by T K Barber
Toothpick guy grunted, pulling his chin. “Mike.”
She waited for his introduction, but he went back to chewing on the wet wood, and stared off into the distance. Okay, then.
Honestly, if they were going to save Thomas, they could be delivery men for all she cared.
She could’ve felt Nick’s glare behind her even if he wasn’t puffing angry breaths like a bull.
She spun on her heel and held up her palm. “Let us explain.”
His face went slack. He shot a look over her head toward the kitchen. A swift look at Marianna. Then a nearly violent one back at Annalise.
“Us? You told me she—”
Marianna stepped between the two of them. “We don’t have time for this. Sit.”
“No!” He was as hysterical as Nick could be, which was still pretty low-key. “Tell me right now why I don’t grab her and Scarlet and leave this fucking town for good.”
Marianna blinked in shock and lowered her brow. Annalise huffed. They really didn’t have time for this. She pushed Marianna aside and stepped up to Nick.
“For starters, you don’t own me. I don’t want to go.”
Daggers stared down at her. “You don’t know what’s good for you, clearly.” He threw a hard point toward the door. “Street corners? At night?”
“THOMAS is good for me, Nick! And they fucking took him! I—He’s—” her throat closed, and she grunted and crossed her arms.
Nick deflated, and all fire left his expression. “I thought you were doing better.” The words left him on a great exhale as he reached for her. “He’s dead. You know t—”
Annalise slapped his hand away. “He’s not dead.” She turned a hard look to Marianna and furrowed her brow. “Tell him. I need some water.”
An about-face pointed her straight to the kitchen. And Scarlet. Great. Time for round two.
“The guards we had posted were knocked out, but—”
Annalise tuned out and swallowed. She didn’t want to relive that moment again yet. She tucked her chin to her chest and moved with long strides straight past Scarlet to the giant double fridge.
When she jerked the door open, a wave of panic swept over her. There was so much food. Everywhere. Every corner. Why?
Pursed lips slowed her sucking breaths, and she clenched her shaking fist around the handle.
Just food. She needed to get her shit together. Right the hell now. Thomas needed her to be strong, not some worthless wreck.
A large warm hand landed on her left shoulder from the block of a body on her right. She started and looked up into Rico’s warm smile and light blue eyes. “Mi scusi, piccola. Time to refuel.”
He winked, and Annalise couldn’t have stopped her smile if she tried. That was why. For Rico.
She stepped to the left and gestured. Rico grabbed a protein shake from the door, a bottle of water from the top shelf, and two cheese sticks wrapped in some sort of thin meat from one of the drawers in the middle.
He turned and headed straight toward the living room. Scarlet had chosen not to approach the storm Annalise brought with her, and was now in the living room, holding onto Nick’s arm. At least she wouldn’t be an issue at the moment.
Annalise watched Rico tuck the shake under his arm, crack the seal on the water, and thrust it out at Marianna. She took it without even looking, carrying on with her hushed explanation to Nick. Rico waited for her to take a sip, then handed her the cheese/meat thing.
She shook her hand, but he pushed it further and mouthed something. She rolled her eyes, grabbed it and took a bite.
When he turned back toward the kitchen, a smile crept up on his features and he focused on the protein shake. Until he spotted Annalise’s gaze. Then he froze for one second, shrugged, held the shake up in a gesture, and took a long draw.
Annalise’s heart panged. Would he ever tell her? How sad.
Wait a minute. Her eyes widened. She wanted to know more too. She slammed the fridge closed and trotted back into the living room in time to hear Nick’s acquiescing sigh.
“Fine.” He caught sight of her and pointed hard in her direction. “But she stays here.”
Annalise stuttered to a stop and scoffed. “NO!”
“No.” Marianna said it at the same time, and Annalise turned to face her.
Thank God she had someone on her side. She lifted her chin, crossed her arms, and stepped beside Marianna.
Nick’s jaw muscle jumped, but the queen of the den kept right on talking.
“We might need her. If . . .” she cut her eyes to Annalise then shook the hair off her shoulders. “Something were to happen, he’d protect her above anything else.”
“Exact—wait, what? Happen?”
