Trigger - Part 1

CHAPTER 39 - The Truth

"What don't you understand?"
"I thought you wanted me to confess? And Ian? Why was he here?"

I stand frozen, feeling my heart beating so hard it's pulsating through my veins.

"He wanted to find the love of his life. Ah man, what one would do for love. Messed up story by the way - In love with a girl who belongs to someone else and then she ends up cheating on that someone else with another someone else. I would say good riddance but the heart wants what the heart wants. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too bad he will never know now."

"So he sold out his brothers, for a girl?"
"Oh no, not just any girl. His brother's girl. The forbidden fruits if you will."

"His brother? But-"
"-Hm-mm. Meg is her name if I remember correctly."

"Oh, I see I hit a nerve there my darling Sage. Guess you are not the only one with some secrets."

•
•
•

•SHANE•

"Nothing?"
"Not a damn thing!" Liam responds.
"She couldn't have gone that far." Luke adds.

"You think she bolted?" I ask taking a sip of beer.
"Maybe, she has been so stubborn." Luke replies while scrolling on his phone.

"She can't just disappear into thin air! Let me look at the footage again." Liam pulls the laptop closer.
"She is clever." Luke responds.
"That she is." I lean forward and look at the surveillance footage.

"Where is the rest of the footage of the other cameras?"
"Someone must have deleted it." Liam answers.

"Ah..... guys?" Luke's voice sounds confused.

I look up over the laptop towards the door.

"Sage!" I jump up and Liam follows. We rush over to her and stop at her hand suddenly raised up.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Liam asks.
"At Nikolai's."

The sound of his name falling from her lips makes my blood boil. I look over at Liam and see anger swimming in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Luke's disembodied voice makes me quickly turn towards him and then back at Sage.
"I am... he let me go." her tone of voice has a hit of sadness.

"Let you go?" Liam's eyebrows arches.
"Hm-mm. He let me go." Her voice sounding more pitchy.

"Wait, why did he let you go? What happened?" Luke walks closer
"He said he will be in touch when the time is right-"

"-when the time is right ? What the fuck does he mean by that?" I shake my head.

"I don't know but... Liam... Luke... uhm... something happened." A tear rolls down her face and Luke steps directly in front of her and gently grabs her hand.

"Did he hurt you?" Luke asks.
"No. He didn't. But he-"
"-He what?" Liam interrupts.

"It's Ian... he... he killed Ian." Her voice shakes as she wipes the tears.

"What? No he didn't !" Luke says with his voice sounding firm.
"He did! Ian was there because of Meg and then Ja-"
"-Meg?" Liam's eyes widen

"Yes Meg. Apparently Ian loved her and wanted to find her and Nikolai would help him but because he did not tell him about James trying to sleep with me he shot him!"

"Sleep with you! Who the fuck is James? And Ian? What is going on?" I walk forward trying to get a better view of Sage.

"James is just a random idiot... Ian is Luke and Liam's brother." Sage continues and wipes her tears. I look toward Liam and Luke standing quietly looking at each other.

"Did you know about Meg and Ian?" Liam's eyes grows darker.
"I did not." Luke responds.

"I am so confused." I say and turn around to grab my beer.

I turn and see Liam storms off and Luke in tow.

"Shane..." I turn at the sound of her voice calling my name.

"There is something else." I see her eyes drop.

•SAGE•

I take a deep breath.
"Apparently, according to Nikolai... I kind of... uhm..." I shake my head from side to side quickly and clear my throat.

"What is it?" His eyebrows pull together.

"He said I was the one who... uh... killed Devan." My heart feeling like it's going off like a machine gun.

"What did you just say?" Shane's eyes feel like they are burning through me.

"He is lying! He wants me to take the blame so that the cops will stop looking at him so he can carry on with his business. Apparently, I have been costing him money."

"What did he say?" He takes a sip of his beer whilst keeping eye contact.
"He did not give too much detail, but he said I stabbed Devan after he was strangling me."

"Strangling? When did this happen?"
"I don't know exactly. Apparently after a few weeks after he went missing he came by my house-"
"-Do you remember killing my brother?"
"No! Of course not! I didn't kill Devan. You have to believe-"

-That dream of Devan at the flat. He was strangling you after he was missing for a while. No... you would have remembered it more if he-

"-Sage?"

I look at Shane waiting for a reply.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I believe you." He continues.

I fill my lungs and slowly let go of the breath.

"Thank you... um.. If you can please excuse me. I am going to take a bath and go to bed." I turn around and walk towards my bedroom.

"Sure... I'll... I'll be around." He walks out and I slowly make my way to the bathroom.

What if Nikolai is telling the truth?