by Forgy, M. N.
He scoffs. “You didn’t used to run, before you broke your brotherhood, you mean. You don’t run now, you’re committing suicide.”
“If I run, they’ll kill Jillian.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ. Who cares?”
“I care!” I get in his face, my chest puffing out in anger. I get he doesn’t understand Jillian and me—hell, I don’t understand it. But he better watch his fucking tone when it concerns her, and real fucking quick.
Looking down I see my rosary beads sitting in an open drawer. Stepping around Felix, I grab them. If I ever needed answers, needed a higher power, it’s now. If Uncle knows about me and her, we’ll both need a miracle to survive.
Placing them around my neck, they feel cold and foreign against my skin, but calm my racing heart.
“Do you love this, bitch?” Felix asks in disbelief.
That word ‘love’ seems simple compared to what I feel for Jillian. My love has turned into an obsession.
“I think so,” I answer honestly.
“Who the hell are you?” He shakes his head, his face contorted in disgust.
“I don’t know anymore.”
* * *
Heading up to the top floor where Uncle Frank is, Felix follows close behind me, whispering how stupid I am the whole time.
Entering his office, he’s standing behind his desk, a fat cigar in one hand and a rifle in the other.
“My favorite nephew. I’ve been looking for you!” He sing-songs loudly.
His dark hair is slicked back to the point it shines against the lights. His face is clean-shaven, his dark suit expensive-looking.
“I told your hood cat that your uncle was looking for you.” Cross sneers, eyeing Felix.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.” I can’t read if they know anything about Jillian or not.
“This one’s loaded.” Uncle tosses a rifle my way. Catching it, I turn it in my hands.
“What’s this for?”
“We have a sheriff who’s gone rogue. He’s not accepting our money anymore, and is becoming a problem.”
I haven’t heard of any such thing. Bones said we were paid up on everything without mishap.
“What do you mean? Which of our men?” I ask suspiciously. I don’t trust Uncle Frank, not at all. Not after the way shit’s unraveled here recently.
“One of mine. You don’t know him.” He sets his cigar down, blowing out a puff of smoke.
“This certain sheriff has been getting on my last nerve for a while now. He’s a lesson, my boy, a lesson that needs to be taught tonight.”
I shake my head, giving the rifle back. I don’t want anything to do with his dealings, and I don’t want him in the club’s, either. This is a good as time as ever to make that clear.
“No, I don’t think so. And now that I’m here, I need to tell you something. Your casino and my club are two very different things, and we need to separate our dealings now.”
Felix tenses behind me; I don’t look, but I can sense it.
Uncle looks down, refusing to take the rifle from me.
“Is that right?” Grabbing his cigar, he takes a large puff off it. “I knew this day would come, the day you thought you were man enough to take over. I tell you what, you let me use your men one last time and it’s a deal. I need this done tonight, and don’t have enough men to do it.”
“I don’t know,” I respond, palming the rifle. A rifle will kill any law enforcement, even if they’re wearing a bulletproof vest.
“If it’s a no, then I assure you I will not be going anywhere.” His words come out threatening. Lifting my gaze from the gun to him, my fingers grip the trigger. I could end this right now. I could shoot him.
“I tell you what. You want to be a spoiled fucking brat, you and your vice president can walk, and I’ll make sure you remember it!” Cross threatens, aiming his gun right at us. I couldn’t kill my uncle right here if I wanted to; Cross would take me out.
“Decide now!” Uncle roars.
I remember the last time I hesitated on a job. If I don’t accept this, Cross will find my brother or mother and hurt them. Maybe even Jillian. There’s no time to think things through in my world; you have to be able to think on your toes and roll with the punches.
“Dude,” Felix whispers behind me. “Just take the fucking deal.”
“Who’s the deputy?” I ask on an exhale. It’s a guy, so I know it’s not Jillian.
“It isn’t a deputy… It’s a Lieutenant.”
Jillian
Heading back to the department, my stepdad seems off. He’s really stiff, and his forehead is sweating profusely.
He checks his phone, and looks over his shoulder.
Now, I’m worried.
“What’s going on?”
“What?” His head snaps my way, confusion on his face.
“I said, what’s going on?”
“Nothing, just not feeling well.”
“5Paul55.”
“Shit!” he curses, grabbing the radio attached to his shoulder.
“5Paul55.”
“5Paul55, got a call about a disturbance on Old Highway Seven. Mile marker 127.”
My dad bites his bottom lip, his hand rubbing his chin.
“Dad, you going to take that or what?” I try to snap him from whatever trance he’s in.
He inhales, and closes his eyes.
“5paul55, copy that. En route.”
Quickly, he turns the wheel, taking us onto the side road leading away from the city.
“It’s Lieutenant Oaks, Deputy,” he schools.
I smirk. There’s the brooding man I know.
I watch the mile markers one by one until we hit 127. Realizing there’s nobody here, I say, “Huh. I guess whoever it was is gone now.”
“Guess so,” Lieutenant Oaks mutters, stopping the car.
“Use the spotlight, look out into the desert.”
“No. Whatever was here is gone. Now, let’s get to the department before any more calls come in.”
