1: PLEASE NO.

CHAPTER 1

ONE YEAR AGO.

I was walking home from my usual job at the bank in our small town.

I was quite tired and couldn't wait to rest.

I went home and felt from the door that something was smelling wonderful. The wonderful smell of home-made pasta wafted through the air.

I had the most amazing man in the world.

"Jack ..." I called to him.

"I'm here, darling." I went to the kitchen and saw him handing me a glass of wine.

"Very kind of you, thanks." I smiled.

"Let's drink for us. For our future."

"Cheers," I said enthusiastically.

We drank, had fun, and finally watched a movie in which, of course, I fell asleep.

I remember Jack carrying me to the bed and smiling at me. Then I didn't know that ... this would be the last time I see him.

NOWADAYS

It was a busy day in Miami, as always. I couldn't wait for the new case.

I went into the police station, left my bag, and poured coffee from the coffee machine.

"Hello, Laura." my boss, David Morris, greeted me.

"Hello." I smiled at him.

I could tell from the way he was looking me that he had something to say to me.

"We need to talk." he said.

Of course. In a year I had managed to get to know him.

"Come to my office in 15 minutes. I'll be waiting for you." he said seriously and walked to his office.

ONE YEAR AGO...

I woke up because of the shouts outside. What the hell was going on?

"Jack!" I started looking for him. He wasn't in the room. I was alone.

I left the room slowly and quietly. I was hoping that this was just a nightmare.

"The woman is inside, catch her!" I heard someone shouting from outside.

"Run, Laura! Run!" I heard Jack's voice. He was alive!

"Shut up, fool." someone shouted at him and several blows followed.

I ran through the back door with only the clothes on my back. I didn't have time for anything. I didn't know which was worse - Jack's cries or the silence that could mean death.

When I opened the door and saw a tall man in a dark cowboy hat standing in front of me. I noticed that he had dark blonde hair.

When he saw me, he laughed.

I ran inside but he caught up with me and took my hand tightly.

"Where are you going, treasure? You're our reward."

All my hopes and dreams were dying.

No.... no.... this couldn't happen.

He led me into the shed behind the house and turned on the lights.

I was trying to free myself but he held me with all his might.

"Come on, boys. It's time for our reward." he shouted.

I wanted to break free, but he was stronger than me.

After a while, I saw two men to enter the shed, holding Jack in their arms.

"Let him go!" I shouted with all my might.

"I'm sorry, treasure, but I'm afraid that's impossible." some of the men told me.

"What are you going to do? Please take everything ... I'll give you everything but let us go." I was dying of fear. I didn't know what was coming.

They were laughing. Apparently it was funny for them that I was praying for our lives.

"Treasure, your man owes us so much moee than just money and he will pay with his life," said one of the men.

"And with you," the other one smirked and tore my blouse. I screamed. I saw that they were holding Jack here so he could see everything.

I was trembling with fear.

"Let us go ... let us go." That's all I repeated. And they made fun of me all the time.

While I was praying, I saw a knife near me. I tried my best to take it but I couldn't at first.

"Don't move, baby." the man with the blond hair warned me.

With another push, I managed to reach the knife and cut it in the chest of the man holding me.

He cried out in pain.

"Michael!" I heard the other man call him.

Michael. That name stuck in my mind. I already knew I would never forget it.

"Tom ..." was the last thing he said before to lose consciousness.

"What did you do, stupid bitch?" Tom hit me.

His blow was very strong. Stunned me.

"If he dies, I'll kill you." he threatened me.

The third man was just holding Jack who was visibly helpless. His legs were broken.

He kicked me in the stomach.

"Please stop ..." I said with the last of my strength.

But that only kept him going.

"It hurts, doesn't it, babe?" he leaned toward me. "Now you'll get more of it."

And he kicked me again. Then again.... and again....and again.

I could no longer speak. I was in so much pain. Every move was hurting me

This man was strong and ruthless. Then I saw death approaching.

"You hurt my partner and now you deserve punishment." he approached Jack with his gun, who was standing and barely watching. He had been crushed by a fight.

"Please dont." I began to cry inconsolably as hard as I could. With all the strength I had left. 

"I'll take away what you love most." he laughed and smashed my life to pieces with a thunderbolt.

He killed him. He killed my future.

There was blood all over his face ... I couldn't look anymore. I was just praying he would kill me faster.

NOWADAYS.....

I knocked on the door and entered my boss's office.

"Finally." he said as if he had been waiting for me for hours.

"What do you have for me?" I asked immediately.

"Sit down." he waited for me to sit down and pulled out a folder of documents.

"This information is about a very dangerous man." he handed me the folder. "His name is Richard Valentino and he is an Italian assassin and arms dealer."

I looked at his picture. He was the typical Italian criminal. A masculine, muscular handsome man who was thinking he was the king of the world. I couldn't wait to put him in jail.

"You are asked to get closer to him." he continued.

"What kind of closeness?" I asked.

"As much as it's necessary. You have to become like his right hand. He must trust you so much that he will allow you to get closer to everything he has. All information about him is top secret and you are the person who needs to get it. That's the only way we'll put him in jail." David looked at me sternly.

I was ready to do anything to catch another killer.

"I agree."

My boss was sure I would agree. He gave me the file folder to learn more about him and I went to my office.

ONE YEAR AGO...

I saw Tom remove his belt and take off his pants. He would finish what his partner Michael failed to do. He grabbed me and took off my clothes.

I stood motionless. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. The blows he inflicted on me caused me unbearable pain.

I wanted to fight, hit him, run away, but I couldn't...

I just....couldn't.

He grabbed my thigh with his cold rough hand.

It began.. excruciating pain. He inserted his dick into me and began to move fast and rough movements.

When he did what he wanted, he left me motionless on the floor.

"Hope you die slowly and painfully, bitch." he said and spat at me.

The only thing I could see was that his partner Michael was standing up. Apparently the wound was only superficial.

"Tom .."

"Come on, Mike, let's get out of here. This bitch is dead anyway," he looked at me, knowing I was on the verge of death.

They left me to die alone and helpless in that shack. He killed my husband in front of me. I stood there for hours, praying to die.

Until my neighbor, Mr. Collins, came in the morning to look for Jack. I don't remember exactly what happened. I remember waking up the next day in the hospital. 

I hated the fact that I was still alive and Jack didn't. I wanted to die more than anything. They had killed my whole life. One shot changed everything. One night changed my life completely.

It took more than 6 months before I was able to shake off the incident. I had nightmares every night.

I still have nightmares.

I kept dreaming of Tom leaning over me.

I kept imaging how he's pulling the trigger and ending Jack's dreams.

My dreams too.

So I swore to pursue the criminals and catch them.

That was my job now. And I was completely devoted to it.

My next case was Richard Valentino and I was going to catch him.