by M. Malone
I could hear the conversation a little bit between Colin and Father. The buyer who sent her back didn’t like her. She cried too much and was uncooperative. Besides, she was too old.
My skin crawled. I hated those men, every last one of them. If I could, I would burn the whole place down. I had a plan… a plan to get me and Gigi the hell out of there. I’d been squirreling away some money too… enough for train tickets.
My mother and I had come from up north. My gran was up there. If I could find her, we’d have a safe place to go. My mum ran away from Gran, because Gran said she was unfit to raise me. So one day, in the middle of the night, she’d packed me up and we’d run—ended up in London.
I missed my Gran. But if I could get it together, we could get up there, up north near Newcastle. I remembered the small village. And I was good. All I needed was a computer. If things went well, I could steal one. But first, I had to get me and Gigi out safely. Maybe another week and we could manage it.
I was good with technology, and I was good at light hacking. I knew all the right people to get the right IDs. And if I was smart and I picked the right wallet, I’d have access to bank accounts, real money… money that little kids couldn’t get access to.
Maybe I could take that little girl Becca up there with us. But she’d been sent back. That meant she was safe for now, right? I glanced back up. My eyes scanned the scaffolding, and then I saw her to the right. She was climbing up.
The scream lodged in my throat, survival instincts taking over. Don’t make a sound, do not be noticed. It’s your life or hers. You die, Gigi dies. Becca is on her own.
Still, the part of me that felt compassion, empathy, the part of me that the Family tried to kill, that part wanted to run up to that girl and tell her not to do it. Not to do that terrible thing she was clearly about to do. That there was a way out. That I could save her just like I was going to save Gigi. And then meeting my gaze one more time, she jumped.
The pandemonium was instant. Father and Colin ran for her. The people down below were screaming. Some of the younger girls and the babies cried, and the women cowered. They knew what was going to happen… beatings for everyone. I turned my gaze back to Colin whose hands were now clutching his hair. Father shoved at his shoulder and told him to find another girl.
In that moment, I knew we didn’t have a week. We needed to leave now.
I’d never run so fast in my life.
As small as I was, I shoved past the people in the hallways, the crowds running toward the main area to find out what had happened. I ran against them and found Gigi in her little hidden cubby under the stairs… the one I’d built for her. It had a little shelf under there for her dolls and her little tea cups.
“We have to go.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? Why?”
“You’re not safe. We have to go right now. Pack your things. I’ll be right back.”
I booked down the hall, down to my mother’s room where I slept, to my little padded mattress on the floor. I knew better than to leave anything visible in the room. I’d learned early enough how to sew my mother’s outfits together. Every time I’d stolen enough money, I rolled it tight and shoved it into the padding of the mattress and stitched back up the hole. And in the next time I had some money, I’d open those stitches up and do it all again. I’d amassed maybe a few hundred quid. It was enough for tickets and food if we had to rough it for a bit.
I tore the mattress open and grabbed the money and took one of my mother’s heavier shawls for Gigi. There was nothing else I wanted… nothing else I needed. Hell, I had nothing else. When I went back to Gigi, she had her Tigger and a small little back pack she had over her back with the picture of her father in it, some coins she’d saved, and some of her tea cups ‘in case we wanted to eat or drink anything,’ she said.
I nodded. “Smart thinking… Are you ready?”
She placed her tiny hand in mine and smiled up at me. “Yes, let’s go.”
I didn’t even think. I just dragged her behind me along the path I’d already cleared. Most everyone was in the main common area of the warehouse. I took her down to the boiler and around an old washing machine. The stupid thing didn’t work, but some of us guys figured we could find parts and fix it.
I’d found it with Gareth when we’d been playing hide and seek a few months ago and I’d discovered the tunnel. I knew it was likely a drug-running tunnel, but I knew it went to the outside. Unlike Gigi, I was allowed access outside. So once we were on the streets, I knew where to go.
