Fuck, I should have texted the agents.
Cold steel presses against the base of my neck as my gun is confiscated from me. The guy gives me a quick pat down as Lewis limps out from around the corner, his face a battered, swollen mess. The betrayal in his eyes has lead settling in my gut. “What’s going on, Lewis?”
I’m praying it’s not what I think it is.
He shakes his head, but before he can respond the sound of clapping erupts through the silence. A man in a business suit walks up behind him, a cold smile on his face as he applauds. “At last we meet, Mr. Knight.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I ask, not in the mood for his games, hating his arrogant demeanor on the spot.
The guy rears back in shock before throwing his head back and laughing. “Well, considering you’ve been locked up for a while, I guess I shouldn’t be too offended that you don’t know who I am.” He pauses, wanting to give me a moment to figure it out. I stare at him, unimpressed, and wait patiently for his answer. “I am Phillip Allan, the mayor of this fine city.” He boasts the name as if he’s the president of the United States. “Some also refer to me as Boss.”
You have got to be shitting me, the mayor of Charleston is Boss?
“I have to admit, Mr. Knight, you had me fooled for a while. I’m really disappointed in myself. I should have looked further into your background, but I thought I could trust my right-hand man here, which ended up being my first mistake. Never trust a criminal, right?”
My hands clench at my sides as he knocks Lewis upside the head, especially when he takes it, keeping his head down. It’s clear he’s fucking terrified of this guy. Not something I’ve ever seen from him before. I hold on to my composure, appearing calm when what I really want to do is knock him out. “What do you want?”
“I’m sure you have figured out why you’re here.”
“I assumed it was to find out the details for the final but considering you have someone holding a gun to my head…” I trail off with a shrug.
Amusement lights up his face. “I have to admit it’s clever that the feds picked an ex-con to do their dirty work. I’m sure they told you what I did to their last agent, yes?”
I remain calm, hoping this is only a suspicion of his. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do, it’s why you were released early.” He shakes his head. “It’s such a shame. I was really looking forward to the final and so were many others. Many people are going to be very angry with this deception of yours and a lot of money will be lost because of it. You really have no idea who you double-crossed.”
“I haven’t double-crossed anyone.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, Boss, he wouldn’t do this. I know him and he’s—” Lewis’s protest is cut off when he’s knocked in the head again.
“Shut up! This is your fault!”
Fury settles in my gut, wearing down my patience. “Listen, asshole, whoever your source of information is they’re wrong. I’m not working for the feds so cut the shit and keep your fucking hands to yourself.”
His sharp, furious eyes snap back to mine. “Oh believe me, Mr. Knight, my source of information is very accurate. Now I don’t have time for any more games. I’m going to need you to tell me everything the feds have. If you do so immediately I will make sure to end your life quickly. If you don’t…well let’s just say you don’t want to find out the consequences.”
He can’t be fucking serious.
I watch him calmly, refusing to show any fear. “There’s nothing to tell.”
He sighs with disappointment. “I was afraid you would say that.” Craning his neck back he calls out to someone. “Darling, can you come out here and join us please?”
“Coming, Daddy,” a female voice answers, sounding vaguely familiar. “Come on, bitch, move.” I hear, just before she steps out from around the corner.
Shock jolts through my body like a bolt of lightning as I recognize Anna’s roommate, Charity. Fear blooms in my chest and I find it hard to breathe when I see her pushing Anna in front of her. “Jesus, Anna!”
As I start toward her I’m yanked back, but my instincts kick in and my composure snaps. With fast precision I spin around and lock my arm around the asshole’s elbow, then pull back until I hear it snap. His howl of pain explodes through the stagnant air as I catch the gun falling from his hand and slam the butt of it into his head, knocking him out.
At the sound of Anna’s cry, I turn around and train the gun at Mayor Allan to see him pointing one down at Anna as she’s forced to her knees, with Charity’s arm wrapped around her neck.
“I’m surrounded by imbeciles,” he seethes.
“The stupid bitch cut my lip,” Charity whines, wiping the blood from her mouth. “You’re going to fucking pay for that.” She yanks Anna’s head back by her hair, drawing another cry from her.
My hand trembles with the urge to pull the trigger. “Let her go now or I’ll put a bullet in your fucking head.”
