Part 2
### Chapter 1: Chapter 1
***Currently Editing***
Ellen wondered why she felt a strange attraction to the man. She should have been afraid. But every time she remembered how his soul called out for someone to understand him, she softened. She had to find out who he was, where he was.... if only to see him once.
Complete Chapters 34
Rating 4.8 ( 12 reviews ) Age Rating mature
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Chapter One
Ellen opened and closed the cover of the book she had in her hand. It had a worn leather casing with brown discoloration on the inside . The pages seemed fairly fresh but the writing was solid and fading. She double checked the shelf she managed to slide it from but it held no notable difference in topics. She figured the book was in the wrong section of the library and considered alerting the librarian.
The casing had no title or card filing. Most likely it was shoved onto the shelf in haste. Ellen decided to ignore her disturbed gut feeling and focus on what she originally came for now and head home. She slid the book into her backpack and grabbed two Calculus books on her way to the checkout area. She momentarily forgot to mention to the clerk and only remembered she had the book after exiting.
Her next stop was home, a rooftop studio apartment gifted from her parents. Both her mother and father were well-known lawyers and due to her steady grades in college, they decided to give her her own space instead of a dorm room. She hailed a cab and quickly one came to a stop.
“15 Ardenne Street, Apartment Building J” she stated as she climbed in the back seat.
The driver nodded, ensured she was strapped in, then took off.
Ellen settled into her seat, knowing she should be thinking about Calculus but couldn’t get the leather-bound book out of her head. She pulled the book from her bag and opened it again to investigate.
On the inside of the cover, his handwriting was scribbled over the center in red “No one will see the truth” paired with “Only I can see what’s real” . The words made no particular sense to her but she continued checking. The back of the book held a small picture of a woman. The back was inscribed with “Adira, mother” in black ink. Ellen was beginning to wonder why the different use of ink. The paragraphs were in blue, the inscriptions in red and everything else in black.
Maybe he stays organized like me? She thought.
She flipped back to the front and eyed the first log.
Daniel messed up. I gave him one order to follow and he still managed to screw up. Why did I have to be tasked with preparing this clumsy idiot for the family business? Today’s target was Jameson Marley, VP to the tenth largest gang in San Francisco, The West Mob. He was set to visit the police station today, keeping up with their local bribery of the police.
Jameson was responsible for interrupting one of shipments a few weeks ago and now he was giving information to the police. The last thing I needed was a snitch that wasn’t even a part of my ranks. Daniel was set to handle the situation but only made it worse. Jameson, in error, killed his usual meetup cop because Daniel shot at him. In the end, he got away.
Tonight, I had to take care of the issue myself. Usually, I tried to avoid getting involved due to business being more important, but I had every other member focusing on the shipments and the sale. I found Jameson hiding out in an abandoned warehouse and dealt with him there.
I mutilated his face. I ripped his throat out. I even had the time to leave his entrails in a disturbing art form on the floor. I also took the time to remove his fingerprints and soaked each hand in acid. For now, he’d be unrecognizable to his friends and to the police. I try to contain my anger but it gets out anyway.
The taxi driver’s voice shook Ellen from her thoughts. She paid him her fare and shuffled out to the sidewalk. Up the elevator to the top floor and stumbling into her apartment, last door on the right. She pushed the door open, slammed it shut and slid to her knees. MW was sick, she thought. She understood his anger was necessary but maybe Daniel could have handled it better if he was given a second chance. She felt her head starting to spin and threw the book across the room. It was a bad idea reading it in the cab, even worse to be reading it at home alone.
She breathed and pulled to her feet. Sliding her books on her study desk, she settled in and began going over her notes from class. They were fairly easy but no matter how she tried focusing, her mind always trailed back to MW. A few problems that normally took an hour, stretched to four. Ellen closed the book on her final equation and sighed. A shower would be good.
Throwing in a few petals and a strawberry bath bomb, she settled in the tub and relaxed her head on a folded towel.
The prison guard unlocked the heavy cell door and beckoned to the prisoner who was currently sitting on the concrete floor with folded arms. His back was turned to the guard with his number 12 in bold print facing the cell door. The guard waited as the man rose to his feet and walked toward him with outstretched arms. The guard snapped a pair of handcuffs to his wrists.
“You’ve got a visitor” he chuckled.
The prisoner smirked slightly. “Any idea who it is, Garrett?”
The guard stopped laughing. “Who’d you hear my name from, huh?”
The prisoner shrugged and walked toward the waiting area. He knew his way around even though he rarely had any visitors. He was allowed one visitor every two months but his friends in the industry knew better than to come knocking. He wondered who it would be today. He stepped into the well-lit room and saw a man sitting at the table.
The man introduced himself quickly, adjusting his tie and glasses.
“I assume you know who I am then?”
Marcus settled into his seat and Garrett unlocked his cuffs.
“5 minutes” Garrett informed both men and left the room.
Edward leaned towards Marcus and smiled.