“This is it.”
Gigi glanced behind us. “Wait. What about Sabine? We have to take her with us.”
My heart was pounding so fast I could hear it in my ears like a drumbeat. Every moment we waited gave Alan time to catch up.
“We can’t go back. We’ll get caught.”
Gigi’s eyes rounded in alarm. “But we can’t just leave her here all alone. She’s our friend!”
I put a hand over her mouth gently. “Quiet. I know it’s scary but we have to go now while we can. Later once we have a safe place to hide, we can get a message to her. But if we don’t leave now…”
Her face fell, but she seemed to understand my meaning. She squared her shoulders and turned toward the tunnel.
I pushed her forward gently. “Go on, you first. I know it looks scary but I’ll be right behind you.”
What I didn’t tell her was in case anyone followed us, at least I could fight and she could still probably make it to the outside. But no one followed. Inch by inch we crawled, getting the dirt from the tunnels in our hair, on our clothes, and on our skin, but freedom wasn’t far. I gave her the directions leading her out. And when we reached the break, I helped her open and shoved it aside. When I touched her hand, I could feel her shaking.
“All right?” I asked her softly.
She rolled her lips inward and nodded. I could feel the fear in her tiny body, but she was brave. She was a fighter. She was a survivor. We ran out of the alley and down the street. I knew better than to go to the Nick, because the Family had people on the payroll. We wouldn’t be helped. We’d be turned right back over. So that wasn’t an option.
Besides, I’d already been collared once for pickpocketing. I didn’t need that kind of headache, and I hated to think about what would happen to Gigi if I wasn’t around.
Finally, we made it along the Thames heading toward Piccadilly Circus. I’d memorized the bus and train schedules. If we could just get there, we’d be fine.
Gigi clutched tightly onto my hand. “Are we going to be okay?”
“Yeah, love, I promise. I wouldn’t lie to ya.”
But that promise was made in vain. It was a promise I couldn’t keep. We were so close. The streets got busier as we neared Piccadilly Circus, and I knew that we were almost to safety in the crowds where no one would know us, where we could change clothes, find something to eat, and get on the bus. We could be with my gran in under a day. All I had to do was get us to safety.
But as we neared the main road, a hand clamped on my shoulder and I knew. I knew that somewhere along the line I’d made a miscalculation, made a wrong turn. Beside me, Gigi screamed. Someone had her by the shoulders and she was kicking.
“Oy, let her go.”
Alan Rice, one of the Family’s enforcers, leaned into my face. “Where do you ‘fink you’re going?”
I thrashed, kicked, wiggled, and punched. I was much smaller than Alan, but there was no way I was letting them take Gigi.
“If you weren’t so valuable to Father, I’d put an end to this. But he made it clear that we’re not to kill you.”
They weren’t? Why was I valuable to Father? Yeah, I knew tech, and sometimes I hacked things for the old man at Colin’s behest. But I wasn’t that useful. Were they going to sell me instead?
“Put me down.”
“Happy to oblige,” Alan said. When he put me down, I realized that they had Gigi and she was fighting.
“Put
her down too. It was my idea. I made her do it.”
She was crying now. The tears were running down her face. “I, no. I came –“
I set my jaw and turned away from her. Maybe if they thought I’d forced her, she’d be okay. “I thought I could sell her on my own. Make my own money, run and be free.”
Her eyes went wide. “No. Don’t – “
Alan laughed. “Oy, looks like we got a businessman on our hands.” He leaned closer. “You’re valuable to us. Yeah, she’s sellable, but Father wants to make a point. You fink we didn’t know your plan to run with her? There are spies everywhere boyo. You two have to learn that.”
The other two men that were with Alan were huge to me and even bigger when I looked at them in regard to Gigi. They held her higher. At first I didn’t know what they were going to do with her, but then I saw the gleam in their eyes, the joy… and I screamed.
They picked her up and tossed her over the edge.
