In the name of Gun

Prologue

Prologue

The most memorable day of Loraine’s life was ruined by a tragedy. It was not supposed to happen. One moment she was very happy, but in just a blink of an eye, everything turned upside down.

Loraine was with Ace, her boyfriend, celebrating their first year anniversary as a couple. She loved him too much, and he felt the same way for her. Their idea of a perfect date was to spend the day at the mall, cinema, restaurant, and arcade; it seemed like a common date for others, but not for the both of them. Loraine and Ace came from well-known families in Manhattan. Thus, most of their time was spent on posh social gatherings or events. The couple had decided to try something that went along the lines of normal or common, for they wanted to experience a day without the luxury that had been part of their everyday life. And the little adventure was worth it, or so they thought.

At the back of Ace’s limousine sat the two of them, PSP in hand, and were both focusing intently on their game. Street Fighter was not Loraine’s thing, and she would rather play Need for Speed or Grand Theft Auto. However, she was able to beat Ace for three consecutive matches.

“Loser.” Loraine teased, sticking out her tongue and making a face.

“Let’s just say... you’re being lucky.” Ace said with a wink.

Loraine chuckled. “Oh yeah, a three-time champion is just being lucky.”

“You brat.” Ace ruffled his girlfriend’s blond hair just as a phone rang. Loraine rummaged through her purse, knowing that it was hers, and hit the answer button. She then greeted the caller with a “Hello.”

“Loraine, do you have any idea what time it is?” asked Adriel, her brother, on the other line.

She looked at her wristwatch, 12:15 am it said. Time had passed much too quickly that she didn’t even realize how late it was. “Sorry Adriel, we’re on our way now.”

“Fine with me. I’m just worried. You don’t usually stay out that late.”

“Bro, this is New York!” Joked Loraine, although she knew her brother’s point. The Big Apple is most famous for its nightlife, but as a daughter of a politician, she knew better than to expose herself too much on the public.

“Loraine...” Adriel sounded slightly disappointed.

“I was just kidding!” she snapped, “But we’re fine, really.”

“Okay, take care then. I’ll wait for you ‘til you get home.”

“Sure, bye!”

Loraine sighed after the phone call ended. She was old enough, but her brother looked after her as if she were still a 10-year-old kid and not a 16-year-old teenager. Ever since their mother’s death, Adriel had been in charge of his sister. Loraine truly appreciated everything he had done for her since their father was always busy with his businesses, forgetting that he still had a duty to them as a parent. Adriel had been her ever-present protective brother and fatherly figure she would forever cherish.

Suddenly, Ace wrapped his arm around Loraine’s shoulder. She looked at him and smiled genuinely. He returned the smile, leaned in closer, and then touched his lips against Loraine’s luscious ones. They shared a soft, but passionate kiss for a while. After they broke apart, Ace muttered “I love you, Raine.”

The corner of Loraine’s mouth tugged up into a playful smirk. “You’ve been saying that for how many times this day, huh?”

“Oh c’mon, just tell me you love me too!” Ace mocked.

But before Loraine could reply, the car stopped abruptly. The two gazed outside the tinted windows to see what the problem was, assuming that the traffic lights were the cause of their sudden pull over. But the surrounding was in complete darkness. It was unusual in New York City to find a deserted and dark street, as it was the city that never sleeps. So Ace and Loraine were both curious.