“It’s good to see you man,” he said slowly. The two men exchanged greetings and stared back at each other. Edward was actually his second in command of the family business while Marcus, keeping everything in order while he was incarcerated. The two had bonded in their teenage years and the friendship remained strong. Together they had managed to grow one of the largest gangs in Italy, The Ndrangheta. But seeing how he was here, Marcus assumed the worst that his brother was in charge for this little trip to see him.
“How is business?” Marcus inquired. Getting into a fight here wasn’t a good idea. He decided not to ask.
“The community still respects you as the Ndrina - ‘man who does not bend’. They’ve taken vows to remain loyal to the family and continue their support. A new shipment should be coming in soon with over 100 customers lining up.” Edward glanced around the room for any cameras. “The rest is as usual”
Marcus nodded. “After ten years, I didn’t think I’d miss your ugly face. I need you to do me a favor. The Judge handling my appeal, his daughter can be a good leverage for him to let me out of good behavior.”
Edward smiled. “Well that’s a good thing”
The air in the room then became tense. Marcus leaned forward and whispered.
“Also, have you located my log?”
“No, no sign of it at the house. Are you sure you didn’t leave it somewhere else?”
Marcus knew it was stupid to keep a log of all his missions. He knew the danger it posed if it fell into the wrong hands, the perfect evidence for half of the other crimes he had committed over the years or gave alibi to. But it was the only thing that kept him sane, expressing his emotions in a civilized manner. Edward sensed his friend’s discomfort and sighed. The last thing he had remembered was hiding it somewhere out of the house.
“We’ll find it. Don’t worry” Edward sighed.
Garrett then came back and proceeded to handcuff Marcus again.
Edward waved him off and headed to the exit. Marcus gave him a good idea of what to do but he didn’t expect the daughter to be a child. She was a 4 year old Cinderella with doe eyes. Edward was against killing children so for now, he’d play a role he wasn’t versed in. The child didn’t flinch when he came for her.
Despite this, Edward looked at the bright side. Other important things demanded his attention. It was best this was quick and easy.
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### Chapter 2: Chapter 2
The shelf now housed books about science, psychology, and economics. Ellen found a tight spot next to a human mechanics textbook. She shoved the log next to it and walked away. She was better off without it. Her nights had become restless and she couldn’t get log 3 out of her head. MW explained in detail how he had to mutilate the body of a teenage girl who had found information on their operations.
He had dragged her back by her hair to an empty warehouse and proceeded to cut her fingers off one by one. He stabbed her 20 times in the stomach, and 15 times around her arms, legs, and chest. Ellen found it difficult to sleep that night and regretted reading. She hastily walked away from the shelf and went back to her desired section of animals and veterinary understudy. She grabbed a book from the third shelf that explained how the inner cells grouped together to protect the body. Her teacher had explained that a test would be coming up soon on the topic.
She decided to check the book out for use and read up on it later.
On her walk to the bus stop, she carefully observed the other citizens. From reading the log she became more observant of the people around her and what they could be capable of. MW had given her fear. Ellen was beginning to see a different side of the world. The bus slowly came to a halt in front of her and all the passengers begin to file in. She took a seat at the back away from the attention and settled her mind.
Her name was Elizabeth. Edward had found her investigating outside his apartment. She was holding a recorder in one hand and a notepad in the other, looking like a frightened mouse with its tail caught between its legs. She explained she was researching the murders that took place between 2002-2004 for her school newspaper. What she didn’t expect was that she would be caught by the murderer himself. She recorded us discussing business as per usual and that wasn’t a good sign. Edward destroyed her evidence and dragged her to the car. She was innocent but the family had to be protected first.
At the warehouse, we had proceeded to tie her up and leave her facing down on the floor. Edward had covered her mouth and eyes. She was uncontrollably crying and begging us to let her go but my conscience wouldn’t allow it. It was obvious she knew enough and the only choice was to kill her. I stabbed her 20 times in the stomach in rage and 15 times around her arms, legs, and chest. I was a monster.
Edward decided to mince the rest of her remains and get rid of any evidence.
Ellen slowly came out of her reverie as the bus came closer to her school. The campus was sparse with students, as it usually was on a Friday afternoon and her only class was biology set in building A closest to the front. She climbed off the bus and headed inside. A few students were already seated but the professor wasn’t there. Ellen took a seat closest to the front and sighed, placing her head down on the desk for a brief moment. Thinking about MW‘s log 3 again somehow made her feel sympathy for him. In his own twisted way, he didn’t want to hurt Elizabeth but he felt he had to.
She could hear the indecisiveness in his voice but she couldn’t feel the rage in his heart. She wondered what could make a person become so evil to murder a child. But at the same time, she realized she felt fear towards MW, not hatred.
“How is this possible,” She whispered to herself.
Shrugging her thoughts aside she noticed a shaggy, blonde head blur in the corner of her eye. Her biology teacher, Mr. Hendrix, had entered the classroom and walked towards his desk. He adjusted his jacket and set a projector on the table, shouting a brief hello to all who were present. The topic displayed was Evolution. As Mr. Hendrix went on to explain the topic further she realized it almost described who MW was. She wasn’t sure who he was before all this and what made him make the decision to become who he is now.
