The Gang Leader's Shorty

Chapter 17

Contains violence, read at own risk.

Cole's PoV-

12:30 am 

We are too late.

I walk over to my girlfriend and take in her eyes shut tight, heavy bags accentuating her narrow features as she lays tied to a chair, limp and lifeless. I turn back to Luke to find he has collapsed to his knees sobbing. Of course he is going to cry, I don't know why I'm shocked, his twin sister is dead. 

I turn back to Lexi and shake her, "Wake up!" I yell in her face, desperate as ever, "Lexi, we need you," Luke screams from beside me, suddenly. We hear shuffling from the shadows before us and I move away from Lexi to protect Luke and Jasper does the same, "Come out!" I shout and raise my gun ready to fire. 

A dark chuckling comes from the shadows and he steps out. A man with rugged hair and a patchy beard with dark circles around his bloodshot eyes. He's obviously drunk, I deduce, maybe even high judging by his sunken eyes. I step towards him but Luke grabs my arm and pulls me away, "He's dangerous, Cole."

"So this is my daughter's boyfriend?" The man smiles, creepily, his eyes blazing with wicked jealousy and hatred, "Yes, I am," I snap at him and he steps closer, "I'm so glad to finally meet you. Although why you'd risk your life for her, I do not know," He sneers, wobbling with his footing as he steps closer to me. 

"Why are you doing this, dad?" Luke asks, "Because your sister killed my wife," He snaps and steps closer, I push Luke behind me. "No, she didn't. Your wife died of Pneumonia," I shout to the decrepit man. He staggers backwards in surprise, almost as if my backbone has smacked him square in the jaw. 

"And she set it off!" He yells at us, anger seeping through his highly unsuccessful demeanour, and we step back, I brace my gun, "Shoot it and Liam will kill you," He smirks, "Who's Liam? Your sidekick?" Luke shouts, pushing against Jasper's extended arm that prevents him from getting closer to his deadbeat father. 

"He's your older brother," He states calmly, as if he hasn't dropped a complete bombshell on the poor boy's shoulders. Luke remains silent for a few moments, digesting the news before he reverts back to reality with a slight shake of his head, his eyes locked on Lexi for the moment. I'm not sure whether this is out of love for his sister or an inability to look his father in the eyes. Either way, I understand his aversion. "We don't have a brother," Luke steps forward, breaking through Jasper's arm but I grab him and pull him behind me. I cannot let two Anderson siblings die on my watch. 

"We hid him away. He was always our favourite and we didn't want him to have to be associated with you both, we didn't want that for the only worthy piece of flesh and blood of ours," He sneers at Luke, his tone laced with malice dripping from each word. Luke yells, confused, "Mum wouldn't do that to us."

"Oh, but she would. Our protection paid off, he's got full custody of his son from his cheating girlfriend. You two freaks didn't ruin one life, at least," He spits out at Luke and I step further out in front of him so that Michael can't hurt him, "Cole, this isn't your fight," He places an unsteady hand on my shoulder, "I'm going to give you a chance to escape. Lexi and Luke will just ruin your life, they're selfish brats who only think of themselves, you should just run while you can," Michael offers his eyes piercing into mine with sincerity and, for the first time, I can actually tell that he means every word he's saying. 

Thankfully, I do not. Instead, I turn to Luke, ignoring the incredulous look plastered onto his face before turning to Lexi, looking away immediately, "It's for the best," I whisper to Luke so that only he can hear and walk from the basement. I'm going to find this Liam bastard.