(Noah)

I checked the apartment. It was clear, but I didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust anything. Marcos was out of his mind and I was the next target. Yet all I had to do was give Penny a call and bring her to Marcos. If she was writing about shit and putting her feet in a grave, why was it my problem?

I thought about what I saw. The way the bullet tore through Seth’s skull. Spraying his brain across the office. Literally dead in a second. The only saving grace from it was that he probably didn’t feel a thing. Hell, his hangover headache was worse than the bullet.

It all came crashing down on me as I slowly sat on the edge of my bed. Years of me and Seth together, shoulder to shoulder, pushing forward. He fought a few times but never really had the true skill to win. In a bar fight or a street fight, that was one thing. But to have money thrown around, Seth was better off in the background, working the deals, leaving me to take care of all the muscle. We were a good team. There were a lot of things we didn’t talk about, but we were a good team. We were close like brothers.

What we had done… all those years ago…

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go back to those memories.

I shut my eyes and lowered my head. A piece of me wanted to cry. I wanted to trash the apartment. I wanted to fight someone.

It wouldn’t help.

It wouldn’t bring Seth back.

Marcos and his family demanded perfection. They wanted Penny and there was no fucking around with it. Seth had fucked around. He had gotten drunk and Marcos punished him. I understood why Seth got drunk. The woman thing was a weak spot for both of us. Watching my old man beat up on my mother did it for me. For Seth… it was a far different situation.

When I looked forward, the room was blurry. I sucked in a breath and stood up. My shoulder throbbed in pain. My head spun. I had been a fighter, not an organized crime member. I didn’t plan on anything but training and taking down my next opponent.

Now the fate of lives were in my hands. My life. Penny’s life. Shit, Seth’s death was in my hands.

I left the bedroom and needed a drink. A cold beer. A shot of whiskey. Anything to try and cloud up my mind. All I could hope for was that Penny stayed away and stayed safe. I’d have to call eventually, but I needed to figure out what to do and how to do it. If I gave up my life for hers… would that make up for the things I’d done wrong in life?

I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.

There was a knock at the door.

I put the beer down and grabbed my gun.

* * *

Penny stood at the door, looking frazzled. Her eyes were wide, pretty, but scared. Her hair still messy from sleeping. She wore the same clothes, which meant she hadn’t gone back to her place at all.

We both looked at each other and I felt it.

I felt pain, regret, confusion. It was like a storm kicking up all around me. The gun was still in my hand, feeling way too comfortable. I never liked carrying a weapon, but I understood why I needed to have one.

I took a step back and slowly tucked the gun away. “Penny… what are you doing here?”

She just stared at me. “I need to know who you really are.”

“What?”

“Right now, Noah. Who are you?”

“You’ve seen me. What kind of question is that?”

“Are… have you…”

I heard a door slam outside the apartment. I quickly grabbed for Penny and pulled her into the apartment. I shut the door and locked it. She pushed away from me and swung, the tips of her fingers catching my jaw. She scratched me more than she slapped me. I jumped back and watched as she wound up again, ready to attack.

“Holy shit,” I said. “What are you doing?”

“Who are you? What am I involved in?”

Penny lunged at me. There was fire in those pretty eyes of her.

I grabbed her by the arms and lifted her up. I turned and hurried to walk her to a wall and put her there. I held her there as she tried to get away. It made me feel worthless to hold a woman like I did, but I didn’t want Penny to get hurt.

“Calm down,” I said.

“No,” she yelled. “Who the fuck are you? What the fuck is going on?”

“Listen to me,” I growled. “Goddammit. Seth… Seth is dead.”

I said it.

I said it out loud.

I released my grip on Penny and backed up. I rubbed my face and said it again, calmer.

“Seth is dead.”

Penny just stood there. “What?”

“Marcos shot him. Because of you.”

“Me?”

“Marcos didn’t believe a thing we told him. He knew something was off. The bottom line was that Seth fucked up. Marcos has an obsession with you, Penny. Whoever you are, whatever you’re involved in, it’s bad. And it has nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, shit, Noah…”

She reached for me and I stepped back again. “I wasn’t going to call you. I was hoping you got away and stayed away.”

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Why?”

“You’re wrong, Noah. You’re involved. Big time. You have someone after you. A detective, Noah.”

“For what?”

“I have to ask you something. Please don’t lie to me.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, honey. I’m trying to figure out how to save you. Marcos made it very clear, Penny. Either I bring you to him or I die. One of us is going to end up dead.”

“Or both.”

“Or both,” I whispered. “What’s your question?”

Penny licked her lips. She was freaking scared. “Did you murder someone’s brother?”

I just stared at her.

I didn’t want to answer the question.

Because the truth… was…