**Warning** This chapter contains violence
Jace
We need to talk.
That was the message that flashed against the screen of my cell phone. Perfect. That was the exact person I was on my way to speak to. I sent a message back letting them know I was on my way.
No, not there. You need to come here.
The person I was searching for replied and sent a follow up message of their location. An icy shiver ran down the core of my body as caught sight of the location they were currently at.
Fuck.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and let my foot press down on the accelerator jolting the car forward towards the one place I came to absolutely dread.
I pulled up to a large warehouse and placed the car in parked. I slid out of my seat and headed straight into the building. I pulled my jacket closer to my body as the cold wind blew around. At this point I wasn't sure if I was chilled from the wind or the fact that I was at this place again.
I pulled open the door and headed in. I knew where everyone was already and followed the path that I became all too familiar with. I entered the cold room with a heavy heart with what I was about to witness.
"Glad to see you finally made it." A deep voice rang clear from beside me. I glanced over to see Damian leaning against the concrete wall. His eyes narrowed towards me.
He has not been my biggest fan since day one. Truthfully, he has it out for me. I didn't care that he is Dominic's right hand man and the lack of respect from my end makes his blood boil. I put up a immense amount of resistance towards him. So much so that we get into heated altercations hence that time in the school's parking lot.
The hate is mutual.
I was laser focused on my thoughts that I didn't notice the strong metallic smell and the moment I became aware of it my senses were wafted.
Blood.
And by the scent, a lot of it.
I glanced over to the center of the room, allowing a few moments to let my vision adjust to the darken room.
There were quite of few people here, most faces I have grown to know over my years of being a part of this. There isn't usually this much people here for this.
What is going on?
I felt bile starting to rise to the middle of the throat at the sight displayed. Control your reactions. Don't show any weakness. If you show weakness that was it for you.
It was difficult with what my eyes just laid on.
Dark red blood coat the floor like it was a giant tub of paint that spilled over. Splats of it lined the wall like it was a type of decoration. A chair sat in the center of the room. When I caught sight of who was seated in the chair, I almost doubled over in terror.
No.
I felt a hand on my shoulder that startled me slightly. "Hey, come on." The person tugged on my arm. I turned around to meet Allison. Her face void of emotions, but her eyes held all her feelings. Anger, fear, sadness. We all knew what were about to witness.
I followed her to the side wall of the room. We stood against the wall, away from everyone else.
I was afraid to ask the question that was on everyone's mind, but I did so anyways. "Why is Tyler there?" I asked her. Tyler was a few years older than me and joined forcefully. Against his wishes. Just like me, he had a debt to pay. But this debt was his own personal one. We weren't best friends or anything of the sort, but we had bonded over our overall desire to leave this behind.
Allison looked at me with sadden eyes. That alone answered my question. Fuck Tyler.
I looked over to Tyler, his head hung low. He knew what was about to happen. His light blonde hair was matted with dark dried up blood. His face discolored with bruises, old and new. The shirt that clung to his body had dirt and splats of blood decorated around it. His arms were locked down onto the armrest. His wrist were sliced vertically allowing blood to drip down to the floor adding to the pool leaving him weak.
Before another thought crossed my mind, the loud sound of a door hit the wall filled the open space. Everyone froze, including myself.
Dominic entered the room with a lit cigarette between his lips. He took a few long strides up to Tyler and stopped a few feet away careful that his expensive shoes do not touch the blood that coat the floor.
He grabbed a hold of Tyler's hair yanking his head up so their eyes would meet. For all that Tyler has endured, he was still holding on strong.
"Let go of me, you bastard." Tyler gritted out.
A malicious smile filled Dominic face. "After all the kindness I've shown you, that's how you want to treat me?"
"Kindness? You call this fucking kindness?!" Tyler roared. His voice echoing in the room.
Dominic tsked with disappointment as he grabbed a hold of Tyler's face steadying his eyes piercing into him. "I call this kindness. I could have killed you the moment you decided to betray me."
Tyler ripped his face away from Dominic's grasp. "End my misery, you fucking asshole. You already took away everything from me."
Dominic tossed the cigarette from his mouth onto the floor crushing it beneath his shoe. "I thought you would have gotten the hint when the people you cared about started to drop like flies." He said walking around the chair Tyler was seated on. "But you were selfish and blinded. I gave you a chance to stop your hunt, but you just couldn't stop. You are the reason why the people you love are dead. Laying cold and lifeless six feet under."
"Fuck you." Tyler spat. "You started this war Dominic and I was hell bent on burying you six feet under. Oh and it will happen. I may have not gotten my revenge, but there are many more aiming directly for your head." A devious smile lined Tyler's lip. "They're coming for you." He sang almost as if he had lost his mind.
It was always well know that Dominic's enemies were out for blood. This wasn't new news.
Dominic let out a dark chuckle as he stood directly in front of Tyler again. He reached behind his back and pulled out a gun that was tucked away. He tapped his fingers across the barrel of the gun. "Oh you are hilarious." His face morphed into full on anger as he pointed the gun directly to the center of Tyler's forehead. "Too bad you have to die. I actually liked you."
"Do it." Tyler edged him on. "Do. It."
