Gunner

Chapter 2

Gunner

I’m fine

I smiled as I looked down at the text from Sierra. She wasn’t fine. She was alive but was far from okay. I’m sure if I went over there right now, she would be covered in fresh bruises.

Glad to know you’re alive

I glanced up from my phone and sipped my coffee. Last night, I’d slipped sleeping pills in Colin’s drink. He deserved far worse than that, but I guess it would have to wait. I rolled my eyes at the paper as I looked at the picture.

Mayor fights the war against abuse.

Fucking liar.

Colin is the face you see if you were to look up the meaning of the word.

Colin will be gone for the week

No need to check up on me

I shook my head and chuckled. I would most definitely be checking up on Sierra.

See you tomorrow night

I turned the screen off my phone and glanced across the street. Just as I suspected. Colin was doing business with Alberto Ramirez, the drug lord of Mexico. I clenched my jaw as I watched Alberto slide him an envelope. No doubt, he was leaving town to deliver a shipment. I slapped a five-dollar bill down on the table and folded up the paper. Soon, Colin would be out of town and that gave me relief. Sierra would be safe… for now.

Getting on my bike, I drove to my apartment and cursed under my breath. Jasmine, like always, was waiting for me to return. I shut my motorcycle off and kicked my foot, propping in up. She was getting to be a nuisance.

“Look, I know you’re the landlord’s daughter and all, but I’m not interested. Please, leave me alone.”

“Gunner, we could be so good together.” Jasmine pouted.

She was a pretty girl, but so not my type. She was too clingy, high-maintenance. There was only one girl I wanted, and she was taken… for now. Soon, I’d have her. I just needed to be careful with my plan. I’d expose my brother for the bastard he was, and take everything he stole from me. It would just have to take some time.

I sat down on my couch and turned on the television. Flipping it over to the news, I narrowed my eyes and glared. Yet again, my brother was interviewing with the local news channel. He was acting like the perfect Mayor. A doting husband who loved his wife dearly.

What a crock of s**t.

I turned off the television and pulled out my phone. I frowned when I didn’t have any texts. Usually, Sierra had texted me back by now. I sighed and set it down on my coffee table. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I opened it without acknowledging who it was and growled. “Jasmine, I said…”

The police officer raised his eyebrow at me. “Brody Michaels?”

“Yes?”

“We need you to go down to the morgue.”

“What, why?”

“We have reason to believe Colin Michael's body was found. I need you to come down and identify the body.”

“What about his wife? Shouldn’t she be the one to confirm it?”

“Sir, we knocked on her door, but she wasn’t home. Nobody answered the door.”

“Fine. I’ll be there within the next twenty minutes.”

Within ten minutes, I was knocking on my brother’s door. I turned the knob and furrowed my brows in confusion. It wasn’t like Colin to leave the door unlocked. Sierra, either. I opened the door and walked inside. The house didn’t seem to be trashed but was eerily quiet. I searched the entire house and finally found Sierra fast asleep in her bed. I decided to not wake her. I still needed to go identify a body.

Arriving at the hospital, I stepped inside and walked up to the front desk. The receptionist smiled and asked. “How can I help you?”

“I’m Brody Michaels. The police say there’s a body I need to identify.”

“Of course, let me just ring the officer in charge.”

She picked up the phone and whispered into the phone. A few moments later, the same office who came to my house appeared at my side. “If you’ll follow me.”

I followed him into a room and scrunched my nose up. It smelled of alcohol and dead flesh in here. The officer stood in front of me and pulled the sheet back. I should feel something. Sadness. Remorse. I couldn’t fathom anything for my brother.

“That’s him. That’s my brother, Colin Michaels.”

The officer nodded and said. “If you need a moment alone…”

“No need. We weren’t that close.”

I glanced down at the dead body and looked down at the bullet holes in his chest. I wasn’t sad, I was jumping for joy. This meant that he couldn’t hurt Sierra anymore. The police officer covered his body and said. “His case is being investigated as a homicide.”

“Okay?”

I wasn’t stupid.

Just this afternoon, I’d seen him having lunch with Alberto Ramirez.

Honestly, Alberto did me a favor.

Good f*****g riddance.

“I assume you’ll be taking care of the arrangements.”

“No. That would be my mother. Alison Michaels.”

I felt dread in the pit of my stomach.

I was going to have to tell Sierra.

He was a bastard to her, but still her husband.

I feared that she would think I was the one who killed him.

The police officer nodded and said. “I still need to talk to the wife.”

“I’ll tell her myself. You’ll be too busy with my mother. Trust me.”