Free Sins of the Heart by Sarah Hoss Page A

up and chased her.
    They had driven separately to the restaurant because she had said she had to work. Now he wondered if she hadn’t been with the other man. He couldn’t let her get into her car, though. There had been way too much wine consumed.
    He stood in front of her car. “Get out.” She shook her head. “Get out!” She started the car. He ran over to her window and tried to open the door. “Don’t do this. Let me in, and I’ll drive you.”
    “Fuck off.”
    He jiggled the door handle but to no avail.
    She put the car in gear and took off, nearly knocking him over as she pulled out of her spot in front of the restaurant. He watched as she drove the half block to the light, but she didn’t stop and blew through it, to be T-boned by another car. He screamed, and as he ran, he yelled at a passerby to call for help.
    When he got to the mangled mess of a car, she was dangling in her seat, held in place by the seatbelt. Blood dripped from her head. He tried the passenger side door, but it wouldn’t open. She had locked the doors to keep him out.
    When the emergency personnel arrived, he was still trying to get to her. He stepped back and let them work, but when they pronounced her dead, he dropped to his knees and wept.
    “I tried everything I could to get to her and save her, but it wouldn’t have mattered. The impact killed her.” Grant hung his head as a tear slid down his cheek, long-forgotten details pulling forth a fresh new wound.
    “You lying piece of shit.” Aiden ran toward Grant, fury and anger flowing off him like sparks. He would refuse to hear anything that would tarnish his sister’s memory. He saw the error in his words now.
    The two of them gripped forearms and wrestled back and forth, each almost losing their footing. Grant recovered first and took a swing, his fist connecting with Aiden’s right cheek. The man staggered backward a little. He took another swing, his fist landing in his opponent’s mid-section, causing the man to fall to his knees.
    As Grant reached down to grab Aiden by the shirt, Aiden brought his fist up and hit him between the legs.
    Grant dropped.
    “Grab him and hold him.” Aiden stood, wiping the blood from his face. “I’m fucking over this and it ends now. I came to avenge my sister’s death and that is exactly what I am going to do.” Aiden accepted a gun from John.
    Grant stared at John, unable to believe that he would be a part of this. “Why?”
    John smiled but it didn’t last long. Walking up to him, John leaned in and whispered, “Satisfaction. See, I was the other guy.”
    Grant didn’t have time to react before John threw a punch connecting with his face. Shaking his head to clear the pain, Grant recovered and spit blood.
    His pulse thundered through his veins as Aiden leveled the gun at his head. The two other men released him and stepped away. As he prepared to cock the gun, a shot rang out, hitting him in the leg right above the knee and causing him to drop. He yelled out in pain. Then all hell broke loose.
    “Shhh, we can’t let them hear us.” Malcolm placed his hand on Christina’s shoulder. “I need you positioned across the street in the woods and ready to shoot. If Aiden makes one move to harm Grant, then take him down.”
    Malcolm turned back to the scene unfolding before him. His cousin stood, surrounded, with Aiden circling him. He was saying something, but unable to hear.
    He, Ramsey, and Graham moved into position in the woods beside the clearing and waited. When he saw Aiden’s men leave the warehouse with Grant, he was afraid they would lose him. He had ran out the door carrying his wife, but when he saw Abigail running as if she could catch the car, he sat his wife down on the nearest chair and went after her. Graham, Ramsey, and Christina came out of hiding and Graham got in the car he had parked nearby.
    “We have to go after them,” Abigail said, panting.
    “We will. I’m going to call a cab for you and my wife.