Page 23 of Four Times Saved

To say I was a bundle of nerves would be an understatement. I was jittery, my palms sweated as I tapped my fingers against my jumping thighs. My chest was tight but I could already envision joy. Today is the day we get Lily back, I thought, swallowing on the drive over to Marco's. And that was what washed away all the thoughts of getting my personal revenge on the person who took her. I just wanted her to be safe. Once she was in my arms again, nothing else would matter. The police could deal with his ass, or Tyler, I didn't care. Once she was back with us, where she belonged, I wouldn't waste another minute on anyone but her.

"Wait here." Tyler hopped out of the vehicle and started walking around the perimeter of Marco's house, looking into windows. It was broad daylight, yet he was so smooth with it, anyone would think he was a friend of the family or something. He strolled back over to the vehicle, so slowly, my breath got trapped inside my chest. "He's alone," he confirmed with a nod before allowing us to follow behind him. "Let me do the talking, okay? You're emotional about this, I'm not. I can be more rational about it."

"I can be rational," Matt said with a red face and swollen cheeks as if he was about to pop at any moment.

"Deep breath," I told him, pretending I was in control of my own emotions.

Tyler pounded his fist against the door before calling out Marco's name in a familiar, friendly way. It produced a tall, slim, unshowered man with a wooden necklace hanging from his neck, an unbuttoned shirt baring his sparsely hairy chest who looked as if he couldn't decide whether or not he was going to the beach or going to bed in his dingy sweats. He sported a black mustache and wore his long black hair pulled back in an unbrushed loose ponytail. His pupils were dilated as fuck as he looked at the three of us, pulling his brows together.

"Who the hell are you?" He fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot and keeping his hand on his doorknob.

"Are you Marco?" Tyler asked with a smile. I attempted to play along, raising my hand in a half wave and forcing a half smile, before dropping it and looking away. Matt scowled at me.

"Depends who's asking," he said.

Tyler's smile dropped. He lowered his voice and pierced him with his eyes. "We're here for Lily."

Marco scoffed out a laugh. Both Matt and I locked eyes onto him, Matt's eyes were wild, heat rose within me. He was laughing?

"Lily? What the fuck? Why would she be here?" He folded his arms. "I don't know if she told you, but we broke up years ago, bro. So if you're her dealer or some shit, and you're here to collect money from her, she's giving you the run-around boss man." He moved to shut the door and I panicked.

"We have the..." I began to speak, referring to the ransom, but Tyler stopped the door with his foot and stepped inside Marco's place. Matt stormed in after him and I did the same. The warm, rank odor that hit us as soon as we stepped in could knock us out if we weren't careful. Fuck, with the fentanyl crisis, I hoped we weren't inhaling that shit. That only made me rush throughout the house even faster.

"You don't mind if we take a look around, do you?" Tyler asked after we stormed through the house.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever." Marco's voice wobbled. "You won't find anything. I'm telling you the truth. I haven't seen that bitch in years. She ain't here, man."

"So, where is she?" Tyler doubled down.

"How the fuck should I know?" I heard Marco shriek as I banged open doors. A thud, a yelp and a crash, in that order, came from the room he and Tyler were in.

The air was damp with sweat, dust, and ballsack. Just straight up body odor and ass. I couldn't stand to be in there for more than a couple of minutes, and the thought of Lily being here for countless hours was making me sick. Was this how they used to live? What he subjected her to? I remembered the state of her childhood home when we just met, and seeing this now? No wonder her head was messed up. Marco preyed on that. But she left that life behind, and if he'd brought her back to that state, I'd...I didn't know what I'd do.

Remember the hunger for violence that had been quenched earlier? Well, it was returning with full force now with every door I opened. I got satisfaction from every echoing blow that landed on Marco's body.

Dirty needles littered the bathroom. Nothing in here had been washed for a while. The more doors I opened without spotting Lily, the more starved for vengeance, and wound up in impatience and anxiety I became. Until Matt stood frozen for a couple of seconds at a door he'd opened. He rushed forward and I hurried in behind him, wind knocked out of me. Dirty blond hair peeked out from beneath some covers. The luster was lost, leaving it scraggly and greasy.

"Is it her?" I asked as Matt ripped the cover off the body.

We both stumbled backwards. A pale woman lay unconscious and naked in the bed. But she wasn't Lily. I wasn't sure what to feel. Shaking, I staggered forward. Matt's hand trembled as he swiped it across his face.

"Is she alive?" I managed.

Matt swallowed, reaching out with hesitation to check her pulse, but she turned over as if sensing our presence. She remained asleep, snoring, and her back was visible to us now. Purple, black, and blue bruises marked the slender arch of the area close to her spine, and I shuddered. Images of Marco laying a single finger on Lily blackened my sight.

Spinning on my heels, I marched back into the living room to find Tyler wiping the blood away from his knuckles and Marco curled up in a ball sobbing on the floor. It wasn't enough.

"This asshole doesn't know anything," Tyler hissed.

My breath left my body as I looked between Tyler and Marco, and at Matt whose body language reflected my own thoughts. What happens now? He was supposed to be it.

Walking toward him, I refused to accept anything I was being told. My foot landed on his jaw. His eyes rolled back and forward. His mouth was moving but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I couldn't hear what anyone was saying as I dropped to my knees, pulled him by the collar of his shirt and fucking headbutted him. I didn't know where the hell that came from and I didn't feel anything from the impact. Today was supposed to be the day we bring Lily home. You were supposed to have her! Where is she? I screamed without speaking.

Stop. Eric and Ryan might have some news for us. He might be telling the truth about being innocent. I rationalized inside my head. There's nothing innocent about him! He hurt Lily. This way I'll make sure he never comes near Lily again. I punched him until his head dangled on his neck. Still, I didn't stop until I was being hauled away from him and thrown to the ground.

Tyler swore and dropped down next to him, checking his pulse. "You could've fucking killed him! Do you want a murder charge?!"

Panting, I watched as Tyler tilted Marco's head back before slapping the shit out of his face. I was a little bit horrified by my lack of remorse. There was even a sense of triumph. I didn't know what to think about that. However, when Marco started to cough, I breathed easier. Tyler rolled him onto his side, the muscles in his face relaxing. He pulled out a rag and some sort of solution, wiping away blood from the scene before shining a blue light around the walls and furniture. Satisfied, he returned to crouching.

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