Frances - Past and Future

Past and Future

Copyright Karen Frances 2019

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, without the prior consent of the author. All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Cover Design by

Kari March, Kari March Designs

Editing by

Karen Sanders

Proofread by

The Word Fairy

Interior Design and Formatting by

Clydeside Publishing

Giovanni

I rush inside, my eyes darting around the stables until I see her. Maria, my beautiful sister is bound and gagged, unable to move, and her jeans have been lowered.

Fuck.

Please. He cant have hurt her in the same way our mother was. I run toward her and pull off the tape that covers her mouth. The scream that falls from her lips breaks my heart.

Get me loose.

I nod and untie her hands and pull her jeans back up her body. She tries to push me away, but I hang on to her for a moment, grateful that shes still alive.

All sorts of things were going through my head as we raced back from the city to the estate after Lous frantic call telling us that my sister had offered herself to that mad man to keep little Rebecca safe. He had a gun to a six-year-olds head, threatening to do the unimaginable.

Giovanni, let me go to him, please, she begs me. I do after remembering the gun shots. Jack! Mark! Where is Pete?

I stand, momentarily in shock. She rushes toward Jack, dragging her leg behind her. Fuck, shes injured. That bastard Pete has hurt her. How did I not see that? I was too focused on her being alive.

No! she squeals, kneeling beside Jack on the ground. Jack, please. You have to be okay. I need you. My eyes take in the scene and all I want to do is grab Marias hand and take her outside. Away from all the badness. If I close my eyes, I could try to pretend this was all just a dream. A sad and twisted nightmare. But its not. This is real. This is the dark, dangerous, and ugly world my sister has lived in for the past fourteen years.

Petes bloody body is lying only feet away from me. Hes finally out of my sisters life once and for all and thats down to Jack McKenzie. I see the gun lying only inches away from him. He killed Pete to keep her safe, putting his job on the line, and his own life.

Giovanni, help him, please, she screams and the sound echoes around me.

Jacks hair is matted with blood which now covers Marias hand as she cradles the man she loves.

I step toward her, seeing the bruising on her body underneath her torn top. Bile rises in my throat and Im trying real hard not to imagine what that sick bastard Pete Jamieson put my sister through before Jack and Mark got here.

Mark. Where is he?

I look again, and then I see his lifeless body by one of the stalls, blood on the ground.

No.

Not Mark.

Giovanni!

Coughing drags my attention from Marks body. Jacks eyes open and even I can see the relief on his face as he sees Marias face. Stay where you are, I say leaning down, urging Jack to stay where he is until help gets here.

Mark. Is he? Jacks eyes drift across the stables and I hear my sisters choked sob.

No! Please, no, she cries. Help him.

I leave them to walk the short distance to him and kneel down. I check for a pulse but his body is still.

I briefly close my eyes and say a prayer.

Maria screams.

I stand with Marias cries ringing loudly in my ears, knowing this is nothing compared to how Lou is going to sound when I tell her that her husband is dead.

Giovanni, go. Jack forces the words from his throat and Im sure he already knows where my thoughts are.

I leave the stables with only one intention in my head. I need to see Lou.

The blue flashing lights and sirens blare. An unmarked car and three police cars.

The car comes to an abrupt stop before me, the door swinging open, and Craig rushes out. His gaze lands on me and he knows without asking that hes too late to help someone. Giovanni, wheres Maria?

Shes cradling Jack. His eyes widen at my response and Im forgetting that he hasnt seen the scene inside the stables yet. Sorry. Hell be okay.

Is Pete dead?

Pete is dead, but so is Mark.

He stares at me blankly and I dont know what else I can say. In this moment, theres only one person I need to speak to and I hate that Im the one who is going to shatter her already broken heart.

Where are you going? Ill need a statement, Craig says as I slowly walk away from him.

You can have your statement, but I need to go and break the news to Lou.

Wait. I can do that as soon as I have the details...

I stop and stare before shaking my head and walking toward the house. This news cant come from a stranger. It has to be me.

Stopping before the office door, I take a deep breath and try to mentally prepare myself for the unpredictable.

Teresa, its me. Can you unlock the door? I hear the scurry of feet and my heart sinks because that will be the children. The door opens and Teresa starts talking, questioning me in Italian. I dont answer her. Already, my gaze is on Lou who is behind her, holding her girls.

Teresa, please take the children upstairs away from all the police. Keep them occupied, I say and step into the room. Lous body shakes as she looks at me, but she still manages to kiss her babies, urging them to go with Teresa and reassuring them everything will be okay.

I wish it was that easy.

From this moment on, her life changes, and Im going to be the bad guy for bringing her this news.

Teresa takes Rebeccas hand and carries Daisy in her arms. Her smile as she passes me is one filled with sadness. I close the door and slowly step toward Lou.

Gio, please tell me shes okay? she says with tears filling her eyes.

I nod slowly and she rushes toward me, throwing her arms around my shoulders, her body melting against mine. Thank you for getting to her in time.

I close my eyes and inhale, because as much as I feel her relief, I know thats about to be short-lived. I open my eyes and hold her. Lou, I have something to tell you. Its Mark.

Her body stiffens in my arms and she takes a step back. Lou, Im so sorry. Hes dead. Pete shot him.

She stares at me.

I try to pull her back into my arms, but she pushes against me. Youre lying. We have the girls to look after together! she shouts at me punching her fists against my chest, and I let her because, in this moment, I have no words that can offer her any sort of comfort.

Im so sorry, Lou.

No! I hate you. She sinks to the ground and I do the same, holding her in my arms as she breaks down. Im sure her screams can be heard throughout the house. Why Mark? Hes a good man and father. He cant leave us. The girls need him. We have so much we want to do together.

I wish I could give her answers, or at least take away all her pain. I shouldve been the one to enter the stables first.

It shouldve been me.

I should be the one whos dead.

No one would really miss me if I were gone.

Lou

Im so sorry for your loss. Mark was a good man, says the man standing before me, his eyes full of pity as he offers me a hug. I recognise him as one of Tonys men, but his name has slipped my mind. Much like everything else today, yesterday, and every day since Marks death. I have absolutely zero concentration at the moment.