“ The four principles of evolution are variation, inheritance, selection and time.” Mr. Hendrix continued.
“Variation allows species to be differentiated by their genetic make-up, Inheritance shows the genes that offspring have received from their parents, Selection decides which genes are prominent and Time shows how long it takes these genes to change and manipulate”
If MW's parents had genes that became manipulated over time, evolution sounded like the perfect excuse for murder. After another hour, biology was over and Ellen finished up her notes. Mr. Hendrix declared the class finished and informed them that a test would be coming up in a week. She packed her things and headed out. On the way out, she decided to head to the library once again to collect the log. She realized that despite the gory details, MW was an example that she could use, not to mention her shy, invested interest in knowing more about him.
“Finally good to see you out” Dani, Ellen’s young friend shouted over the club music. The two had become good friends for the last five months and counting. She had managed to convince Ellen to take a break from studying and come out on a Friday night like a normal adult.
Dani was dressed to impress with a dazzling blue mini skirt and a black crop top paired with stilettos. Ellen was older than her being 25 and thus opted to be more mature. She wore a thigh-length, backless, black dress that had a sweetheart neckline and crisscrossed flats. Her hair was in loose waves too and she styled it with a cute flower beret on the side.
A few guys had noticed her but she was glad all the attention was on Dani. She had tests to think about and MW would have to wait.
“I’m here tonight, as your plus one, just like you asked,” Ellen replied.
Dani pursed her lips and took a swig of her drink. “If that’s all it took to get you out of the house, I should have done it sooner”
Ellen rolled her eyes. Dani was a freshman and had way fewer exams to conquer but she helped when necessary. Ellen glanced at the dance floor and observed the few persons swinging about. It was an easy vibe tonight and she could roll with it.
Dani grabbed her arm and led her toward an empty corner seat. She quickly sat down and blew a breath.
“I have an exam next week, Calculus, could you come over and help me go through it?” Dani asked.
Ellen knew she struggled with most of her course work but didn’t question it. She smiled in response and Dani sighed gratefully. Just has her friend decided to get another glass, Ellen glanced around the room again. This time she noticed a man leaning against the bar. He was about 5,7 with short brown hair, a few pieces floating against his forehead and ears. He was excellently built with muscles and stood very confidently despite his height. She figured he could handle himself against anyone if he had to. He wore a blue button-down shirt, gray slacks, and black shoes. His attire showed he was on business, not pleasure, but he looked handsome all the same.
She hadn’t noticed he had caught her staring until she made her way back up to his face. His eyes were beautifully hazel and he smirked at her. She didn’t enjoy his attention though. Her gut increasingly tightened and she hastily looked away. His face, his body, it all felt too familiar like she’d read it somewhere before. His description sounded so similar to MW’s log 4. They had taken an opportune day off and went fishing where he described his friend in vivid detail. Ellen laughed to herself.
“There’s no way,” she muttered to herself. “If his name is Edward too, I might as well call myself crazy”
Lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed him walking toward her until he set a martini on her table. She looked up into his eyes.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he spoke softly. “I noticed you staring, would you mind if I took a seat?”
Dani wasn't back yet and under his eyes, Ellen started to feel numb.
“Sure, my friend is at the bar but she’ll be back soon”
The man took a seat and introduced himself. “I didn’t know you were bringing a friend.”
Ellen was confused. “I think you may be mistaking me for someone else. I don’t know you”
He sipped his drink. “My friend set me up on a date tonight. He sent her a picture of me. I figured it was you since you stared as if you knew me.”
Ellen laughed. “Oh no, I’m just a stranger”
Don't say it, prove me wrong , Ellen chanted in her head as he stood up.
Ellen felt the air in the room slowly stop. She felt rooted to her seat and her heart began to palpitate. Her palms became sweaty and she couldn’t look him in the eye anymore. Edward had his arm outstretched for a handshake but she couldn’t go through with it.
“Are you alright?” His voice sounded out to her.
She was standing in front of a killer.
She couldn’t contain her fear. If he knew she was aware of half the things swimming in her head, she’d probably be dead. She brushed past him in a hurry and found Dani at the bar.
“I’ll see you on Monday” She kissed her friend's cheek and disappeared towards the exit. They barely got to talk and she was only there for a few minutes but her night was ruined. She had to get out.
Edward watched her as she pushed through the throng of people. She was open when he had come over but then her body froze up. She almost seemed fearful of him for some reason and he couldn’t get the look of her eyes out of his head. He figured she was crazy... but he knew crazy from a mile away and she wasn’t it.
Inkitt’s mission is to discover talented writers and turn them into globally successful authors.
Authors can write and upload their manuscripts on Inkit for free and writers retain 100% of their copyrights while writing on Inkitt
Readers can read all books for free, without any ads and give the authors feedback.
Books that perform well based on their reader engagement are published on our Galatea app.
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