“The lack of money is the root
of all evil.” -Mark Twain.
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I stood frozen in my spot. Marcus softly chuckled as his knuckles slowly traced the nape of my neck.
“I must say,” Marcus whispered from behind, “-I’m impressed.”
Clenching my jaw, I spun around and narrowed my eyes. Marcus raised an eyebrow at me and stared at me in amusement.
“Hello Marcus,” I hissed. And right then, it was the first time I allowed myself to show him exactly what I felt.
Rage, anger and disgust.
I allowed all the emotions too play out on my features.
My glare was so intense Marcus took a step back. However he then begun to slowly circle around me.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again. Samantha.”
I didn’t like the way he said my name and I slowly turned to face him.
“Really? I hope you didn’t think you’d get away with murdering my parents,” I gritted and it felt good to be able to show him my anger.
However what I didn’t expect, was for Marcus to throw his head back and laugh.
“Oh but Samantha,” he cooed with a smirk, “-we already have gotten away with it.”
I tried my best to stay still as he fired his words at me. I was planning out my motives, however it seemed like Marcus had a lot to say.
After circling me, Marcus paused in front of me. He took a step closer to me and his face was inches away from mine.
He brought his hand up and placed his palm on my cheek.
“You know,” he slowly drawled out, tilting his head, “-I liked Victoria a lot better than Samantha. I actually quite liked the new you,” Marcus finished in a bare whisper and I gave him a sarcastic smile.
“Marcus liking someone?” I snorted and pulled away from his hand.
“So why did you call me? Planning on killing me like you did to my parents?” I asked and clenched my fists.
Marcus paused and glanced at the ground before looking back up at me in thought.
“I really did like you Victoria. I’m willing to let you live. For us to… forget the past.”
I didn’t dare let another emotion play across my features. Marcus seemed calm.
Way too calm.
“Marcus,” Catelyn hissed from behind, “-we are getting rid of her,” she stated firmly as she glared over at me.
“That is not your call to make Catelyn,” Marcus said calmly as he continued to stare at me.
I raised my hands and shoved Marcus away from my body.
“Actually, that isn’t anyone’s call to make,” I chimed in and Catelyn narrowed her eyes at me.
Glaring back at Catelyn, my gaze drifted to Max. He stood behind Catelyn with a frown. He didn’t dare utter a word.
“Catelyn,” I slyly grinned, “-have you told Max about your secret lover?”
Suddenly Catelyns glare dropped and she looked at me with wide eyes. Standing up, she quickly spun around to face Max.
“Secret lover?” Max repeated with frowned eyebrows.
Seeing Catelyns guilty expression, Max clenched his jaw and looked at her in rage.
It was amazing how he believed that Catelyn would cheat on him and how he didn’t even bother to question it.
However before he could act out on impulse, Marcus cleared his throat.
“Max not now,” Marcus firmly said.
“You knew?” Max asked in disbelief.
However Marcus simply ignored him and looked back at me as he took a step closer.
“So Victoria? What do you say?” Marcus grinned.
Right then I felt rage like no other. Marcus was shocking me by the second. Not only had he decided too over see the fact that I was Samantha, but continued to refer to me as Victoria and tried to convince me too forget what they did?
In that moment I didn’t hold back.
With fury pumping in my veins, I clenched my fist. Without wasting another second, I put all my power and strength into one arm and swung.
Swung right into Marcus’ face.
Excruciating pain shot up my entire arm and I was left breathless for a few seconds.
However the feeling of punching Marcus was incredible.
Marcus most certainly didn’t see it coming. He was thrown back and off guard. He stumbled back and lost balance as he landed on the floor, cupping his face.
Catelyn gasped and immediately Max took a step forward, his eyes on Marcus.
I watched, still furious, as Marcus grunted and slowly pulled himself up.
He moved his hand away from his face and looked at me in so much anger and fury.
His look was deadly. A look I have never seen on anyone in my entire life.
I examined his face and it was a bloody mess in just seconds. Literally.
Blood immediately poured out of his nose, and his nose wasn’t exactly perfectly centered anymore.
“You,” he hissed in a deadly tone.
My gaze flickered to the hall of the warehouse. I wouldn’t mind if Alexander and Quinton decided to come now.
Before I could even glance back, I was abruptly grabbed by the neck and slammed into a large pole that reached the roof.
It was unexpected, and the breath was knocked out of me.
Marcus held my neck tightly and didn’t hesitate to push me up off of the ground.
He was slowly crushing my windpipe and I was paralyzed for a few seconds. I couldn’t act out immediately because I seemed to be in a state of shock due to the quick movement and lack of air.
“Samantha,” Marcus hissed, “-haven’t you learnt anything?”
I tried my best not to focus on the strong sensation of my windpipe getting slowly crushed by Marcus’ thumb. The pain was severe, but I didn’t dare give in.
I thrashed my legs and managed to get a firm kick in Marcus’ gut. However it only made him lower me down but not fully let go.
Now that my feet were on the ground, I didn’t have to use my arms to keep me up. I also wrapped my hands around Marcus neck and squeezed tightly while digging my nails into his neck. His grip loosened and I had time to gasp in a few breaths.
“Marcus!” Max suddenly shouted from behind.
Suddenly, Marcus was ripped off of me and thrown to the ground. A body placed himself on top of Marcus and grabbed him by the collar.
“You sick bastard,” Alexander hissed and balled his fist.
A look of confusion clouded over Marcus’ face and Alexander didn’t hesitate to prepare to throw in several powerful blows.
