The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,278

a crate with wheels then gave it a hard push. It traveled across the distance separating us until it reached their end of the alleyway.

One of his men opened the bag and counted every single bill, making sure he received each penny that was due. He used a machine to quickly count it and make sure it wasn’t counterfeit.

Time dragged on forever.

Vanessa slowly rose to her feet, her knees red from the collision against the ground. The strong and proud woman I used to know was completely gone. She was broken beyond repair. Even though we were getting her back, she would never be the same. She would be fucked up forever after the terrible things she experienced. She looked at Cane and me then started to cry.

My sister never cried.

She was made of the same stuff we were. She was hard as steel and ruthless as fuck. You could break all of her fingers, and she still wouldn’t crack. But she’d experienced enough to make her break—a million times over.

“You got your money.” I placed my hand on my gun. “Now let her go.” When she was back to safety, I would take a shot. I didn’t care at this point. My blood screamed for murder. I had to do it. I had to annihilate him.

“You heard them, sweetheart.” He pushed her forward again. “Go.”

She wobbled on her feet before she found her footing. Then she slowly walked away, taking forever. She glanced behind her like she wasn’t sure if it was a sick game.

“Vanessa.” Power rang in my voice. I needed to bring her back to the present. I needed her to cross the distance between us before that sick motherfucker changed his mind. I pulled my gun out of the holster, just in case.

She turned to me, tears in her eyes.

“Get your ass over here now.” We could deal with her problems later. Right now wasn’t the time for her emotional abuse. “Move it.”

She walked faster, reaching the halfway point. Her arms circled her waist to fight off the chill. Her bare feet hit puddles of water, but she didn’t seem to care. Her body was numb to everything.

She was almost there, back on the right side of this battle. We would take her to the hospital and check her in at a mental facility. Without hearing a single word from her, I knew she wasn’t the same person. The woman I knew as my sister was dead. Now all I had left was her corpse.

“She’s taking too long.” He pulled a gun out of his pocket.

“Fire!” Cane reacted quicker than I did and aimed his gun.

I’d been concentrating on her, and his movement escaped my notice.

He pointed the gun directly at my sister and fired.

I had a nanosecond to react. All I could do was charge. I ran to her as fast as I could, the muscles in my legs screaming from the exertion. My hands grabbed her frail body, and I shoved her to the ground.

But it was too late.

Her head jerked forward as the bullet entered the back of her skull, making blood spray through the front. It got all over my face and jacket. Her eyes locked to mine just before the darkness descended. Then she was gone, dead before she hit the ground.

I knew she was dead, but I couldn’t accept it. I shook her, hoping she just passed out. I pressed my ear to her chest and listened for a heartbeat. I listened for a breath. I listened for anything that would tell me she was alive.

There was nothing.

Gunfire erupted around me as the battle raged. I momentarily forgot about the war. I forgot about everything altogether when I saw my little sister dead on the concrete.

The Hummers pulled out of the alleyway and took off, taking their leader with them. Shots still rang in my ears, and some of the soldiers were taken out. We lost some of our own. Maybe a few more of them would have been saved if I hadn’t lost my focus.

Cane jogged to me when the coast was clear. He kneeled beside me and looked at our dead sister. She looked like a beaten whore tossed out after being used. He breathed hard as he stared at her, not shedding a single tear.

I didn’t either. A lifetime in this business made me forsake human emotion. I didn’t understand sadness or despair. I didn’t understand happiness or joy. All I understood was rage.

And that’s what I