Violent Beginnings (The Moretti Crime Family 2)

The phone rings twice. “You better have her.”

“Your men are dead. It’s time to end this, Timothy. I have the footage right here, on a thumb drive. Just tell us where Fallon’s sister is.”

“You don’t call the shots, Markus.” The disdain in his voice is suffocating. “There is a laptop on one of the shelves. Open it and upload the drive to the computer.”

“Fallon,” I whisper, pulling her attention back to me. Her gaze snaps to mine, and I extend my hand out to her. “I need the thumb drive.”

With a nod, she reaches into her pocket and retrieves the tiny object. She places it in the palm of my hand with trembling fingers. I want to cover her hand with mine and tell her everything will be okay, but the truth is, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.

I spot the computer sitting across the room. My boots slap against the concrete as I walk over to it. The screen lights up, and I click guest on the welcome page. The process to upload the video takes less than five minutes.

“It’s done,” I growl into the phone and slam the laptop closed. “Now, tell us where Fallon’s sister is.”

“I told you… you don’t call the shots, Markus. This is my game, my rules. I’ll be in touch about the sister.”

The line goes dead, and I grit my teeth before tossing the fucking phone at the nearest wall. He got what he wanted. He got the fucking video, so why is he still holding her sister hostage? Fallon lets out a ragged sob, and it’s soul-shattering and heartbreaking. I’ve heard a lot of crying, begging, and pleading in my life, but nothing that’s ever sounded like this.

I walk over to her and take her frail body into my arms. I hold her tightly to my chest and let her cry, knowing she needs me, knowing that for once… we’re on the same page.

“I will get your sister back for you, Fallon. I will. I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll get her back for you,” I whisper and brush a kiss against her forehead.

I won’t let her down.

Timothy is going to pay.33FallonI didn’t know the gaping hole in my chest could get any bigger until the moment I heard Timothy say he wasn’t releasing my sister. Now every time my heart thumps, it feels like it’s only half working, half supporting my body. I’m disoriented and confused. I did everything he asked.

I betrayed Markus, brought the video, endured pain, fear, and humiliation, and I’m still no closer to finding her. Thankfully, Markus showed up when he did. Part of me knew he had to be following me while the other hoped he wasn’t.

Utter defeat overtook me when Timothy said he would be in touch. I won’t lie. Part of me wanted to die. I knew my sister was going through a fate much worse than I, and even after all I’ve done, she was still going to continue to endure the poor treatment. It was a slap in the face.

Arriving back at the penthouse, Markus holds me in his arms and carries me to the elevator, holding me to his chest, cradling me like a baby, and only releasing me once we’re safe inside the protective walls of his apartment.

He places me on the couch, and the loss of warmth from his body makes me shiver. I tuck my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around my body. I hate myself right now. Hate that I have him here. That I am protected and safe while Amelie is still out there. Markus sits beside me, his penetrating gaze moving over my body like he has x-ray vision.

“Did you look at what was on the thumb drive?” His voice is deep, like a canyon with jagged peaks.

I nod my head. “I saw Victoria. She looks like me.”

Somberness creeps into his features. “That’s how he knew I would want you. You’re the spitting image of each other. Beautiful, blonde, and a smile that lights up the room.”

It was a bit shocking to see how much we resembled each other, and it hurt to know that he only bought me because I looked like her… a ghost of his past.

My throat tightens. “I’m sorry, Markus. I didn’t want to leave. Aren’t the police going to come for you now? With those images out there, surely, he’s going to hand it over to them.”

Markus’s thick brows furrows. “I thought you watched the video?”

“I only looked at the pictures on the drive. I was afraid to watch the video. I didn’t want…”

“The image you have of me inside your head to change?” he finishes my thought.

I nod my head and look away shamefully. It’s a complete contradiction for me not to watch the video. I know the type of man he is and have experienced it firsthand. Still, I don’t want to see him in a worse light than I already do. The thought of him killing a woman that looks just like me makes me want to run away instead of seeking comfort in his arms.