A single bullet // M.C ✔️

68

It was as if someone pressed pause on my life as the words went flying towards my brain and it processed them. Breathing picked up rapidly as I squeezed Michael's hand to bring me back down and try to calm my racing organs.

'It was Alex' kept repeating around and around in my mind, slamming into every wall as if to remind me it was there, loud and clear, who it was.

"You're wrong." I muttered, looking past Michael as if he was clear and not really there.

"Nicky, I'm really not," he promised, speaking lowly. "I didn't believe it when I found out, but Calum ran some tests."

"Some tests,"

"Just a few things to see if IPs matched, see if he could track where it came from. He said it was hard to double-check as it was blocked and very secure-,"

"Makes sense for a police officer," I spoke equally as quietly as if there was a chance someone was lurking around the corner listening to us. "I have to go." I spat out, ripping my hands from his as anger flew over me and my mood shifted.

"Whoa, Nicky, what happened?" He tried to reach back for me, making me automatically step back, not wanting his touch on my skin. I knew it would burn due to the emotions flooding me, and I didn't want that, didn't want to ruin his loving touch he always uses and change it to the burning touch. The only burning touch I want from him is desire...

"He sent it..." I grabbed my phone and sent a quick message to Alex to tell him to meet up with me urgently as I had to speak to him. I knew the broadness and tone would send him into a fit of panic, but it was karma, as it's how I felt dealing with Michael in jail. "I'll be back."

"It's been a while, lil Ni," Alex looked how he always looked, just more mature and relaxed, completely different to how he was with the news of Dad, and also completely different to when he arrested Michael.

"It has," I stirred my tea, not feeling like filling and hooking my body up with caffeine, already feeling really hyper and unprepared.

"Look-,"

"You helped Michael." I couldn't hold back as I finally looked up from my tea, seeing his shocked expression.

"What?"

"You. Helped. Michael." I spaced the words out, leaning forward on each one, flickering my eyes around, making sure we were being ignored. The thought of a public place made me nervous that I would say the wrong thing and put people on our tracks, as if people were eavesdropping on us, but I also knew it just also raised my chance to flip out on him and draw people's attention to us. And as much as I didn't want that to happen, I could feel it happening.

"I don't know what you're on about," he caused me to scoff as soon as he spoke the words into the air, crossing my arms firmly against my chest.

"Bullshit!"

"Nicky!" His voice was the same level as mine before quieting, "Be quiet, Nicky.

"Then stop lying to me." I hissed before quieting down, sinking down into my seat, tea long forgotten.

"I sent the video to Calum. Is that what you want to hear?"

"If it's the fucking truth, Alex." My tone was getting harsher and harsher with every word.   "Why did you help him? Why did you take so long, and how did you get the video?" I spewed multiple questions at him, not giving him a chance to even reply to the previous one.

"One at a time, Nicky. I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Fine. Why did you help him?" Start with the easier question and work up to the ones I really want answers for.

"Because you love him, Nicky." Straight and simple, to the point. I couldn't even deny it because I knew it was true. Realisation had clicked into my mind recently that I did indeed love the male currently fast asleep in my apartment, in my bed, my safe space. I had left him there after muttering about how I had to go see Alex as soon as I could to get answers. It was the only way I could let it all go and stay in the past.

"I do," I confirmed as if there was any form of doubt in his mind; I knew there wasn't.

"I saw how you were when we took him from your place? His place? And I could tell it weren't in a friendly way and not even a way you used to look at your exes," he elaborated, letting me soak in and hold onto every word tightly.

"I never knew it was obvious."

"Might not be to other people, but I've known you literally our whole lives together. I know when you love people, when you hate them. I know what you are like, Nicky, and you can't hide it from me."

"Why did you take so long to send the CCTV?" The warm mug was placed back in my hand as I leant forward, gripping the porcelain between my palms and fingers before taking a small sip, letting a bit of stress slip away from me.

"I had to make sure Morgan weren't looking." He broke off a piece of his blueberry muffin, placing the small sweet treat on his tongue before chewing and swallowing it. "I did also have to find it."

"How did you?" Perfect, link it to my other question by yourself, Alex.

"I'm a police officer, Nicky. I can get access to what I want with warrants and demands. I simply said I had a warrant for the CCTV across the road. There were a few arguments of we've shared it all, but when the warrant was shown, they couldn't deny it. There I got the unedited version that proved he didn't kill Margaret."

"So why didn't they give you that first?" I jeered, placing the cup back down on the marbled tabletop.

"I don't know, Nicky," he retaliated.

"Course you don't." I mocked, rolling my eyes at him, causing his body to stiffen up, watching me closely.

"Don't push your luck."

"My luck!" I chuckled. "My boyfriend was arrested by Alex, my own brother and uncle," I started listing events, counting them one by one on my fingers, getting louder and louder with each point. "I had to watch him be dragged away as I begged and pleaded for you both to not take him. You didn't believe that he was innocent. My own brother thought I was lying!" I then wasn't allowed to bail him out since it was a murder charge. I then tried to find the footage to prove it and be able to get my boyfriend back in my life since I knew my overprotective family wouldn't let me visit him in jail. I held my hand up as he opened his gob to reply, stopping him in his tracks.

"I mean, am I wrong?" He snapped his lips back together, shaking his head and just letting me continue; this is what I needed. I knew deep down I had been waiting for a chance to snap at my family for what they did, how hectic my life has been. How much it's worked me up mentally, but there was no way to without exposing Michael and the boys. "You both are so protective of me that you are the two that hurt me the most by doing that," my voice faded away, taking the anger with it. "Do you know?" I had to know the answer because I knew Michael would ask.

'Does he know we're the leaders of the gang he's been hunting down?'

"I don't know what you're on about." His eyes softened, giving me the answer without words I wanted to know and shit. He does know he's the leader of the gang.

"You sent the video to Calum..."

"I did try Luke, but he told me to send it to Calum. That's what we were on about in the office when you saw us."

"So you know?" I needed him to say the words and clarify my thoughts and mind, confirm what I wanted him to.

"I know."

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