Hearing all the talk about the future has me worried. I can't think about losing Tessa, I love her too much to even fathom her death. We are cuddling on the couch watching TV while Tessa lays her head on my shoulder.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

She looks at me, "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No, let me go check it out. Stay here." I open the door to find two policemen standing on the other side. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"I'm Officer Brown, this is my partner, Officer Williams." Says the woman. "Can we come inside?"

"Sure."

Tessa looks nervous when she sees them walk into the living room. "Is everything alright?"

"You're Tessa Harrison right?"

Hearing them mention her name, rings alarm bells in my head. I remember that Tessa mentioned the Harrions had the police in their pockets, I didn't know how far that reach was. "What do you want with her?" I ask, shielding Tessa behind me.

"We've been keeping an eye on the Harrisons for a while. Someone tipped us off about their....corruption and operations back in the city." Officer Williams says.

"Who tipped you off?" Tessa questions.

Both the cops look at each other. "Your brother, Mark."

"He's alive?"

"He was corresponding with us over the past few years, trying his best to find evidence that would keep the Harrisons locked up for good."

"Okay, have they been arrested yet?"

Officer Brown clears her throat. "Mr. Harrison was killed in a shootout with the police, and Mrs. Harrsion is currently in prison, her trial is pending right now."

"What about Hunter?" I ask.

There's a long pause before Officer Williams responds. "He got away. We told Mark to wait, to not do anything irrational, that we would handle it. But he just didn't listen. Mark was there the night we were staking out Hunter's new place, and he screwed up the entire operation. They go into a fight and....Hunter pulled out a knife on Mark."

Tessa gasps. "Where is Mark? What happened to my brother?"

Officer Brown sighs. "He didn't make it."

I look over at my girlfriend who is frozen in shock, tears are slowly spilling down her eyes. "Um...can I see him?"

I try to interject. "I don't think that's a good idea, babe."

"Where can I see Mark?"

"His body is still in a morgue, we could take you there right now." Officer Williams suggests.

Suddenly, I find myself holding Tessa's hand as we walk into the chilly room filled with the smell of death, a body bag is still on an operating table. "Is...this his?" Tessa wonders.

Officer Brown nods. "I'll give you two some space." She closes the metal door behind her.

My girlfriend reaches out to unzip the bag and I try to stop her. "Tessa, don't."

"I have to."

"You already have an image of him in your head, back when he was alive, healthy, happy."

She whispers. "We were never happy." The sound of the bag slowly unzipping fills the room.

I try not to gag while looking at the pale corpse on the table, covered in stitches, scars, and bruises. "Tessa?" She was quiet, frozen in place, staring at her dead brother's body. "Baby?" I reach out and she slowly backs away.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. He was going to get out first, find help, and then come back for me. He...he wasn't supposed to die. This is all my fault." She sobs and crumbles to the floor.

I hold her in my arms she cries her heart out. "This isn't your fault, he would have done anything to protect you."

"I never meant to leave him behind. Why didn't I go back for him? I should have gone back for him!"

I try to comfort her as best I can, I could never imagine losing one of my siblings. "You did what you had to survive. Don't ever feel bad about that."

We leave the morgue and the ride back home is quiet, no words are spoken, and the radio is turned off. "I'm going to make a quick stop, okay?"

Tessa nods. "I'll be fine."

I pull over to a gas station and load up the truck. I go inside to use the bathroom and bump into a man with shaggy hair, brooding dark eyes, and a scar on his left cheek. "Sorry."

"Watch where you're going, man." He mumbles.

"Wait, you look familiar. Do I know you?"

"Don't think so. You got a pretty girl out there." He nods towards the truck.

"Yeah, she's great. Has an amazing kid too."

"I was talking about the truck." He says, "Good luck with the girl." He opens the door and disappears into the night.