FIVE

KANE’s POV

I sit in the darkened office of Owen’s Pharmacy and stare into the eyes of the man who killed my father. There is fear in his dull brown eyes, but it is a fear that has come too late.

He rubs his palms together, begging for mercy on his knees as Tore, my right-hand man holds him at gunpoint from behind. I trust Tore with my life, he has stuck by my side ever since we were children. We’re pretty much blood brothers though we look nothing alike. Tore wears his light brown hair sleeked back and tied up in a little ponytail and has the build of a Greek god. Even as he cocks the gun at Owen, Tore towers over the trembling man.

“Please, I have a wife and a kid,” Owen begs with a quivering voice.

I lean forward from the worn-out plastic stool that I sit on and stroke the man’s pudgy cheeks with my blade. It's sharp and pointy, and grazes Owen on the cheeks. He winces in pain and a streak of dark red blood appear.

“So? My father had two wives and five children and you still went ahead to poison him.”

Owen the pharmacist breaks into a sob.

“I’m sorry…I had to. Sergio’s gang threatened to kill my family if I didn’t do their bidding.” I think he just peed in his pants.

Sergio…the man thinks he is king now just because he got rid of my old man. Things have gotten really bad under his control. The city’s financial economy is in ruins because of his tyranny as he runs rampant seizing properties and beds every young woman he lays his eyes on. If father was a dictator, then Sergio is a madman.

I should never have left the family. I should never have tried running away from my fate. I should have been there for father when he needed me the most. But I wasn’t, and because of that, my family was massacred.

I am sorry father, I will pay for my sins. I will avenge you.

I eye Tore who nods back and cocks his gun readying for the kill. Owen closes his eyes as tears slide down his face. He knows there is no escape for him now.

Except maybe for the annoying trespasser who enters through the front door of the pharmacy.

“Hello?” a soft melodious voice calls out. It is a woman. What is a woman doing here at such a godforsaken hour? And where is Russo? He was supposed to stand guard at the door. That guy must have gone for a piss again. He drank too much before we came.

I frown and point to Tore. He nods and stealthily steps out of the office to check.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” she calls out again.

Jeez woman, if there’s no answer, it means that no one’s here. I roll my eyes at the sheer stupidity of the female species. The only time they’ve ever impressed me is when they’re in bed with their legs spread out.

I've never been impressed by them. Save for my mother and that girl. Suddenly, my mind wanders back to the hazel-eyed beauty from the woods. I shake my head, why has she been consuming my thoughts these few days?

“I need medication. My father is hurt…”

Owen whimpers and I quickly cover his mouth. I hear Tore speak, his voice deep and low.

“Hello,” he says in the most pleasant of ways. Tore loves women, as do I but we know where to draw the line. We do not force ourselves on women and we do not prey on the weak. And this woman will be no exception.

I peek out of the office and catch the silhouette of a petite woman in an oversized jacket. Her hair, I can’t really tell the colour since the lights are off but they look like they’re dark brown. She fidgets when she sees Tore appear at the counter. At six foot four, Tore is practically a giant compared to her tiny frame.

“Oh!” she exclaims in surprise. “Are…are you the pharmacist?”

“I’m his assistant.”

I have to stop myself from chuckling. Tore does NOT like a pharmacist’s assistant. In any case, his rugged looks and heavy jawline liken him more to a street fighter than a blue-collar worker. It’s obvious the woman doesn’t believe him, but she seems to be desperate.

She inches closer to the counter and asks with what I perceive to be hope, “My father, he was lashed with a poisoned whip. He’s suffering from a broken arm too. The wounds from the lashing have not healed. In fact he has a very high fever. Is there anything you can give him?”

Sergio…

My eyebrows furrow with disgust. His gang is the only one I know that uses poisoned whips. Too much drama. Sergio has a thing for theatrics.

Me? I prefer the tortures to be fast and clean. Like Owen here. Shoot him in the head and be done with it. Simple as that, and it would have already been done had that woman not stepped into the shop.

I sigh, wishing Tore would hurry up.

“We have antibiotics and antiseptics. Wait here.” I hear Tore rummage through the cabinets. I am amazed he knows where the medication is kept.

“Here you go,” he says after a little while.

“How much?” the woman asks.

There is a scratching sound, Tore doesn’t know the price. “Fifty?” he says, unsure.

The woman hesitates and lowers her head. From where I hide, I see her shoulders slumping in despair. She must be poor.

“I’m sorry, can I just take the antibiotics? I don’t have that much.” I can practically hear disappointment dripping from her words.

“You can have them for free then.”

I raise my eyebrows. She must be very beautiful. Tore has a soft spot for pretty girls.

I hear her gasp. Owen does too and he shakes his head furiously. I guess giving out freebies is not his thing. I smile at Owen and point my blade at him. Immediately he cowers.

“Thank you! Thank you, kind sir! Thank you so much! You will surely be blessed!” she squeals with pure delight.

“Where is your father by the way?” Tore asks. He sure is chatty tonight.

“Up in the hills. We’re from the Tussano village.”

I see her bowing to Tore and him bowing back. She pulls her hoodie over her head and dashes out of the shop.

Tussano. That was near where I met the young woman from the other night. Could she be from the same village?

Tore saunters to the back soon after she leaves and I have to tease him, “Beautiful?”

He smiles cheekily, “Like an angel.”

Those are the last words Owen the pharmacist ever hears.