Chapter 1
Logan
I like to clear my mind at night, so I usually go for a long walk down by the pier. It’s not my favorite spot, but it’s easy to blend into the crowds of people there. I’m unassuming in a crowd; no one looks at me too hard or too suspiciously. At the pier, I’m just another guy. No one’s whispering that I look like one of the Martelli brothers. No one’s pointing and saying, “I think that’s Logan Martelli,” in awe-struck tones as if I were Al Capone or some mafia boss. It’s laughable how many people know me or know of me. I almost feel famous but not in the good way. That’s the problem with living in a small town like River Valley. Everyone thinks they know you, but really they know nothing at all.
I stared out at the water and studied the moonlit ripples as they ebbed and flowed. There was a certain magic in the water that entranced me. Maybe it was because the water didn’t lie. What you saw reflected in her murky, silvery depths was what you got. Like tonight, the moon glowed in all its ominous glory, and there was nothing hidden. The same thing couldn’t be said of human beings. There were always so many secrets hidden inside that weren’t reflected in the seemingly happy and perfect surfaces. I looked around at the couples holding hands and saw Roger Martin walking with his girlfriend Bella Casey. She was giggling up at him, and he was grinning at her lovingly. Anyone watching them would think that they were deeply in love, only I knew better. Roger was a barely-able-to-keep-it-together drunk, and Bella was in love with my brother, Jared. She called him and stalked him so much that she was lucky that he was a Martelli. Martellis didn’t go to the police and file restraining orders; even if we did, the police would laugh in our faces.
I turned to look at the water again when I saw a glimpse of someone darting by me. And when I say dart, I mean running like lightning. I watched as the figure looked back quickly, and I was startled by the intense blue eyes that connected with mine for the briefest second. It wasn’t the stare that shook me, but the fact that it was a girl. She winked at me and continued running, and I stood there and watched as two policemen rushed past me and ran after her. I wasn’t the only one who noticed the chase that was happening; people everywhere were stopping and gaping, whispering ferociously. Everyone wanted to know what was going on, and I had to admit I was curious as well. Why were the police chasing a girl? She wasn’t anyone I knew, and I knew most of the bad folks in town.
I saw Old Man Roberts hobbling up to a couple a few feet away from me, his face red and animated. “He tried to steal a cop car,” he gasped out. “He got in the car and drove off, but he wasn’t smart enough to—”
“Who, who?” The male of the couple was loud and excited. “Who was it?”
“Well, I don’t know. But I bet it was Logan Martelli.” Old Man Roberts’s voice was loud. I clenched my fist; of course I would get the blame. If it wasn’t me, it would be one of my brothers, Vincent or Jared. I wanted to laugh at the irony. I would love to steal a cop car for all their harassment against my family, but I’d never been brave enough. Not like this girl, whoever she was. Poor girl. I shook my head, as I walked back up the pier. There was no way she wouldn’t get caught. There was no way she could outrun two guys. Especially on a night like tonight when the pathways were so packed with people. What a poor choice of locale. Didn’t she know you needed to pick a place where you wouldn’t be seen, and where you could have a clean getaway when you stole a car? I laughed to myself as I cut across the pathway and headed to the parking lot. Though I should thank her; she’d made it easier for me tonight.
I spotted the black Toyota Corolla and walked over to it slowly and casually, running my hands through my dark blond hair. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. Tonight’s take was going to be easy. I pulled out my lock pick and glanced around casually to make sure no one was coming. I tried the different keys, almost laughing as the third one opened the door. I loved Toyotas. Always so easy to break into. I got into the car quickly and closed the door. I reached over to the glove compartment and opened it to see if my luck was going to continue. It was. I felt the spare key in my fingers and pulled it out quickly and started the car. I reversed and pulled out of the parking lot, laughing once again at my good luck. Thanks to good ol’ blue eyes, this was the easiest car I had ever stolen. Nobody would be expecting it, not when they thought I was being chased down by the police at that very moment.
I turned on the radio as I pulled onto the main road and listened to the smooth sounds of Kenny G on the saxophone playing through the tinny speakers. I sighed as the speakers strained when I turned the sound up. That was the problem with these cheap cars; they just didn’t stand up to the more expensive cars.
I never stole expensive cars with better stereo systems; it wasn’t worth it. Expensive cars were too hard to pass on. People became more paranoid about buying a Mercedes or BMW without papers. I didn’t mind, I still did well with the Toyotas and Hondas. I cruised down Main Street and thought about the girl who had tried to steal the cop car. I could still picture the look in her eyes, in the quick glance we had exchanged. She had looked excited and scared, and I could sense the exhilaration and adrenaline coursing through her body. It was the same exhilaration I used to feel when I started stealing cars with my dad ten years ago. The fear of getting caught mingled with the excitement of doing something bad was better than any drug. At least, it used to be.
I was distracted from driving as I saw something or someone running down the street. I pulled over to the side of the street and slowed down to see who or what was running. I knew I was being dumb. I couldn’t afford to get caught in this car. I needed to keep going, but something in me had to know. A part of me thought it might be the girl again, but I knew there was no way it could be the girl from the pier. There was no way she could have run all this way this quickly. I heard the sirens before I saw the lights and I cursed as I saw the cop cars speeding down the street. I pulled over quickly, turned off the engine and the lights, and crouched down in my seat, hoping they were looking for the girl and didn’t know about the stolen Toyota yet. I laughed at the irony as I crouched down. They probably thought they were chasing me anyway. Stupid cops!
Knock, knock, knock. The sound sent my heart racing. What the f**k? I looked over to the passenger side and saw the girl.
“Open the door,” she hissed at me loudly. I stared at her in shock. What was she doing? Was she crazy? She didn’t even know me. I pressed the unlock button and she jumped into the car. “Shit, took you long enough to open the door.”