I screamed and fought against Alan’s hold as I watched, stricken with horror as her little tiny body hit the water. I screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until my voice went hoarse and licks of fire lit my esophagus. All I saw on the bridge was her doll. The tiny stuffed Tigger she always carried with her.
Finally, Alan let me go and I ran to the bridge. I grabbed the doll and stuffed it under my shirt as I frantically searched the water for her. Maybe, maybe she’d made it. But I knew the truth. Gigi had confessed to me that she didn’t know how to swim. She was always fascinated with it. She wanted to learn when she got older.
She was gone because of me. I’d failed her.
7
The next few days, things were quieter than usual around the penthouse. JJ and Jonas were engaged in last-minute wedding plans so they were out of the house most of the time.
Rafe and Diana were still traveling, visiting her family, and the rest of the Blake Security guys were busy wrapping up jobs so we could all be free for the wedding. It was a scheduling nightmare trying to close so many active cases at once, but we’d made it our top priority.
Two of our own were getting hitched and none of us planned to miss it. Plus it was Jonas and JJ. As crazy as those two were, there was the possibility of anything happening at this wedding. Oskar in particular was all hyped up about the wedding and the reception.
“I’m telling you, man. Crazy chicks usually have crazy friends. You know what that means?” he asked with a knowing smirk on his face.
I didn’t know what that meant and wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know. “Not really but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“Horny bridesmaids. Lonely wedding guests.” He rolled his eyes in ecstasy. “I’m going to dive in head first.” He was still chuckling to himself as he walked out.
A few minutes later, Lucia came bustling in with Isabella on her hip and a wild look in her eye.
“Hey, is everything okay?”
After the bachelorette party fiasco, Lucia had been avoiding me. It hurt more than I cared to admit. There was a time long ago, okay not that long ago, when I secretly hoped she might one day see me as more than a friend. But that was before I saw the way she looked at Noah. The two had always had a contentious relationship, bickering more like siblings than lovers.
But then one day I’d seen it, the look on her face when she hadn’t known anyone was watching, and I knew. Noah was the one. I was happy for them both. If I had to lose a woman I cared about to another man, Noah wasn’t a bad rival to have. He was like a big brother to me and someone I’d looked up to forever. I knew the hell he’d been through, and no one deserved happiness more.
It still stung sometimes to look at Lucia and think of what might have been.
“Everything is going wrong today!” Lucia screeched. Isabella whined at her mother’s outburst before snatching greedily for the sippy cup of juice in her mother’s hands.
“What’s up? Is Isabella okay?”
Watching the two of them, I was overwhelmed by a rush of affection. Babies had never been my thing. Not that I didn’t like them, they just hadn’t been on my radar. I was an only child, and after the way I grew up, I was grateful for that. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be forced to deal with the shit I’d seen.
But there was just something about Isabella. Maybe because she was Noah and Lucia’s kid, I felt a connection there I wasn’t expecting. Truthfully, I think all the guys felt that way. She was adorable and had an entire houseful of badass guys wrapped around her little finger. I pitied the fool that tried to take her on a date in a decade or so.
“JJ needs me for a last minute fitting for my maid of honor dress. Noah had to leave. Nonna is sick so she can’t watch the baby. And Izzy has her class today!”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “That’s all? I can take her to class. Don’t worry about it.”
Lucia whirled around to face me, her face lit up with joy. “Would you? Matthias, you’re the best!” She flung herself into my arms, and then before I could process what was happening, she was transferring Izzy to me.
“Wait, you mean right this minute? Oh okay.”
“Yes, unfortunately. I have to go. I’m already late. Her baby bag is already packed in the nursery, and I’ll text you the address of her class. Bye!”
For the next minute, I stood there in shock. Izzy grinned up at me, her two tiny teeth stained slightly with juice.
“Well, okay then, little angel. Let’s get you to class. Whatever that is.”
