Violent Beginnings (The Moretti Crime Family 2)

I look at the gun in his other hand. Yes, yes, he’s going to do it.

“If you lie to me, I’m shooting both of them.” He doesn’t even blink.

I’m trapped in a corner, and even though the gun isn’t pointed at my head, it might as well be. Telling him the truth will ruin my chances of saving my sister, but what choice do I have? None. I have no choice.

“Please, Markus, don’t hurt them. They have nothing to do with this.”

“Tell me, now!” he roars like a beast, slamming his fist down on the center console, the rage in his voice making me shudder.

“Okay.” The air wheezes out of my chest, and I close my eyes and open them again, trying to calm myself enough to fully speak.

“They… they took my sister and forced me into doing the auction. When I went into the office, I was trying to call them so that I could let them know I was alive. I’m worried they’ll kill her if I don’t get in contact with them soon.”

Markus remains staring at me, not saying a single word. He’s quiet, and that scares me. Why isn’t he saying anything? Does he not believe me? Is he still going to shoot my parents? I find it hard to breathe, my lungs burning as if they have no oxygen in them.

“Please, don’t kill them. Please! You have to believe me, Markus.” My voice rises with each word I say till it sounds like I’m screaming.

“Stop! Calm down. I’m not going to hurt anyone,” he snaps, and immediately, I close my mouth. Why is it that even though he just threatened my parents’ lives, I want to bury my face in his chest and have him soothe the fear that he put there.

I breathe deeply in and out of my nose a few times to try and get myself to calm down.

He’s not going to hurt them. Everything is going to be okay.

Giving me a moment to gather my wits, he asks a second later, “Who are they?”

I shake my head. “They wore masks when they took me. They told me that they would kill her if I didn’t do as they said. All I wanted was to call her to make sure she was okay…”

Markus puts the gun back into the glovebox and closes it. Even though it’s put away, I’m still afraid. Afraid of what he threatened. Afraid of what might have happened. I’m shaken to the core, completely rattled, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to piece myself back together.

Putting the car in drive, Markus pulls away from the curb and starts driving once more. I look back at my parents’ house, wondering what they would think of me right now. I yearn to go in there, to hug my mom and tell her I’m sorry, but all I do is watch the house get smaller in the rearview mirror as we go further down the road.

I glance over at Markus, his features are unreadable, and I’m not sure what he’s thinking or if he even believes me. I want him to hold me, take me into his arms, and tell me everything will be okay, but he won’t. That’s not the type of man he is. He’s not going to comfort me or care for me. He’s going to take and take until there is nothing left.

“When we get back to the cabin, I want you to write the number down.”

All I do is nod. I’m not sure what he plans to do. Perhaps call them? I turn in my seat and look out the window, watching my hometown flash before my eyes as we drive away. How am I possibly going to save my sister now? I doubt Markus is going to let me call them. And even if I do… if he finds out that I only told him half the truth, I don’t know what he’ll do.

I squeeze my eyes closed and breathe deeply through my nose. The walls are closing in around me, and there’s nowhere for me to escape. I’m stuck, and the closer the walls get, the more anxious I become. Soon they’ll squeeze the truth right out of me, and when that happens, I’m not sure Markus and I will be on the same side anymore.

Not once he discovers what I was sent here to do.24MarkusYou would think I would be used to despair, dealing with those with a broken soul, being in the business that I am but seeing Fallon so completely broken. So scared and frightened. It fucking ruined me. The guilt presses down on me, and with every thump of my heart, the pressure inside my chest grows.

Despite the guilt, I can’t let her off the hook. Yes, she was forced to lie to me, but she lied to me, nevertheless. Matter of fact, she is still lying to me. Because there is no way she doesn’t know more.