Chapter 24
Lark
The air was crisp and the night gave me the shadows I needed to creep up to the door. I wasn’t taking my time here, there was no going slow.
A switch has been flipped the calm, collected me slipped away. Looking at the men behind me, I give them little warning before entering the door.
Both guns in hand, I open fire. Bullets destroyed knees before entering chests of the men around us. A few well placed bullets between the eyes.
The only sound to be heard were the thumps of bodies as they hit the floor. All of them to surprised to return fire. Stepping over the bodies I make my way down the hall.
Opening one door at a time only to find them empty was both infuriating and a relief. She was here somewhere and so were the other two.
Pressing against the wall I open the last door and there they were. All three sitting at a table the girls coloring and the mom fighting tears.
Ah and the man of the hour made his move reaching for my hand as if my gun would just slip away. With quick movements I pressed it under his chin the barrel digging deep.
“Wait man I didn’t touch them. As soon as I found out who she was…”
Pressing the barrel deeper I growl at him. I wanted to pull the trigger and watch his brains what little he had spray the walls and floors behind him.
Lily’s sweet face swung my way her eyes as big as the smile that spread over her face.
“Look what I made!”
Her excitement was a relief she was untouched and unharmed. She holds up this coloring book like it was a wrestling belt and waves it around.
“Beautiful Bunny.”
“I dids good huh Lark?”
“YesCucciolo you did good.”
Her little giggles warmed some of the cold that surrounded me.
“You have two fucking seconds to get from my site and if I ever lay eyes on you again protecting her from nightmares of you won’t stop me from putting a bullet in your head and redecorating the walls in your blood.”
His eyes widened as he shook his head. I almost thought they were going to fall out. Grabbing him by his tie I pull him in close, letting the weight of my stare prove my words were true.
“Fuck with me again and there will be no place to hide. I will hunt you like the pray you are and pull your insides out and show them to you before you die.”
Tears of fear fill his eyes and I smile. He tried to talk, but his voice left him. Instead, I got a very hard head nod. Releasing him I give him a shove.
Kevin and Sam would make sure he disappeared not that I worried about that the man was one blink from pissing himself.
“Come on Bunny.”
“What abouts my stuff?”
“My friends will get your stuff/”
She looks at them standing behind me. I watch in fascination as she eyes them slowly as if weighing whether or not she could rely on them.
Crouching down I open my arms and wait. Whatever reservations she was having disappeared as she threw herself at me.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you to Bunny.”
Standing I scoop her up and carry her out of the room.
“Close your eyes Bunny.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to tell me your biggest, happiest moment and to get it right, I need you to close your eyes.”
Her little nod followed by her eyes closing had another smile spreading over my face.
“I’s gots lots of good ones.”
“I just bet you do. How about you share one with me now?”
“I had cookies and ice cream. Lots of them and I was coloring at auntie Bethys house.”
“That does sound really good.”
“Oh, it was so yummy.”
Pressing out the exterior door, I make my way to my car.
“Okay Bunny you can open them.”
She shakes her head in negative.
“I'm sleepy.”
“Okay Cucciolo get some rest we will be home soon.
Slipping her into the back seat I kick myself for not having a car seat. Without looking for Kevin or Sam I climb into my car and head to Bethy.
With a quick look in the reaervieaw mirror, I watch as Bunny falls asleep. Pressing on the accelerator I let the darkness swallow me and my car eat up the miles of pavement between us and home.
Chapter 25
Bethy
How long has he been gone? Minutes? Hours? This cold has settled on my chest and weighted me down. I needed them home, I needed them with me.
How long would I have to wait? The sound of the door closing and footsteps climbing the stairs had the breath in my lungs stilling.
I wanted to jump and run to him. Fear kept me planted here on my bed. What if he didn’t find her? What if… I couldn’t go down that road.
Squeezing my eyes tight I fight the tears that wanted to leak out of them. Then he was in the room. Standing beside the bed in silence.
My body didn’t react to him no tingles at his closeness nothing. It hit like a slap to the face this wasn’t Lark. Cruel hands grab at me.
I try to scream but one meaty hand covers my mouth. Opening my eyes, I look at the overweight man dragging me from my bed.
The air in my lungs freeze and everything in me revolts at the snarling face I just caught a glimpse of. He was going to die. They all were going to die the one question plaguing me was I going to be saved before they…
I couldn’t think of that now. I wouldn’t let my mind wander down that road. I needed to stay in the now. I smiled against the hand when I thought of what Lark was going to do with them.
I wanted to gloat at their impending deaths. I try to be strong as my heels drag across the floor. The wood underneath was smooth, but it pulled at my flesh.
When we reached the stairs my eyes widened. The very thought of my body being dragged down the steps had fear clamping down.
It was going to hurt. Bracing myself for the pain I was surprised when I was lifted and swung over his broad shoulder. The air was forced from my lungs in a wosh as my stomach made contact.
Oh it hurt. Tears stung my eyes as my muscle protested every step he took. The slight bounce had me slamming into his shoulder over and over.
Breathing was impossible. Looking at my door through blurry eyes, I had a moment of shock, he was walking right out the front door carrying me over his shoulder like a rolled up carpet.
Someone had to see, right? Surely someone would help? All my hopes crashed into ash lit up like flames on gasoline. My back hit the rear seat of the black SUV hard.
I tried to catch my barrings I wanted to escape, to run, but I couldn’t get my lungs to collect enough air. Screaming wasn’t an option.
Kicking my feet I struggle to stall them. Pain erupted in my cheek as a man leaned over from front and punched me hard. Spots danced before my eyes.
I tried to shake it off to fight the darkness, but it swallowed me and any chances of escape.