Before he puts the car in reverse, headlights beam from across the way, shining right into my windshield.
Raising my arm to shield my eyes, I try to look past the light but can’t see a damn thing.
Lights flare at my dad’s side of the car, too, and he curses a prayer.
“Do you hear that?” I ask nervously. He stills, trying to hear what I am.
The sound of thunder, or a sequence of rumbles from afar.
“Jillian, I need you to stay in this car. Do you understand?”
My heartbeat stammers in my chest, fear running down my back.
“Why?”
The sound gets louder, and a bunch of tiny little lights shine our way from the road. There are a bunch of motorcycles heading our way.
“Just do what I ask.”
“I’m not going to just stay in the car!” I shout.
He turns and palms my cheek. “Jilly Bean, I want you to know I love you. I know I don’t say it much, but I do. When you came into our department, I hoped a new leaf would turn for our workforce. I want you to promise me you’ll keep that spitfire that burns so bright inside you.”
My eyes prick with tears, my fear escalating to the point I may hyperventilate.
“Why? What’s going to happen?” My mouth trembles, tears springing from my eyes.
“Promise me!” His tone is on the verge of pleading. All I can do is nod.
Movement catches my eyes. Looking out the windshield, there is a man in an expensive-looking suit, another man a little shorter standing next to him. But what catches my attention are the rest of the guys standing beside him wearing leather vests.
The man in the suit holds out his arm, his hand in a ‘come here’ motion.
“You get out of this car, they will kill you!” I cry at my father.
“If I don’t get out, they will come get me, and find you.” He pats my head and steps out of the car.
I want to scream, want to get out of the car, but I�
��m frozen to the seat.
My stepdad walks around the car, his hand on his gun.
They’re talking but I can’t hear them, so I roll the window down some.
“Frank, what seems to be the problem?”
Frank snaps his fingers, and Felix and Zeek step out of the crowd. My eyes widen, my hands gripping the dashboard without mercy. Zeek has that look, the one of a monster, his eyes gleaming like a wild animal caught in the headlights. His body is puffed out in anger, his eyes hollow and emotionless.
Before my dad has time to react, Zeek plows his fist into his gut.
I can’t help the scream that escapes my mouth. I grip the door handle to get out, but remember my dad making me promise I’d stay here.
I can’t help him.
There are two of us, and at least a dozen of them.
Grabbing the walkie, I call for backup.
“5paul69, open all lines. Officer down. Send backup to Old Highway Seven, mile marker 127!” I nearly scream the words I’m so worked-up.
The radio does a weird sound before the dispatcher repeats my call. Seeing how we’re so far out, it will take them forever to get here.
Zeek and Felix step back, and Frank steps forward, the short little guy I don’t know following closely behind him.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this, Lieutenant Oaks, but I’m afraid you’re a lesson that needs to be taught.”
My father is on his knees on the old broken highway, his head hung.
Felix steps forward and grips my dad’s hair, pulling his face to look up at Frank.
“What lesson? We had a deal, Frank!” my father shouts.
A deal? What deal? My mind races trying to figure it out, but everything is happening so fast I can’t keep up.
“I’m afraid that was off the table when lines were crossed,” Frank informs.
“Fuck you!” I wince at my father’s courage.
Frank smiles like the devil and turns, facing Zeek.
“The lesson will come to light very soon. I’m sure of it.” Zeek frowns in confusion, as does Felix. “Finish the job.”
The shorter guy hands Zeek and Felix a rifle. Everything around me blurs, my ears ringing.
My hand grips the door handle.
They aim at my father.
I scream.
A loud bang sounds, a second following quickly after, and I scream so loud I can’t hear anything else. I kick the door open and fall out of the car, trying to get to my dad faster than my body can keep up.
“No!” I sob.
Zeek’s eyes pop to mine, and Felix’s gun raises in my direction.
I skid to my father’s side and find little bullet wounds all over, his breathing barely audible as he struggles for air.
Blood soaks my uniform, staining my hands.
“Dad, wake up!” I cry, rocking him.
Sirens sound in the distance, snapping me out of my deaf state.
“I—I didn’t know,” Zeek stammers. Slowly, I take my gaze from my father to Zeek. He drops the rifle, his hands in his hair as his eyes look at mine with pure panic.
“I told you everything would come to light.” Frank chuckles at Zeek before walking in front of a line of men, all wearing leather vests.
“Kill the girl, too!” Frank orders. “You’ll learn, Zeek, that it is I who owns you. If it takes me taking another female from you for you to learn that then so be it.”
“Run!” Felix whispers harshly, his voice so low I barely understand him.
Zeek bends down, scooping me up in his arms quickly.
“Let go of me, he needs me!” I cry, trying to grab onto my father, my hands scratch at Zeek as he lifts me from my father’s lifeless body. “Please, put me down!” I beg.
My fingers claw at Zeek’s throat in effort to be released, and I rip the necklace from around his neck in the process. Beads fly everywhere, bouncing off the pavement as he manhandles me into submission. Zeek closes his eyes as if he’s in pain, before opening them with an unreadable look crossing his face and running towards the cruiser. Gunshots ring out, and I tense as bullets fly around us.
