Barely thirty seconds after the bullet was fired, my men circled around the car and began shooting at all angles, sounding a warning to the attacker.
"Boss!" Elio cried out, as he pulled open the car door to help me escape. He slightly tilted his head to the side, stealing a glance at the corpse. He made a face at the blood stain, but that was all.
"Boss, come with me." He wrapped his arms around me and tried to pull me out of the car.
"I…I didn't do it." My voice came out in a broken whimper, but Elio just kept pulling me out until I was away from the corpse. With his hand still wrapped around my shoulder he guided me through the aggressive shootout that was going on.
Colton's men were revolting, I wanted to go back and stop the firing, but I knew better than that. If I lingered on, more lives would be lost, I had to get away first, so everyone else could retreat.
Elio helped me into one of the black trucks they used to mobilize themselves. I finally came to my senses when I was strapped in the back seat and driven away from the area.
Some bullets were fired at our vehicle, but Elio managed to avert the car, and got us out of there in one piece.
"Boss, are you hurt? Should I call for the doctor-" he was in the middle of saying something when my phone rang in my breast pocket. I almost wouldn't have picked it up, but in this business, I knew it was important to always be in the loop.
I looked at the screen, it was an unknown number.
"Who is this?" I tried to keep my composure and not think of the men who were dying as we spoke.
"Hello, I'm calling from the NYPD Mr Rowan Hayes, you been invited for a questioning down at the station." a deep husky voice spoke into the phone.
"A questioning? Officer if I may ask on what charge?" This was all going too fucking fast, almost as though it were planned.
"There's been a complaint filed against you for the murder of Marie Callaway and Jordan Freeman."
Due to my 'special' identity, I wasn't allowed to show my face to the public, and as a member of Serpiente, special measures were always taken to avoid any direct confrontation. The police knew who we were, knew a bit about our operations, and for the most part they'd look the other way and have matters settled. Especially when it came to the higher ranked members.
But for some reason, I was asked to come down to the station.
"Boss, I've tried contacting as many men as I could, but I can't get through to anyone." Elio said, as he returned to the car with some firewood stacked up in his arms.
The car was parked in the middle of the woods, where I was in hiding. If the police were asking to see me, it meant they didn't give a fuck who I was. Simply put, someone much higher up the ladder had given them orders not to.
"Call the lawyer…"
"I've tried, but he isn't answering. Something's off, not one of our people are taking our calls." Elio said in a distraught tone.
"Damnit. News of Colton's death might've reached them already." I hissed, they were being cautious and observing the situation, before getting involved.
"Boss, what do we now? Do we go to our hideout?"
"No! They'll be waiting for me there, we can't go back." I strictly told him, running my fingers nervously through my hair. "We have to make camp here tonight, then get out of the city for a while."
Elio squatted next to the wood, "And what about the police?"
Oh right, they wanted me to come down to the station for a question. "I can't go there. They're looking to arrest me, I can't walk into another trap." The people in question were the other two people at the gym my men were unable to take care of.
Shit! All this was becoming a pain in the ass for me!
I spent the whole day helping Elio to set up at the heart of this woods. After we had set up, he made me stay in the car, while he made the rounds, making certain no man or bear could find us.
"Tch." I hissed and reclined into my seat. I wanted to call Jas and tell her that I would be out of town for a while, but I got worried someone could trace my calls and decided against it.
The night was chilly and quiet, I could hear my breathing, as well as the rustling of leaves against the wind. I tried to get some shut-eye, but it just wasn't happening, not under these circumstances.
A part of me wondered what would happen if no one ever picked up. Until I could prove my innocence, I doubt that the tension caused would let up. The Russians were by now stirring up trouble, while the police were searching for me.
To be honest I didn't see how things would get better for me.
I reached for my neck with both hands and encircled my fingers around it. I stared at my miserable face from the rear view mirror and let out inner thoughts.
"Maybe it'll be easier if I just… died."
Just as I held that thought, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the car. I quickly reached into the pigeon hole and took out a small handgun, it was far too early for Elio to be back, it had to be someone else.
A nervous line of sweat ran across my forehead, when they stopped all of a sudden, I tried to spy on them through the mirror, to see who my opponent was.
Only for my eyes to fall on Elio, beaten, battered and bruised.
"Elio!" I jumped out the car and rushed over to him.
"Boss, be-behind y-y-you…" He warned with a frightful look in his eyes, pointing behind me with a broken index finger. Right before I could look over my shoulder, a hand grabbed me from behind and in one swift movement, draped a handkerchief over my face.
Immediately, I held my breath and used my elbow to jab at their jaw.
But the attacker remained relentless and used their strength to force me to my knees, all while pressing the handkerchief over my nose, until I was forced into inhaling some. The stench was potent, and in no more than ten seconds, I collapsed onto the grass and slowly lost my consciousness.
The strench of Earth and the feeling of damp soil underneath me was replaced by the scent of wash soap and a mucky scent. I felt a stretch in my legs and arms, and an uncomfortable feeling loomed over me.
I could tell by the silence that whoever kidnapped me had taken the trouble of taking me somewhere no one could find me. Or, they made the place sound proof, which meant they had torture on their mind.
That's why they hadn't killed me.
What were these? Ropes? My mind became fully conscious of the fact that my body was bound by ropes, tying me down to the bed.
My mind fell to Elio, I wondered if he had it out alive or if he was killed. He was one of my closest men, and it would suck if this bastard took his life.
Just who was this bastard anyway? No one could've known I had gone into hiding so early. Unless…it had to them! The Russians!
My thoughts were disrupted by the sound of a rich authoritative voice, speaking from the side of the bed.
My heart skipped a nervous beat, as my breathing stiffened. Someone was sitting on this bed? How did I not notice their presence at all?
"Szhigite tot les, ya hochu uvidet eto v novostyah zavtra."
Russian? Wait, that voice, why did it sound a lot like… it couldn't be…
To know for myself, I opened my eyes and took a peek at the bastard who had kidnapped me. And despite me half expecting it, my chest tightened when I casted my gaze on the dark chocolate haired man sitting at the edge of the bed, looking down at me with an all knowing look on his face.
"You…" before I could finish speaking, he leaned in and cupped my chin with his fingers and brought our eyes to meet. Spreading his lips into a satisfied grin he said to me.
"I finally have you all to myself, Coco."