I probably should have asked Lucia what type of class Izzy was in, but either way, it didn’t really matter. How many different classes could there be for babies? It was probably arts and crafts with marshmallows or finger painting or something. More than likely I could just drop her off, wait patiently in the back of the room while she did her baby Mozart thing, and then bring her back home.
All of that flew out the window when we arrived at the address Lucia had sent me.
“Mommy-and-me yoga?” My mouth fell open at the sign in the window. “Are you fu–“
Izzy squealed at the sight of the building.
“Fudging kidding me?” I continued. We were all working on retraining our potty mouths around the baby. “Guess this is the right place then.”
According to the sign, the class was on the third floor. I could only hope I wasn't expected to do anything since I had no clue about yoga. How the hell did a baby do yoga anyway? My thoughts were cut off when the elevator opened and twenty women all turned to stare at the same time.
Christ.
“Hello! You must be Isabella’s father!” A perky redhead jumped up from her place at the front of the class and walked toward us.
“No, I’m not her father. I’m just… a family friend. Lucia had a conflict today so she asked me to bring Izzy to class.”
I hadn’t thought it possible but her smile got even wider. “Oh, is that so? Well, that’s some family friend.” Her voice was so loud that it carried throughout the room.
Since I couldn’t think of anything to say to that, I went over to the benches where I saw a bunch of strollers and baby stuff and started unbuckling Izzy from the baby carrier holding her to my chest. Finally she was free, and she threw her arms up in the air as I lifted her. The other women were seated on yoga mats with their babies and toddlers on the floor. The instructor led me to an empty space with two mats. I placed Izzy down carefully and then sat cross-legged behind her.
The woman next to me leaned over. “That’s so nice that you volunteered to take Isabella to class. My boyfriend would never do that.”
Emboldened, the woman behind her piped up. “Definitely. Your girlfriend is soooo lucky.”
There was a moment of silence. Finally I realized they were both staring at me waiting for a response. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I looked between them.
“Um, thanks?”
There was a soft round of giggling, but I didn’t bother turning around to see who it was.
All my energy was spent on wishing for time to
speed up so this class could be over.
Isabella’s laugh drew my attention. She was gnawing on her rattle, a line of drool dangling from her cheek. When she saw me looking she blew me a wet kiss. The sight made me smile. Like mother like daughter. I couldn’t resist either of them.
The instructor asked us to all get into child’s pose, whatever that meant, and I scrambled to do the same thing the others were doing.
“Like this,” the instructor’s voice startled me, it was so close to my ear.
Then her hand landed on my lower back. Then lower.
I sat up straight abruptly.
She smiled innocently. “Just helping you into position.”
I gritted my teeth. Lucia owed me for this one.
Big time.
8
“Honestly, there's nothing more attractive than a man with a baby."
I tried to ignore the pretty brunette behind the counter as she ogled me. Izzy was squirming in her cloth holder thing, and I tried to adjust the Baby Hawk holder more securely around her.
Lucia had warned me wearing Izzy would be a chick magnet. It was my own damn fault for not taking the stroller. But this was the easiest way to get Izzy to sleep. Good old-fashioned heartbeat sounds. White noise. I gave the brunette a wan smile and a nod as I tried to make my escape.
She grinned back. "I hope you're here next time too. You're not the daddy, right?"
I had to forcibly keep myself from rolling my eyes "No, love. Just an uncle."
Her eyes went wide. "You’re British.”
I sighed. “How’d you guess?”
She giggled as if I’d said the funniest thing she’d heard all morning. Which was ridiculous, because honestly, I wasn’t that funny. The piece-de-résistance was when she exaggeratedly licked her lips, like I was a steak. “A single uncle?"
I cleared my throat. "It's complicated."
She threw her hands up. "Oh my God, why are the good ones always taken?"
Yeah, all right, I deliberately misled her. I didn't want to get embroiled in some long conversation about how I didn't date and consequently make myself seem like some kind of challenge.