I stood over the man, fists clenched, chest heaving. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, my breath ragged. The world narrowed to me and him, the urge to beat him into a bloody pulp was overwhelming.
But then, something caught my attention. My gaze flicked up, finding Olivia. Her wide eyes stared at me, stark fear etched into her expression. I saw myself as she did—a monster with blood-smeared knuckles and torn clothes, primed for violence. Shame rose in my chest, snapping me from the rage. I forced a deep breath.
I swallowed hard, meeting Olivia’s gaze. “I’m fine.” My voice came out hoarse. I glanced down at the man at my feet, his face a mess of bruises and blood. I flexed my hands, wincing at the pain shooting through my knuckles.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. I hated the look Olivia was giving me, but I didn’t have time to address it. All I could do was finish what I’d started and hope she’d understand. And stop looking at me like that. Someday.
“Are you alone?” I asked the man, my voice low and menacing. He just glared at me, blood staining his teeth as he struggled to speak.
“Go… to hell,” he spat through broken teeth and swollen lips.
“Listen carefully,” I said, rage still simmering beneath the surface. “This is your only chance to come clean. If someone else jumps out of those bushes, the first thing they’ll see is you dying at my hands.”
“Fuck you,” he growled, defiant despite his battered state. “I ain’t afraid of you.”
“Wrong answer.” Without warning, I kicked him in the face, knocking him flat onto his back. He didn’t move.
“Olivia,” I called out, not taking my eyes off the crumpled heap on the ground. “Give me the rifle.”
She hesitated for a moment before carefully walking over, her eyes never leaving the unconscious man. She handed me the weapon, making sure not to touch me or stand too close. I could feel her uncertainty, but I had to focus on the task at hand. I leveled the rifle at the man, letting the weight of it settle in my grip.
“Is he… is he going to be okay?” Olivia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Depends on his definition of okay,” I replied, my tone flat. “But he’ll live.”
“Good,” she said, though the word sounded more like a question than an affirmation. Her gaze flickered between me and the man, torn between fear and concern.
I kept the gun trained on the unconscious man, my heart pounding in my chest as I turned to Olivia. “Are you okay, Liv?” I asked, trying to gauge her reaction to my brutality.
“I’m not upset with you,” she said softly, her eyes wide and fearful. “I understand that you have to be…forceful with him. But it’s just…scary.”
“Violence isn’t something I enjoy, but it’s necessary,” I explained.
“I know.”
“I’m not sure you do.” I sighed. “Olivia, you’re used to resolving conflict with words. And law. But there are no laws in my world, not really. And when words aren’t enough, whoever fights harder usually wins. And I always fight hard. I wish this guy would just tell me what I need to know so we can all get on with our lives. But if he isn’t willing, I’m going to convince him. No matter what that takes.”
Olivia swallowed hard, nodding her understanding. “I hear you. I won’t get in your way, Marcus. Just… please don’t kill him.”
“Did you hear a word I just said?”
“Yes.” She stepped closer to me. “I did. But he didn’t hurt us. He’s not armed. As long as he tells you what he knows, he doesn’t deserve to die.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from answering rudely. Because I wasn’t being fair to her. Olivia had seen and gone through a lot since meeting me and she’d come a long way to accepting who I am and what I do. I could give her this one thing.
“All right. I don’t know if we’ll regret this, but I promise. I won’t kill him.”
“Thank you.” Olivia leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“Now, go back tot he cabin and lock the door. If anyone but me comes up there, hide under the bed. I’ll be back as soon as I get something out of this guy.”
“Okay.” She hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on me before turning to go.
I watched Olivia’s retreating figure, her body tense as she walked away.
Turning my attention back to the man on the ground, my gut churned with doubt, but I couldn’t break the promise I’d made to her.
“Okay, then,” I said, propping the rifle up against a tree. “I know you’re awake. Let’s get on with this.”
The man groaned, struggling to sit up, blood and sweat mingling on his bruised face. “Wh-what do you want?”
“Your name,” I demanded, my voice cold and sharp as a knife.
“Sal,” he replied, reluctance clear in his tone.
