The Logan Brothers - Books 1-4: (EXPOSURE, CRASH, TWIN PASSIONS, and ADDICTED TO YOU)

by Shorter, L. A.

  “OK. I'll be with you soon. Don't do anything until I get there. I want to look this motherfucker in the eye before he leaves this world.”

  I shut the phone off and dialed another number. It rang and picked up quickly.

  “It's time,” I said.

  The was silence on the other end.

  “I'm going to text you the address. Memorize it and delete it. I'll see you there in 30 minutes.”

  I shut the phone off once more and stood, my legs heavy. It felt like nerves, but different. Nerves of excitement, nerves that signalled the culmination of a journey. For months my mind had been dominated with thoughts of retribution, of vengeance. Now I was about to see my promise to my father kept.

  I'm doing this for you father. I hope you're watching.

  ....

  “Remove it,” I said to Jones as he stood next to the man fixed to a chair.

  He grabbed the hood that was covering Lithgow's head and pulled it off him.

  Lithgow's eyes widened immediately at the sight of me, his words muffled by the tape covering his mouth. He mumbled loudly and thrashed around in the chair, his eyes growing in fear as he looked around the room.

  He sat in the center of an old barn, a trickling of rain dripping through cracks in the ceiling. The space was filthy and full of old equipment, rusted and disused. Old pitchforks and spades clanged lightly as they swayed in the breeze, the wind whistling in through holes in the weak wooden walls.

  I leaned in to him and whispered, his eyes coming back to mine and showing his terror. It was the look I had wanted to see for some time.

  “Now, I'm going to remove the tape around your mouth. There is no one nearby, so please don't dishonor yourself by screaming out.”

  I looked for agreement in his eyes before standing up and grabbing at the loose end of his gag, ripping it quickly off his face as he yelped in pain.

  His jaw was set firm, clenched, his eyes now beginning to burn. Fear, hatred, anger. They were all the sorts of emotions I wanted him to feel before he died. I wanted him to know what my father must have felt. I wanted him to suffer as my father had suffered.

  I walked casually over to the side of the barn and grabbed an old stool, placing it a couple of feet in front of him and sitting down. Jones stood behind him to the side, his own eyes betraying him. He was always so calm, so collected, so professional. But right now I could sense he wanted personal revenge as I did.

  I pulled a cigar from my pocket and lit it up, dragging the moment out as long as I could. He couldn't take it any more, his words slipping out from between gritted teeth.

  “What am I doing here Crash?! What the fuck do you think you're doing?”

  I raised my head to him, puffing nonchalantly on my cigar.

  “I think you know.”

  He shook his head vigorously, his voice beginning to rise in response to my callous relaxation. “I have no fucking idea! I gave you what you wanted. I got your project off the ground. What the fuck else do you want from me.”

  The stupid old shit was defiant to the end.

  “Don't play dumb Walter,” I said. “It won't save you.”

  His breathing began to increase, his eyes beginning to widen in fear once again. “Save me? What are you going to do?”

  I leaned forward on my stool, speaking slowly to elicit maximum impact.

  “I'm going to kill you Walter. End your miserable fucking life.”

  “No, no, you can't! Why would you?! What have I done to deserve this?! I helped you, I can still help you!” He was growing more frantic once more, shaking in his chair, the realization dawning on his stupid fucking head.

  “You thought you would get away with it?” I asked. “For killing my father?”

  He shook his head even more ferociously now, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

  “Your father? No, I had nothing to do with that. I could never kill anyone. I'd never do that. Your father was an old friend. Why would I do that to him? I've never hurt anyone in my life!”

  The guy was a good actor, I'll give him that. I guess when faced with your own death you'd do and say just about anything to survive.

  “An old friend? Do old friends screw each other over? Do old friends try to destroy each others' businesses? You were no old friend of my father. Not after what you did.”

  He kept this look of utter bewilderment on his face. “No, that was just business, and years ago. Why would I kill your father over that?”

  “Because he was coming for you!” I said quickly. “Because YOU were next on his list. You had to get there first, I understand that. I'd have done the same. But, unfortunately, my hand has also been forced. Someone needs to answer for his death.”

  “BUT I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. NOTHING!” he shouted, his words impassioned and desperate.

  At that the door behind me creaked open, the sound of the rain outside growing louder. I stood and turned suddenly to see Kyle walking in, his eyes looking over the scene in front of him. He looked pale, sick almost, his skin pallid and eyes dark.

  “Why are you so late?” I questioned fiercely.

  He shook his head, his voice weak. “I'm sorry, I - got lost.” It sounded like a lie.

  I looked him up and down. He looked as though he was about to throw up. Pull yourself together man, for fuck's sake.

  “Well you're here now. Kyle, meet Walter Lithgow, the man who murdered our father.”

  “No, no, I didn't do it! You have to believe me!” His eyes landed on Kyle, noticing his uneasy complexion.

  “Kyle, I didn't do it. Please, I didn't kill your father. I never would do that. Please, don't let him kill me.”

  I walked up to him and grabbed at his hair, pulling his head down and staring into his eyes.