Dominic's finger teased the trigger of the gun. "Let this be a warning to you all." He shouted across the room. His eyes circling and scanning each individual face. "If any of you dare to fucking cross me, you will end up just as Tyler is now." Dominic eyes landed on me as he said those words, a malicious smirk on his face. "Remember where you stand, don't forget like dear Tyler did."
Dominic turned his attention back to Tyler and without another word he pulled the trigger causing the room to filled with sound of the gun shot.
No emotions, hide it all.
Silence. Every single person was silent. Allowing that moment and warning to sink in.
My eyes were trained directly ahead. I couldn't look at Tyler's lifeless body. I couldn't bear the thought of his limbs hanging and eyes void.
But I couldn't act like I was distraught by his death. Showing weakness was forbidden.
Dominic tucked the gun back behind him. He turned on his heels and started to head towards the exit. Damian flanked his side. "Get this cleaned up. I hate the smell of blood."
Yet you shed so much of it. Contradicting, don't you think?
As Dominic left, a few left the scene immediately. Others lingered giving Tyler one last glance. Someone was kind enough to close his eyes.
I stood frozen in my place. I wanted to move, to step forward and run out of the door. Run away from this all.
"Jace." Allison whispered beside me. "Let's go." She tugged onto my arm to remove me from the frozen state.
I nodded and followed her out of empty warehouse. The cold wind whipped against my face shocking me back to a very much dark reality.
Allison nodded towards my car. As we approached I unlocked it and allowed us to enter. I started the car allowing it to roar to life. We sat in silence, letting what we just witness sink in.
This wasn't the first nor will it be the last time Dominic has done this. This building is where he brings all his victims to torture and eventually kill. Every victim leaves in a body bag.
"You wanted to talk." I finally spoke up breaking the silence.
She nodded looking out the window. "Can we get out of here first?" Her voice cracked at the last word. Allison was one of the strongest people I knew. But this would shake even the most emotionless person.
Without another word I drove onto the main road, heading towards her home my mind reeling with so many thoughts. I had to release them. "Leah's father was murdered." I finally released those words from my mind.
"What?" Allison asked incredulously as if the words that left my mouth were a foreign language. "What did you just say?"
My grip on the steering wheel tightened as the thought refilled my mind. "Leah's father was murdered." I repeated.
"What do you mean he was murdered?" She asked almost as if she didn't believe my words.
"Remember that article we found about my father's accident in Dominic's office?" She nodded. "There was a second article related to a different car accident, only it was dated a week later. That accident was her father's."
"How do you know that?" She questioned.
"Trust me when I say that this has been a very eventful evening." I told her with my eyes trained on the road. "And that was one of the revelations. The other one was our fathers were best friends in high school, a piece of information that was never shared."
"Are you serious?" She asked looking over to me with wide eyes and I nodded. "Wow." She whispered under her breathe. "What happened?"
I let out a humorless chuckle. "That's the question of the century."
"Nobody knows?"
"The icing on the cake? Our parents are very much aware and are hiding something." I answered pulling into her long driveway.
"Oh my god." She breathe out. "This is so fucked up."
"You're telling me." I sighed.
"Do you think Dominic is responsible?" She questioned.
"Yes." I answered definitively.
Where do we go from here? How are we suppose to find answers to all these questions? We've hit a road block with our parents and now Dominic. I can't put the people I love in danger. I can't use them like chess pieces for my own motive.
I can't be like Tyler.
"Well, the information I'm about to tell may be helpful after all." Allison said.
I placed the car in parked. "What do you mean?"
She turned to face me. "Well." She started. "I did some digging around and found some information. I found out there was one man who was close to your father during his time in the mafia."
My eyes widen in shocked. "Are you certain?"
Allison nodded. "Yes. I was told that this person and your father became good friends during there time. He may have some of the answers that you're looking for."
"What is his name? Where can I find him?" The questions came tumbling out.
"That's the thing." She sighed. "I have his name, but he's completely off grid. I can't find not one recent record of him. The last record dates back to nearly ten years ago."
"But you have a name."
"Yes." She pulled out a posted note from her jacket pocket and handed to me.
I glanced down to the note allowing my eyes to skim it.
Gavin Adler.
"Thank you." Was all I could muster up in the moment.
Allison gave me small sad smile. "The only thing I ask, is that you don't end up like Tyler. I don't know if I can handle the thought of losing you."
I nodded. "I promise. I won't lose myself." But even then I didn't believe my own words.
She studied my features for a moment trying to find an underlying lie within them. When she couldn't find anything, she spoke. "Good, because I will get Leah to beat your ass."
I scoffed. "Yeah right." But in this current time with the small amounts of training I was giving Leah, she would eventually get there.
"Go home, Jace. It's been a very long day." She said before exiting the car.
She was right about that.
I carefully placed the posted note into my jacket pocket and place the car in drive before heading to my own home.
I knew this was a long shot.
Trying to find this person.
But we were in the very center of this and if this person and give us some clarity.
I will pursue it.
I just hope I don't lose myself in the process.
***
Hello my loves!
So what did we think?? I know I keep on mentioning the mafia in this, but we haven't seen any real action from them early on. Well, here we are!
We are getting deeper as we go! Are you all enjoying the pacing of the book?
Leah and Jace will be together again next chapter!
Don't forget to vote (155 for the next chapter) and comment (100 comments for the next chapter)!
Lisa S.