“Samantha’s lover here always manages too show up,” Catelyn hissed as she stared directly at me. I was now free of Marcus and Catelyn didn’t want to waste a perfect opportunity.
Hearing Catelyn’s words, the confusion from Marcus’ face disappeared and in a fit of fury he leaned up and grabbed Alexander trying to gain the upper hand.
The two rolled and blows were thrown in a haste, making it hard to keep up. Grunts and shouts were heard in just seconds.
“Max!” Catelyn yelled, “-help him out! I’ll have this one,” Catelyn smirked as she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Or,” a new voice said, “-you can try me.”
My head turned over to the new comer. Quinton threw off his jacket and balled up his sleeves.
Max clenched his jaw and in a fast sprint, ran towards Quinton, ready to tackle him.
I didn’t have time to see if Max had successfully tackled Quinton, because Catelyn stepped into my line of vision.
Before she could talk, I loudly cracked my knuckles.
“You know,” I said in a hoarse voice due to Marcus’ tight grip on my neck earlier, “-I’m in a really, really, frightful mood. Since I can’t take it out on Marcus, you’ll have to do.”
Catelyn simply grinned. After a moment she began too advance at me.
She was an excellent fighter, but I was better.
Side stepping her attempt of a tackle, Catelyn quickly spun around.
My temper was no longer even on the radar. I was feeling hot headed and I didn’t dare hold back.
Catelyn balled her fist and swung in a very fast motion.
Grabbing her fist, I pulled her forward and twisted her arm hearing a sickening crack.
Catelyn cried out immediately and cursed loudly. Her fight was already over but I was still furious.
I didn’t care if she was injured.
Advancing forward, I grabbed her shoulders and ran her into the nearest wall. Catelyn slammed her head and looked at me in shock.
She slowly slid down to the ground and I hissed down at her in anger. I bent down on my knees to be level with her.
“This,” I said breathlessly, “-is for my mother.”
I slammed a fist into her jaw.
“-and this,” I said again, tears threatening to blur my vision due to the frustration I was feeling, “-is for my father!”
With that blow, blood trailed down Catelyns lip and underneath her eyes were already bruising.
She tried her best too lift up her arms and use her nails to try and claw at my face.
Grabbing her injured arm, I didn’t hesitate to twist it even further, making her scream out in agony.
Letting go, I threw one last blow to her face.
Catelyn’s head swung too the side and stayed there. The swinging motion of her head caused the blood from her bleeding teeth to spray across the wall and my shirt.
She was unconscious. Not dead, but if I didn’t stop she would be.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted.
I slowly stood up and stumbled a few steps back. I was panting and my hair was a mess.
Looking at what I did I almost cringed myself.
I stared at Catelyns body for a few seconds.
She killed your parents, I mentally reminded myself.
Why didn’t I feel any better?
Hearing grunts and cussing, my focus zoomed back to the situation that was at hand behind me.
Spinning around, I spotted the men still dueling with one another.
Marcus and Alexander were both bleeding and Max and Quinton didn’t look so good either.
I glanced at both groups and tried to pick who to help.
Max wasn’t exactly a fighter and Quinton seemed too be enjoying himself as he wore a sadist smile.
Alexander and Marcus on the other hand, were both equally mad and furious.
Without another thought, I ran towards Marcus.
Just as he was about to throw a punch towards Alexander, I pushed him back and jammed my elbow into his stomach making him kneel over.
Grunting, he looked up at me with a murderous glare.
“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance,” Marcus grunted, “-stupid of me to think you’d be a good little girl and cry it off.”
Clenching my jaw, I was ready to advance towards him again, however Alexander bet me to it.
Alexander was breathing fire as he marched up to Marcus. Raising both of his hands, he grabbed both sides of Marcus’ collar and pulled him back slightly.
Then in a fast motion he yanked him forward, slamming his forehead into Marcus’.
“Don’t you dare speak to her like that,” Alexander hissed not even flinching, as he pushed Marcus onto the floor.
Marcus stumbled to the ground and immediately tried his best to sit up. He grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut, groaning.
“Marcus,” Max gasped as he pushed Quinton off of him and stumbled back.
He looked at the three of us with wide eyes as Quinton slowly walked towards us to stand beside us.
Max rushed over too Marcus who still remained on the ground.
I then spun around and looked at Alexander in worry. I cupped his face in my palms and furrowed my eyebrows.
“Are you alright?” I asked in pure concern and Alexander shrugged my hands off.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you hurt?” He asked in a hard voice as he softly grabbed my chin, moving it side to side.
“I’m fine,” I softly whispered in exhaustion.
“Quinton?” Alexander asked his friend.
“A little roughed up,” he commented, “-nothing I can’t handle.”
I sighed in relief.
It was finally over. The police station was a fair distance away from here but the cops should be close by now. I guess we were going to have a lot of explaining to do.
“Now can we please-,”
I abruptly stopped talking as I felt a solid object tap the back of my head.
I froze and didn’t dare turn around as both Alexanders and Quinton’s eyes trailed up behind me.
“Samantha,” Alexander whispered under his breath, his eyes not moving, “don’t move.”
For a second I didn’t. However after a moment, I slowly turned around and Alexander took in a sharp breath at my movements.
My gaze locked with Marcus’, who wore on a grand smirk with a smug expression to go with it.
However I sucked in a deep breath through my teeth when my eyes focused in on the metal hand gun that was being pointed to my forehead.
“Rookie move,” Marcus grinned with a slight grimace, “-It isn’t over just yet, but it will be.”