Quickly, he opens the driver’s side door and gets in.
“Damn!” Zeek falls into the seat, holding his arm as I scramble into the passenger seat. Blood appears in a small circle on his shirt, growing rapidly.
He throws the car in reverse, drifting into a complete circle before he speeds off.
“Shit, that burns.” Zeek pounds his fist against the steering wheel.
“Stop the car! Let me out!” I scream, needing him to turn around. Adrenaline races through my body to the point I feel dizzy.
He looks over at me, his eyes dark and ominous.
“STOP THE CAR!” I cry hysterically, my bottom lip trembling. “We have to go back.” My words are coming out hoarse from all my screaming.
His eyes flash with an unreadable look. It cuts me. My heart aches.
He just killed my father.
He just killed us.
“I hate you. I want nothing to do with you. You promised me you’d never hurt me.” The last of my words come out in a whisper.
“You’re mine, Jillian. I told you that.” He looks at the road for a second, then to me. “If I let you out, you die. If I stop, I die. We’re stuck together. You can’t escape me.”
“Escape?” I croak, his words scaring me.
The static of the radio surrounds us before a voice comes through.
“All units, all units. Please be advised for a stolen sheriff’s car. Deputy Jillian Adams and Zevin Deluca are noted to be armed and dangerous. Be advised.”
“How is that possible?” I shake my head, saltiness from my tears slipping between my lips. They should be coming to rescue me, not chasing after me.
“Because your entire department is dirty. My uncle is out for your blood, and he’ll use any and all resources he can.”
Shaking my head, I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe that everything I grew up wanting to be has been corrupted. I refuse to believe my father is dead, or that he was a part of it all. But most of all, I refuse to love Zeek anymore.
“Your father was dirty,” Zeek finally speaks. “The cops, sheriffs, highway patrol. Nine times out of ten, if they are working for the law enforcement in Las Vegas, they are working for us.”
“That’s bullshit,” I seethe, teeth gritted.
“Is it? Then why is there an APB out for your arrest, Jillian? Why is my club untouchable?”
His words sting. My wounds too fresh to hear all this. My father was a good man, taught me everything I know. It can’t be true.
That’s when I notice my hand clutching something. Opening my palm, I find a metal cross. It must have been a part of the necklace Zeek was wearing. Closing my palm, a sob wracks my body, my father’s last words coming to mind.
‘Jilly Bean, I want you to know I love you. I know I don’t say it much, but I do. When you came into our department, I hoped a new leaf would turn for our workforce. I want you to promise me you’ll keep that spitfire that burns so bright inside you.’
The words didn’t make sense then, but they do now. My body and mind are blanketed in a comfortable numbness as the words sink in.
My father was dirty.
I curl up in my seat, the feeling of any emotion bleak.
Zeek was right.
I’ll never escape him.
He owns me.
Without him, I will die.
“Where are we going?” I whisper, my eyes swollen from crying so hard. The void of my father no longer alive is eating at my insides.
“To my brother’s. To The Devil’s Dust.”
TO BE CONTINUED
Acknowledgments
Writing this book, was nothing short of amazing. I loved it so much. Don’t worry, book two has already been started and by the time you read this, it will be near ready for the editor.
I want to thank Chelle Bliss for helping me so much on my blurb, those damn things are tricky.
River Savage, and Lili St Germain, were a BIG help on my title, I was driving myself nuts trying to narrow it down. Also Lili, your advice on ‘no cookie cutter bullshit’, was epic and inspiring!
My betas were extremely helpful in smoothing out the kinks in my story. Brie, Rebecca, and Andrea… Thank you!
A huge shout out goes to Deputy Trenton for taking me along with him on one of his shifts at the city’s Sheriff’s department. I seriously found more respect for what law enforcement does being placed in the passenger seat for ten hours. I saw so many things I never knew went on, because they put their life on the line keeping us all safe. Plus, he was cool as shit… And kind of hot. ☺
My Little Devils, your support never ceases to amaze me. I love you girls.
I want to give a big thank you to my husband. He had to listen to me go on for months about my book, and he smiled and went along with it the whole time.
My kids, they were amazing. They just kept asking me stuff about cops, and sheriffs for the last three months. I loved it.
I want to say thank you, and big hugs from here to all the blogs that have taken part in reading, reviewing, and pimping this book. What you do takes a lot of time, and I know you get a lot of requests from authors so thank you so much. The Rock Stars Of Romance, LoveNBooks, Summer’s Book Blog, Our Kindle Konfessions, Literary Gossip, Kinky Book Obsessions, Bex N Books, Fictional Men’s Page For Book Ho’s, Kinky Girls Book Obsessions, Cheeky Chicks, Book, Hangover, and many more!
Nick Bennett, FuriousFotog, and Sara Eirew, you guys have been nothing but awesome to work with. Thank you!
Most of all, thank you for reading my work. It means so much to me to have you read and review my books. You’re making dreams come true for this little country author.
I love you all.
Mercy (Book 2)
Mercy (Book 2)
Copyright © 2016 M.N. Forgy
ISBN-13:978-1530669158
ISBN-10:1530669154