill of the city's finest.

Officer Cooper, who was quickly becoming one of Grant's favorite people, called and told Grant that the interrogations of the suspects were going quite well. Celia tried to blame Peter for everything, claiming he was the one with the gun and he made her drive to the bookstore to look for Anna so he could finish what he'd started a few nights before. When the police told him what she said Peter, who'd been uncooperative up to that point, started talking and didn't stop until the whole convoluted plan had come to light. He knew he could never afford the kind of lawyer Celia would be able to hire so he figured his best chance was to get the cops on his side.

He'd met her while he was working at her country club and they'd been sleeping together pretty much ever since. The whole time he'd known her, Celia had talked about this guy Grant and his club. When he'd opened his restaurant a year ago, she'd become fixated on hurting his business in the hopes that if she could get him desperate enough for cash, she'd be able to swoop in just in the nick of time to bail him out.

Celia had paid people, or had Peter come in town to pay people, to do everything from making false complaints to the health department to screwing up deliveries and when that didn't have the desired effect she'd come up with the scheme to frame Grant for tax fraud and report him to the IRS. When she'd asked Peter if he knew someone, preferably an attractive, easily controlled female, he would be able to convince to move to town and get a job at Grant's restaurant, he had immediately thought of his ex-girlfriend, Janette. She had a pill problem and was willing to do pretty much anything for cash.

And then Celia had arrived in town the week before and found out about Anna. Peter claimed she'd gone batshit crazy about it. She said he had to get to Anna, told him to do whatever he wanted to do as long as he made sure to mess up her face in the process, and even provided him a handful of roofies to do the job. It didn't make much sense to him, but he knew better than to argue with Celia when she'd made up her mind about something. He claimed he never had any intentions of actually hurting her, though according to Cooper the police were taking that with a grain of salt.

When Janette and Peter both got caught and arrested on the same night Celia realized that not only was the entire plan unraveling before her eyes, it was happening in such a way that she was at risk of being exposed. In an act of desperation she'd called in a bomb threat, hoping it would distract the police and bring negative publicity to the club. The next day Janette called her in hysterics after seeing Peter at the police station and threatened to go to the police and admit to everything. That was when Celia decided to take care of the evidence along with the witnesses and came up with the plan to burn the place down and frame Janette for it.