Fatal Attraction (Dark Desires 4)

“The second option is that I show you who I am. I know it must be killing you, not knowing after all this time. So, I will step out of this building and reveal myself to you. Of course, the moment you see my face you’ll have to be killed. Nothing personal, it’s just the only way. I’ve kept out of prison for this long and I want to keep it that way. Then, to stop their pain, I’ll be forced to kill your family as well. I don’t really want that, murder isn’t exactly the highest thing on my agenda. But, self-preservation, and all that. I’ll have to do it.”

“So, I either walk away and ignore the destruction that you cause on a damn daily basis, or I die and so does everyone else? Some choice old friend.”

“I’m giving you an out, because you’re an old friend.”

I suck in a deep breath. “I don’t want it. I don’t need an out. I’m not going to change my mind so you might as well come out here now. I came here knowing that one of us would die, so it’s time to find out which one.”

“It won’t be me. I’m always ten steps ahead of you. I think you should reconsider. I don’t want you to die, Will.”

I clutch my gun as ragged b

reaths fall past my lips. “I’m not going to die. Now come out here already.”

“You’ve made your choice.” He doesn’t sound too impressed. Did he actually think that I’d go along with his crazy plan? I would never turn a blind eye to what he’s doing. “I’m coming.”

I brace myself, stiffening my spine and rolling back my shoulders. The time has come. Everything that’s been building is all about to explode. I’m sure it won’t be pretty when it does.

Chapter Twenty Nine – Cici

I feel sick. Actually sick like I might throw up. I cannot believe this. I press my back harder against the brick wall so no one can see me while I listen in. Will sounds confident as he agrees to meet with this guy who’s going to kill him and his family for just seeing his face… but he wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t think that he could get out of this alive. He wouldn’t risk me and Jordan. I know that he also wouldn’t agree to turn a blind eye to a massive drugs operation going on under his own nose, but he’d pretend if he had to. His male pride might have caused us problems in the past, but I can see him clearly now. He’s doing what he thinks is best.

Who is it? I think anxiously as I wait. Someone who called Will an old friend. Does he know him?

I’m so glad now that I sent Michelle away with Jordan. She said nothing happened to him but she’s going to take him to the hospital just in case. I need to be one hundred percent certain. Then she’ll also contact the police and send Will some back up. Maybe I should have gone with her, but I trust her with my son, especially since Kingpin is here. I need to be sure that Will isn’t harmed as well. I want us all to survive this.

Will lifts his gun and he points it towards the door while he waits for whoever it is. I keep leaning forward a little bit, just to peek, but I don’t want anyone to see me. I cannot reveal I’m here. Not only will that destroy Will, it’ll also complicate things. Since Kingpin has spies everywhere he might already know, but I won’t risk it.

I hold myself in place while I wait for the inevitable gun shot to ring out. Will or Kingpin is going to kill the other, it’ll just be a race as to who pulls the trigger first. It’s a bit like a Western movie when they have a gun fight. Surely, all police work can’t be like this? It’s so tense it’s horrible. Cops must be a mess all the time!

“No!” Will finally calls out. I lean to see his gun falling downwards. Shit, something has distracted him which means he might well be in trouble. Maybe it’s time for me to step forwards and do something after all. “No, no, no. It can’t be. It cannot be you. I refuse to accept it.” His hand claps to his forehead. “I refuse to accept it.”

Someone, Kingpin, I assume, steps forward but I cannot see his face. He’s shrouded by shadows, but Will can see him very clearly. I can tell by the crestfallen expression he’s wearing. Maybe he does know this person.

“Why would you do this to me? What’s the point? You don’t need to be involved in this.”

“Oh, but I do.” I get a chill. I feel like I recognize that voice as well from somewhere. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. “I do. This is where my true success lies. The rest of it is all smoke and mirrors.”

“So, none of it’s real? And you have this other identity? That is so fucked up. How did I not know?”

“Will, I didn’t want you to know, so you never found out. If it were up to me then you would never know, but since you insist on poking around in my business, what choice do I have? I’ve had to show you.”

“For… for how long?” Will can’t seem to let go of the logistics, which I find very troubling.

“Ever since college. I started this when I was in business school. I met a guy who knows all about this stuff and we set up shop from there. Only small at first, but it grew and grew until I became the king of it.”

“Kingpin,” Will whispers, clearly very distressed as he does. “That’s what we call you, Kingpin.”

“Oh, I know.” He sounds pleased with himself. “I know all about everything. Ten steps ahead, remember.”

I need to make a stand now, I need to show myself. I have to stop this because Will is losing it. Kingpin has him so stunned that he barely even knows his own name any longer. If we’re not careful, he’ll end up dead. Anxiety bursts through my veins as I force my foot forward into the light, I’m about to reveal my location which will hopefully cause enough of a distraction for Will to snap out of it. There’s a chance that my presence will actually work in his favor rather than against him. That’d what I have to hope anyway.

But, just as my foot moves, something happens to halt me where I am. Will staggers backwards and Kingpin moves closer to him so they can keep up their little one sided stand off. The light flickers over him and I finally get to see his face. It has the same effect on me as it does Will, I’m so stunned that I forget about the mission completely. I almost fall to the ground in shock. This changes everything. Absolutely everything.

Landon. Annabelle’s husband. I might not know him well but I would recognize that face anywhere. It’s him, it’s been him all along, he is the man who kidnapped my son. He’s basically family and he did that to us. We have a member of the police in the family and a criminal too. This is insane. Will was Landon’s best man! Landon knew the whole time that his best friend was after him the whole time and he remained his best friend.

It’s sick! It’s almost as if Landon gets off on it. He likes the danger of being a criminal and of ruining his best friend’s life in the process. He must be a really twisted individual. And my cousin married him! Annabelle, she’s his wife and she might not know about any of this. I love the girl but she isn’t exactly the most switched on. She’ll love the money so much that she won’t care where it comes from. She’ll be too busy spending it.

Or maybe she does know. Their marriage has been weird. Maybe Annabelle found out afterwards – because she still got married far too quickly, way before she could know this man – and she’s been stuck ever since. That’s why she stays despite the arguments, it’s why she didn’t have a big anniversary party where all eyes would be on her, putting her in the spotlight which is her favorite place to be. She’s staying because she’s scared. She knows too much now and Landon won’t let her leave safely. She’s probably been far too scared to tell anyone about her miserable life for fear of what happens next. Maybe her phone call to me was a cry for help which I ignored…