“That’s not going to happen. Drop your weapon, Mr. Knight, or I will not hesitate to blow this girl’s brains out.”
“Logan.” Anna’s fearful whimper pierces my raging heart, but I don’t look at her, knowing I’ll lose my head if I do.
For the first time since Anna walked out I notice Lewis standing between Mayor Allan and Charity. Out of my peripheral vision I see him moving closer to Charity. My eyes meet his for the briefest second and he gives me a subtle nod. Relief fills me to know I have him on my side, giving me a small measure of hope to get us out of this. I
will
get Anna out of this, no matter the cost.
“Drop your weapon before you force me to kill her right now,” the mayor threatens again.
I shake my head. “I can’t do that. Not until you let her go.”
A malicious smile takes over his face. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Mr. Kni—”
Before he can finish his sentence I pull the trigger, but unfortunately he does, too. My stomach bottoms out and my head spins. Everything around me falls into a dream-like state, moving in slow motion. Anna’s scream penetrates through the blood rushing in my ears as Lewis slams into her and Charity. I run toward them as the mayor drops from my bullets, one hitting him in the head. Just as I reach them, chaos explodes around us. I jump on Anna and cover her.
“Freeze, nobody move.”
Looking back, I see feds swarming the place with their guns drawn. “Oh god, oh god,” Anna’s choked whisper breaks through the sound of my thundering heart. I bring my gaze to meet hers. She stares up at me, her tear-filled eyes wide and fearful as she trembles beneath me.
“Shit! Anna, baby, you okay?” Rising up, I run my hands down her body and check for injuries, remembering Allan pulled his trigger the same time as I did.
“Yes, are you?” she asks, shakily.
“Yeah, baby, I’m good.” Now that I know she’s okay I drop a kiss on her lips, needing to reassure myself. I’ve never been so fucking scared in all my life. A sob erupts from her, exploding against my lips. “Shh, I’m sorry, Anna. I’m so sorry,” I apologize, hating she was caught up in this shit all because of me.
“I was so scared for you.”
“I’m okay, I—”
“Anna!” Jaxson’s shout interrupts me.
I turn my head to see him frantically searching for her.
How the fuck did they find us?
“Come on.” I stand and help her to her feet.
Jaxson quickly spots us through the crowd. He races over and pulls her into his arms. “Jesus, are you guys okay?”
“Yes,” Anna whispers. “Thanks to Logan.”
I shake my head.
Yeah, thanks to me she was almost killed.
The agents walk over to us, looking as unnerved as I feel. “What the fuck happened? How the hell did you know where I was?” I ask.
“Because of me,” Jaxson answers, raising even more questions.
“You?”
“I put a tracking device in your phone a while back in case something like this happened. There’s one in Anna’s, too. When you guys didn’t come back to the gym, and I couldn’t get a hold of either of you…” He trails off with a shrug.
Anna gapes at him, both of us in shock over his unapologetic revelation.
What the fuck?
I’m about to rip into him for not fucking telling me but before I can say anything I’m cut off by an alarmed shout: “We need a medic over here, STAT!”
I turn to see a cop kneeling on the ground next to Lewis. “Shit!” I push my way through the crowd and drop down next to him. Dread swallows me whole when I see he’s lying in a pool of blood. I realize the mayor’s bullet hit him. “Oh shit, Lewis!” I grab his hand as the cop puts pressure to the gaping wound in his chest.
“I tried to stop him from taking her,” he mumbles weakly. “I didn’t mean for this to happen…” His words trail off as he coughs and sputters up blood.
“Shh, it’s okay, man. Don’t talk. You’re going to be fine.”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are! Don’t say that.” His eyes briefly shut, scaring the fuck out of me. I glance behind me, looking for the medics. “Come on! Where the fuck is the ambulance?”
“They’re coming, ETA is three minutes,” an officer yells back from the entrance, where I see Charity getting escorted out of in handcuffs.
“Logan,” Lewis’s hoarse whisper brings my attention back to him. “We’re good—okay? I…” His breathing becomes shallower as he gasps painfully for breath.
“We can talk later. Save your energy.”
He shakes his head. “No, I need to say this. I know why you did it, and I don’t blame you. You’re better than me, always have been.”
I grind my teeth against the fire burning my throat. “That’s not true. When you’re better, we’re going to hit the fighting circuit and cause havoc, just like we talked about.” Even as I mutter the words I know I’m lying, I know it’s not going to happen.