  “Shut. Your. Mouth. Your pleas won't save you Walter. You're a fucking snake. Your silver tongue will get you nowhere this time. You can't manipulate your way out of this one.”

  I nodded to Jones as he kept on screaming and crying his innocence. I'd had enough of it, I couldn't hear any more. Jones stepped forward and launched his fist into the side of Lithgow's face, his head rocking and falling forward. That shut him up.

  A silence now fell on us, the clattering of rain on the roof of the barn the only sound breaking the quiet.

  I turned back towards Kyle, who looked at Lithgow's now limp body. His eyes were mournful.

  “Maybe he's telling the truth,” he said in a whisper, his eyes not deviating from the figure in the chair. “Maybe he didn't kill father.”

  I felt a pang inside me, something not fitting together. I couldn't place it, but my lust for revenge was beginning to desert me. What if it wasn't him? Was this all just a big mistake?

  No, it was all lies. He'd done it his whole life: lied and manipulated people to get what he wanted. Now he was trying to lie his way out of trouble, saying anything to save his life. He didn't deserve to live. For everything he'd done, for everyone he'd hurt and screwed over, he deserved what was coming to him.

  I reached for my belt and pulled out a gun. Kyle's eyes flared at the sight of it.

  “Crash, no. You can't do this.”

  I didn't listen to him. I didn't care what he had to say.

  “Crash, you don't know he did it. He might be innocent.”

  I lifted the gun to Lithgow's body, aiming it at his chest. My hand was shaking slightly, my finger locked to the trigger. I could hear Kyle pleading at my side, asking me to stop and think, to see reason.

  I was blind to him now, though. I had come this far, there was no turning back.

  My finger squeezed tighter, the trigger about to click. I stood there for what seemed like hours, my arm getting heavy, my hand continuing to shake as the tip of the gu
n swayed around Lithgow's body.

  I was breathing heavily, a grimace on my face, my eyes beginning to well up. This man had killed my father, robbed him of life. He needed to die.

  But....I'd never killed a man. I'd never gone that far. I thought it would be easy. I thought I'd almost enjoy it. I had dreamed of seeing someone pay for what they'd done, dreamed of being the one to do the job.

  But now that I stood there, I couldn't do it. I couldn't take this man's life.

  I felt a hand on my arm, the touch light. I looked up, the barn coming back into focus, and saw Jones. His eyes were like steel, his face expressionless.

  “You should leave Crash,” he said quietly. “You don't need to do this. It's better to keep your hands clean.”

  He slid the gun from my hand, my finger softening over the trigger as it slipped from my grasp.

  “Walk away Crash. Leave everything to me. I'll see it done.”

  Jones nodded at Kyle and I felt his arm at my back, turning me towards the door. He walked me towards it, the rain splattering down onto my head as I emerged into the dark evening.

  I felt completely numb. I had no idea what to feel.

  “I'm proud of you brother,” said Kyle as we walked. “Taking a life is nothing to be proud of.”

  It looked like tears were dropping from his eyes but I couldn't tell, not in the rain.

  A bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens in the distance, followed shortly by a heavy crack of thunder. The rain began increasing as we stood there, my clothes growing drenched as I looked up to the dark clouds. Another crack of thunder, followed quickly by another.

  But it wasn't thunder this time. No...it was the sound of gunshots.

  Chapter 22

  Elle

  I sat in a hospital bed, Tess and Alice and Lexi around me. They were pleading with me, asking me to see sense.

  “Go to the cops for Christ's sake Elle. The guy's fucking dangerous. Get a restraining order against him.”

  A restraining order. I'd heard it all before from many others. All of my friends back in California had sung the same tune. Now my new friends were demanding I do it as well.

  “Yeah Elle, if you get a restraining order he won't be able to come near you or he'll be put in fucking jail. Sounds like that's where he belongs.”

  I didn't say a word. I'd only been awake for 10 minutes or so.

  When Lexi had come running in, the world went fuzzy around me, everything fading in front of my eyes. She said I'd passed out right there in the parking lot.

  She'd managed to lift me into the car and drove me to the hospital. It was nothing, I'd just fainted, but she wanted to be sure. I thanked her for that as soon as I woke.

  Now it was dawning on me though. Brad was back in my life, haunting my steps. He'd been there in the audience as I danced. How long had he been watching me? How long had he been in town?

  It wasn't that he'd ever made any real threats of violence against me. It was more a suggestion in the way he spoke, the way he looked at me. Back in California, and now here, he'd told me he'd always love me, that he'd never hurt me.

  His actions, however, spoke otherwise.

  But a restraining order? Was it even possible to get one. I had no evidence that he was stalking me, I never did. It was just a feeling I got back home, knowing his eyes were constantly searching me out. Didn't you need some sort of real threat against you to get a restraining order? Didn't you need evidence?

  No one really got it. All my friends just went on what I told them, filling in the gaps and assuming he'd been violent against me or threatened to kill me or something.

  The truth was, I felt kinda sorry for him. He'd loved me so much and I abandoned him. I'd hurt him more than anyone ever could. So I tolerated his stares. I tolerated it when he told me he still loved me. I tolerated it because I understood the sort of pain he must have been feeling.