“Good, Sal,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “Now tell me who sent you and how you found us.”
“Go fuck yourself.” He spat out, blood dripping from his mouth.
“Wrong answer,” I growled, my hand shooting out to encircle his throat.
“You have one more chance, or I’ll choke the life out of you.”
“Y-you promised not to k-kill me,” he choked out, his eyes pleading.
“That won’t save you. Olivia might never forgive me for not keeping my word to her, but you will still be just as dead. Don’t ever think you can use her against me.” I squeezed my hand, applying pressure on his neck.
“Okay, okay!” He gasped, desperation finally winning him over. “No one sent me! I swear!”
“Then how did you find us?” I asked, releasing his neck just enough for him to breathe.
Sal gasped for air, a pitiful sound like a deflating tire. His hand rose in surrender, begging me to stop. I hesitated, my fists clenched and ready to continue the punishment.
“Answer the question,” I said, my voice cold as ice, daring him to lie again.
“Your car,” Sal continued, struggling to speak through the pain. “I recognized it at a gas station. Your plate number, I mean. So I slapped a tracker under the car and followed you up here. I wanted to find out how long you and your girl would be up here so I could do what I do.”
My gaze narrowed, watching his every move for any sign of deceit. He seemed sincere, even terrified. But that still didn’t explain everything.
“What were you gonna do with the info?” I asked, not bothering to hide my contempt.
“Sell it to the highest bidder, of course,” he replied, a weak smirk playing on his lips. “Just business, man. Like you. Making my money.”
“Business, huh?” I scoffed. “Selling out strangers who never did shit to you? Some business, asshole.”
Sal didn’t speak.
“Tell me more about this tracker. You expect me to believe you managed to crawl underneath my car without me noticing?”
Sal shook his head. “Wasn’t like that. I just walked past and stuck it on real quick. Like I said, this is what I do, man.”
“Well, you’re better at that than hiding in bushes, that’s for sure.” I said with a sneer.
“Yeah, well, here you were paying attention. At that gas station, you were too busy making eyes at that little black bitch with the nice tits.”
Rage bubbled up inside me, roaring like a storm at his words. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. My fists flew, landing one brutal punch after another on Sal’s already battered face. He fell to the ground, curling up in a futile attempt to shield himself from my onslaught.
The sound of the wind rustling in the trees and animals faded. All I could hear was the wet sound of Sal’s cries, his mouth and lungs filling with blood as I pummeled him. It wasn’t until he went limp that I finally stopped, remembering my promise to Olivia.
I grabbed what was left of Sal’s shirt, hoisting him up to sit against a tree trunk. Bloodied and broken, he looked like a barely recognizable human being. His eyes were swollen shut, blood dripped from his nose and mouth. It was a gruesome sight, but the bastard had it coming.
“Listen up,” I spoke through gritted teeth, my voice low and menacing. “I’m gonna keep my word and not kill you. For now.”
Sal let out a pained groan, struggling to keep his head upright.
“But I’ve got one request,” I continued, staring down at him with cold intensity. “You’re gonna crawl back to that shithole city of ours and tell every single one of your contacts that Marcus Moore is coming home soon. And there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
I leaned closer, making sure he could feel my breath on his face. “Make sure everyone knows. I’m the hunter now, not the hunted. Anyone who gets in my way or stands against me will be destroyed. You got that?”
Sal, barely able to hold his head up, managed to nod. A weak, burbling moan escaped his lips.
“Good.” With that, I let go of his shirt, allowing him to slump back against the tree. The sound of his labored breathing filled the air as I took in the aftermath of my unbridled rage.
I knew that sending this message through Sal was risky. There was no guarantee he’d follow through, and even if he did, it could invite more trouble. But at that moment, I didn’t care. I needed them all to know that I wasn’t running or hiding anymore. I would face my enemies head-on, and I would protect what was mine.
I turned my back on Sal without another glance and started off down the trail toward the cabin, rifle slung over one shoulder. I needed to get cleaned up and make sure Olivia was okay. The motherfuckers trying to ruin me were not going to win. No one was taking what was mine from me. Not my money. Not my business. Not my girl.