His hand squeezes mine gently as a small grin quirks his lips. “You got this, brother. Conquer the world.” Those are the last words he speaks. With a final puff of air, his grip slackens from mine and he slips away.
His lifeless body blurs in front of me as my eyes burn with the same intensity squeezing my throat. “I’m sorry, man, so fucking sorry,” I whisper, knowing it’s not enough. It will never be enough and this guilt will plague me for the rest of my life.
Logan
D
awn creeps in through my bedroom window as I lay in the quiet of the morning, staring at Anna’s beautiful face that’s soft with sleep. Her warm, naked body pressed against mine brings the only small measure of peace I’ve felt since Lewis’s death. I can’t stop thinking about the double standard. I wish more than anything that bullet never hit him, but then I remember it would have hit Anna and just that small thought has a searing pain slicing through my chest. None of it is fair, not even with that asshole being dead do I feel any kind of justice has been served for Lewis.
Where the fuck did it go so wrong? This whole operation went to hell and there are still too many unanswered questions. How did my cover get blown? Was it just from that psycho bitch Charity? Somehow I doubt it, and the agents agree. Even if it started as a suspicion, somehow they found out the truth. We can’t even out the mayor yet, for the piece of shit he is, until we find out how I was discovered. Something I’m apparently not going to be a part of since my cover has now been blown and we aren’t sure who all knows about it. The only thing I can hope for is that bitch, Charity, cracks soon and gives us something. I thought for sure she would have caved by now, if you ask me the agents need to be using a more threatening tactic. Give me an hour alone with her and I’d gladly make her talk. Anything to bring Lewis justice.
A knock sounds at my door, pulling me from my tortured thoughts. I glance at my bedside clock to see it’s still early. Not wanting Anna to wake up, I carefully sneak out from under her then throw on my jeans before walking out. As I get to the door I look out the peephole first and curse when I see it’s Bill, Anna’s father.
I’m so not in the mood for this shit this morning.
With a heavy breath I reluctantly open the door. Awkward silence fills the air as his gaze moves over me, taking in my half-naked state.
“Anna’s still sleeping,” I say, in a way of greeting.
He clears his throat. “I figured she would be. I’m not here to see my daughter, I’m here to see you.”
“Me?”
He nods and gestures behind me. “Can I come in and talk to you?”
I want to tell him no but I don’t because it’s Anna’s father. No matter how he feels about me, I love his daughter, and I know she misses him. Moving aside I allow him to enter, and try hard not to care what he thinks as he takes in my small apartment.
“What can I do for you, Bill?” I ask, wanting to get this conversation over and done with.
“I want to apologize for the way I acted the other week. I was upset and worried about Anna when I went to her dorm and she wasn’t there. When I found out she was with you, I was caught off guard and thought I had been lied to, but I still shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, so for that I’m sorry.”
I lean back against the wall and cross my arms. “It’s not like you didn’t speak the truth. The fact of the matter is I am an ex-convict or rather, a
criminal
, as you put it.”
“You may have been convicted of a crime, Logan, but you are no criminal and we both know that. I was angry and said things I didn’t mean.”
I watch him for a minute, suspicion rearing its head at his sudden change of heart. “Why now? Because, let’s be honest, you’ve always hated me, you never wanted Anna to be with me.”
“I never hated you. I resented the hell out of you, but not hate. Actually, I was quite envious of you.”
A bitter chuckle escapes me but it vanishes when I realize he isn’t kidding. “You’re serious.”
“Very,” he replies, his gaze never leaving mine. “When my daughter came into this world I vowed that I would protect her at all costs. I would never let anyone hurt her. Seven years ago my entire world was shattered when I got the call she was taken. I knew I had failed.” He pauses, visibly swallowing. “When she came home I made another vow that I would not let her down again. I would do everything to restore her life, but nothing I did worked. Nothing I did made her feel safe. She lived in constant fear. Every night her mother and I were awoken by her screams of terror, until one night they stopped. Just like that.” He snaps his fingers. “It didn’t take me long to figure out why. From the second night I knew you were sneaking into my home and into her bedroom.” I falter, his admission shocking me. “I was furious, as you can imagine. Not only the thought of a guy in my daughter’s bed made me angry but—”