  That's why I left. I left so he could move on as much as I could. I left so that both of us could get on with our lives. I'd hoped that my absence would have brought him some peace, that he'd have found someone else and given up hope that I'd ever take him back.

  But no. He was here. He'd tracked me down. I was back at square one.

  The door to the room opened up and a nurse walked in.

  “Right ladies,” she said. “You're going to have to step back and give me some room. There's a few tests I need to do.”

  “But she just fainted, that's all. Can't we take her home?” It was Lexi.

  “There is no such thing as just fainting. Most of the time it's harmless but on some occasions it's a symptom of a more serious problem.”

  She turned her attention from the girls and onto me, her eyes consoling.

  “I'm sure its nothing, but we'd like to keep you in overnight just to make sure.”

  I nodded silently in the bed.

  “OK girls,” she continued, turning back around, “you're going to have to leave us for a little while. You're free to stay in the waiting room if you wish, although visiting hours are almost over.”

  “No, it's OK, you should all leave.” I said quickly. I didn't want to drag them all down.

  “But I want to stay,” said Lexi. “Can't I stay with her overnight.” She looked around the room. “There, I can sleep in that chair.”

  The nurse shook her head. “I'm sorry girls but no one can stay past 10, not unless a patient is seriously ill.”

  “Lexi, it's fine, I'll be all right. I'm tired anyway so could do with the sleep.”

  In truth I liked the idea of sleeping in the hospital for the night. I doubt Brad knew I was there. But he probably did know where my halls were by now.

  Lexi begrudgingly nodded and stepped towards the door along with the other two.

  “I'll be back tomorrow morning to take you home,” she said. She was so sweet, I loved her.

  I smiled and nodded. “Thanks babe, you're a star.”

  With that they all filtered out into the hall, leaving me alone with the nurse.

  “So what brought this on?” she asked.

  I sighed and prepared my lie. The truth would stay with me.

  Chapter 23

  Crash

  I felt deflated.

  It wasn't how I'd imagine I'd feel. Not now, not after what had happened.

  I'd dreamed for months about catching my father's killer and getting my revenge. Now it all felt so hollow, so empty. Something troubled me about it all, something I couldn't place.

  Had the wrong man died? Had Lithgow really been the cold hearted killer I thought he was?

  The thought had stayed my hand when he sat in front of me. I knew that I'd regret it forever if I'd pulled the trigger. Jones, though: he could handle it. Just another day at the office for him.

  I'd dug myself into a corner. I had no choice but to see Lithgow dead after taking him to that barn. Had he gone free, I didn't know what would have happened. If he really was the man responsible for my father's death, my own life would be under threat, as well as those of my family.

  I couldn't take that risk. Guilty or not, I had no choice but to remove him from the equation.

  The days after it all went down I'd struggled to sleep, thoughts of that night now dominating my mind. I turned things over and over in my head, trying to convince myself that he was the culprit. Yet there was always a piece missing, something in his eye, something in his pleading voice that made me unsure.

  I guess now I'd never know.

  ....

  “To the future,” I said, raising my glass.

  Four other glassed raised up to meet mine in the middle.

  “And the prosperity of this family.”

  They all repeated the words in unison, my body
stirring at the sound. It was the first time I'd gathered together all of my brothers to fill them in on my plan. Up until now, only Kyle had been aware of the new casino project that would send our family name into the stratosphere. Now it was time for the others to be included.

  I had plans for all of them, plans to move them on from their current positions and bring all of the family together to manage and run the casino and hotel we were building. I wanted us all to benefit, I wanted us all to have a single purpose, a single perspective. I wanted all of them to share in my vision.

  “There was something else I wanted to talk to you all about,” I said, “something you all deserve to know.”

  I could see them all leaning in, gravitating towards me.

  “Our father has been avenged,” I said, trying to inject some triumph into my voice. “The man who killed him has been dealt with.” I felt a sting on my tongue as I spoke, still not sure if I really believed the words.

  I looked around at them all, their eyes widening. All except Kyle's. His lowered to the floor. He knew what happened that night.

  “Who was it?” asked Cade, leaning in.

  “A man called Walter Lithgow.”

  “Lithgow?” asked Zack. “The investor?” I was surprised he knew of him.

  I nodded.

  “But why would he kill dad?”

  “Suffice to say they were old business friends-turned-rivals. Things took an ugly turn and this is the result.” I didn't want to go through it all again. I wanted to put it out of my mind forever now.

  “Now understand that none of this can ever leave this table. No one can ever speak of this again, do you all understand? I just thought you all deserved to know.”

  They all stared on at me and nodded.

  “Good. Now let's raise a glass to our father, Charles Logan. To dad.”

  “To dad.” They all said together.

  I sat back down in my seat. I felt weary, tired. Tired of all of this, tired of thinking about my father and Walter Lithgow, tired of wanting revenge. That lust had been sated, replaced with a feeling of guilt and remorse. It weighed heavy, like a rock chained around my neck.