Violent Beginnings (The Moretti Crime Family 2)

I stall and pull to the side of the road, waiting for them to head inside. Two men climb out of the front seats and together walk over to the passenger side door.

A second later, Fallon is being pulled out of the van. One man holds her by the arm while the other points his gun at her. I can only imagine what line of bullshit he is telling her. And even though it’s obvious she is afraid, she still holds her head high.

They disappear through a side door on the building, and as soon as they’re gone, I get out of my car. I’m not sure what they plan to do with Fallon, but protecting her is the most important thing to me. I move with grace and precision, pressing my back against the brick exterior of the building.

I spot the door they went through and consider going in that way, but choose not to at the last second. The element of surprise is what’s going to get me further. I can’t let these idiots or even Fallon know that I’m here.

Walking around the building, I find another door. It takes me all of ten seconds to pick the flimsy lock and slip into the building unnoticed. As soon as I’m inside, I hear voices. They carry through the air, a beacon of guidance. The building itself isn’t that large and looks like the type of property used for the overstock of equipment.

“Where is my sister? I did everything you wanted. I showed up alone, brought the drive. Please, just let my sister and me go. We won’t tell anyone,” Fallon pleads.

Sadly, there is no point in begging with these men. They don’t care.

One man laughs. “Your sister isn’t here, bitch, and we’re not letting you go. The plan was to kill you, but we changed our minds when we saw you at the coffee shop. You’re much too pretty to waste a bullet on.”

Radio static fills my head. I slip into the darkness. The place I feel most at home. These bastards will pay for touching her, for even thinking of putting their slimy fingers on her.

“No, no. This wasn’t the deal. I just want to save my sister!” Fallon starts to cry, and the last of my resolve snaps.

I descend into my mind and pull the gun from its holster at my side. Slipping between the racks, I wait until I’m closer before showing myself. Both men are standing right in front of Fallon while she sits on what looks like a chair with her hands tied behind her back.

“There’s no saving your sister. There isn’t even any saving yourself…” One guy leans in and touches Fallon’s face. She turns her face and tries to move away from his touch, but he crowds her. “I can’t wait to taste you… see if you’re as sweet as…” I don’t allow him to finish his thought. Lifting the gun, I point the barrel at him. He tilts his head to the side a smidge, and I take the shot.

Pulling the trigger, the deafening sound of the bullet leaving the chamber ricochets all around me. A soft gasp leaves Fallon’s lips as the bullet embeds in his forehead, and he falls backward, landing haphazardly against the concrete.

One fucker down, one to go.

The other man is so shocked, he hasn’t even reached for his gun yet. He’s still staring at the space his friend was just standing. I waste zero time and move a little to the left. I pull the trigger again. The bullet goes straight into his head, and much like his friend, he crumbles to the floor a second later. I rush forward and undo the rope binding her hands at her back. Fallon twists in the seat and audibly sighs when she sees me.

“I’m sorry, Markus. I just wanted to save her.”

Big fat tears tumble down her cheeks. She’s utterly defeated. I want to make it better, but the only thing that will make her happy is saving her sister, and that’s going to take a little more time.

“I know. It’s okay. I promised you I would do whatever I could, and I will,” I say as I pat down the two bodies.

“Why did you tell me to go? Why did you let me go if you were just going to follow me anyway?” Her voice cracks with unspoken emotion.

“I had to. They wouldn’t have come for you if I was there with you, and you didn’t trust me enough to let me help you. Now I’ve proven myself. Proven that I won’t let anyone hurt you.” I want to take her into my arms, but we need to finish this. We need to give Timothy what he wants, so we can save Fallon’s sister.

In my search of the bodies, I find a phone. Again, it’s a burner phone, and I navigate through the recent call history. Timothy’s number is the last number called, and I hit the green call button and put the phone on speaker.