Page 94 of Reckless

Forty-Two

Jamie

My cheek is on fire, much like the blood in my veins. I look away from Marcus and see Seb looking at me. I know he’s silently asking me to keep my mouth shut, but I don’t think I know how to do that. For now though, I try to do as he asks. Marcus’ voice echoes round the room as he begins speaking.

“It seems to me as though the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, but we’ll get to that later. How about we let our new guest have a turn at the table. What say you, Jasper?”

“Enough, Marcus,” Dom says, slamming his hand on the table. “Your problem is with me, so why don’t you let everyone else go, and we can sort this out between us.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. You see, Jamie and her cunt of a boyfriend have been sticking their noses in where they’re not wanted. I mean, I was all for letting them slide the other night, but then Jamie here had to go and bid on that troublesome bitch. I told Travis we should have killed her after the incident that Seb and his friend were so kind to help out with. Not that it would have changed this evening’s events because you were always coming here tonight. And we will find Natalia, and when we do, I’m going to let every man that wishes have his turn with her before I cut her open from top to bottom.”

I feel my dad tense beside me, and I can’t even look at him or my mum. My dinner is turning over in my stomach and acid coats the back of my throat. I don’t even know where to begin to get my head round the fact that a man who has known me since I was a baby, taken me to the park, played fucking dolls with me, is now a man that sells women; kills women.

“And this is where our friendly, too friendly some might say, law upholding detective comes in.” Marcus gets up, walking down the table behind me and Dad and stopping when he reaches Jasper.

Jasper’s right eye is swollen shut almost completely, and he has a nasty cut on his temple that is still bleeding. His left hand cradles his right rib cage, and his breathing is slightly laboured.

Marcus slaps his hands down on Jasper’s shoulders, and he winces in pain, but otherwise he remains still.

“Jasper, Jasper, I’m so disappointed it’s come to this. I had hoped getting rid of Katie would pull you in line.” Jasper tries to turn in his seat, cursing and swearing, but Marcus holds him still. “But it seems I was mistaken and having you befriend Jamie was more than you could handle. I suppose I should have seen that coming really, considering how much she looks like her.”

Sickness twists at my insides at the thought of Jasper seeing his wife when he was with me, and just as the thought flits through my mind, Marcus looks up at me, a sly smirk on his face, and I know what he’s going to say.

He leans down low, next to Jasper’s ear. “Did you imagine Katie while you were fucking Jamie, Jasper? Did she taste as good as your wife or was she better?” Marcus grabs Jasper’s hair, and like the guy did to Seb earlier, Marcus yanks Jasper’s head back so far, he’s almost looking at the ceiling.

I can see my dad gripping the arms of the chair, knuckles white, and from the corner of my eye, I see Seb’s nostrils flaring, and his eyes… My god, they are swirling with rage, and his once caramel eyes are alive with gold as he tries to contain it. I don’t need to turn around to know that the guy still has his gun trained on me because I can feel it like a living thing. Seb’s position mirrors my own, as does my mum’s and dad’s.

Marcus starts talking again, about when he was a kid, and how he suffered at the hands of his junkie mother. How she used to beat him and pimp him out to pay for her debts, and then he points at my dad.

“So, if you’re looking for someone to blame for all this, look no further than Dominic Morgan. The decorated war veteran. The man who stole my family.”

“Marcus, you know that’s not true. I didn’t even know who you were back then. Hell, I only just found out two days ago. You were my friend, my best friend. Do you honestly think that if I’d have known, I wouldn’t have helped you?”

I suddenly realise what my dad is saying, and now everything makes sense. Marcus is my dad’s half-brother. But that means he was behind my mugging, he set me up at work and he is responsible for Alex’s death. I look at Seb, and when he sees the shock on my face, he gives a nod, confirming it.

I thought I was angry when I learnt that Marcus was behind Tempest, but now, that anger joins force with a new one. One that has sprouted a new head and is mixed with every emotion I’ve felt over the last month, fear, sorrow, pain and even love.

“You’re dad’s half-brother?”

Marcus grips Jasper’s hair tighter, pulling his head back even further as he stamps his foot and points a finger at me.

“Bingo, Jamie. Bingo!” His eyes looks wild, manic, and I can see the devil that lives beneath his skin for the first time. But it doesn’t stop me from saying my next words.

“You did all this for what? Because you had a shitty mother and blame my father. What the fuck is wrong with you? That’s nobody else’s fault but your mum’s.”

“Shut your fucking mouth! He stole my dad away from me, my girl and my life, and now he’s going to pay for it all. You’re going to pay for the sins of your father.” He pulls a knife from his pocket, flicks it open, and before anyone can say or do anything, he slashes it across Jasper’s neck, letting out a maniacal laugh.

My mum screams, and I don’t realise I’m on my feet until the man behind me grips my neck and holds me in place. I can hear Seb talking quietly to my mum, and then he’s calling out to me, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. My dad is shouting at Marcus, but over it all, all I can hear is a gurgling rasp coming from Jasper. I look over to find Jasper’s glazed eyes on me as he breathes his last breath, and Marcus stands behind him, the knife gripped in his hand as blood drips from the tip.

I watch, as if in slow motion, as Marcus’ mouth moves, and I read the words ‘now’ on his lips. I look around the room to see the men behind everyone I love, raise theirs guns, and the sound of the guns’ hammers being cocked echoes around the room. I shout out, yelling for everyone to get down as the room is plunged into darkness.

Everything goes black, and for a split second, I think I’m dead, but then I hear shouting. The man’s grip on my neck loosens, and I drop to the floor as gun fire splits the air. I hear shuffling behind me, and I spin, kicking a leg out and hitting something. I hear a cry before whoever I hit, thuds to the floor next to me. I can’t see a fucking thing, but I crawl forward as more gunfire goes off.

The whole room goes silent as the sound of glass breaking reverberates around the room, and a shower of glass rains down on me as I scramble around the floor looking for Seb, my dad, my mum.

A hand latches onto my ankle, and I let out a yelp as I raise my other leg to kick out at them, but Seb’s voice stops me.

“Jamie. Fuck, Jamie. It’s me.” I spin around as a beam of light slashes through a window, and I see blood pouring from Seb’s arm. I scurry towards him, and he snatches me up, pulling me into his lap.

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