A deep, icy shiver rolled through her and she swallowed. She’d get answers later. Right now they needed to be a united front against the army of one, standing in her way.
“And I’ll be fine, Nick. I’m not as weak as you think.”
His mouth turned down at the corners. “It’s—I don’t think you’re weak, Annalise, I’m trying to protect you! You have zero clues about what’s going on. What she,” he spat the word out. “Is asking you to do.”
“Damnit Nick,” Annalise stomped her foot. “She’s not asking me to do anything! I called HER. I’m going whether any of you come with me or not. You want to keep me safe? Show up.”
Eyepatch—Eric’s pocket chose that exact moment to erupt in a whiny country song from across the room. Annalise glanced at the toothpick guy behind Nick when he made that nasty sucking smack noise again. He smiled and nodded.
Eric snatched the phone out, glanced at the screen, held up a finger, and answered. “Butch? Yeah, I’m here. Where’re they going?” Silence stretched over the room like plastic wrap, but Annalise’s heart hammered.
That name—she shuddered—he was in her warehouse. The big guy who rarely left the office.
Her eyes bugged and her breaths shrank. They wouldn’t take Thomas to the same . . .place . . .would they? Her knees nearly buckled, but she gritted her teeth.
That sucking smack noise hit her ears, bringing her back to the present.
“Got it. Yeah.” Eyepatch grunted and spun the switchblade in his hand. “Yeah, I know. Good work. Keep an eye out.”
He pocketed his phone and met Mariana’s gaze. “They’re going to the warehouse just past Canderhall, out toward Bridgeford. The big two-story one. That’s uh—” The switchblade made a final metal ‘shink’ noise when he closed it and jammed it in his pocket. “We need to be quick.”
Annalise blew out a slow breath and nodded. Good. Not her warehouse. That might have been a bit much.
“Rico,” Marianna called out, keeping her stare pinned on Nick. “Call The Dogs.”
“Si. On it.”
Annalise looked over her shoulder in time to see him lean back against the island and pull out his phone. Dogs?
Marianna touched her shoulder. Annalise snapped her head around to face her.
“You’ll ride with me and Rico.” She raised her hand when Nick opened his mouth. “Rico is better equi—”
A gunshot roared through the house. Annalise and Scarlet both screamed. Annalise slammed her eyes shut and crouched with her ears covered.
Everything was muffled. Distant. She popped her eyes back open to find toothpick man’s face, nearly level with hers as he slumped to the ground. He glared at her until his eyes unfocused. The toothpick clung to his lip even as his mouth went slack.
Annalise blinked. Blood oozed out from under his head in an expanding circle, breaking off into rivers when it met with grooves in the wood.
Blood. She sucked in a massive breath and launched to her feet. Sounds slowly trickled back in as Nick’s hands grabbed her shoulders.
“—talking about! Look at her! And this guy was in your house! That’s it.”
He turned her toward the door. Wait. She shook her head and dug her heels in.
“Idiota.” Rico walked over and crouched beside the body. “Must have thought no one was looking. Made a move toward Eric.”
He tugged a knife free of the guy’s hand and caught Marianna’s gaze. “Suicide mission.”
She nodded and exhaled slowly.
Annalise shuttered in a breath. “He knew he’d get killed? Why? What kind of sense does that make?!” This entire town was mind fucked.
Eric crossed the room, and crouched by Mike’s body. He frowned, flipped open his switchblade, picked up the guy’s arm, and drew an ‘X’ midway up the soft flesh of his forearm, red trickling out of the cuts.
“My calling card. Marking him a traitor. Ironic, eh?” He let out a humorless chuckle. “This way, when news gets out The Cleaners picked him up in enemy territory, they’ll also hear I was the one that caught him.” He stood and flipped the blade closed, crossing his arms. “When he got in the car, I figured you called him too. The Wolf must’ve set it up.” He grimaced. “Shit. Which means he knows I’m a double. Damnit! Well, I’m good as dead.”
“No,” Marianna sighed and glanced at him over her shoulder. “I think you’re fine, Eric. I’m betting Lyle has shadows on everyone at this point. And I assumed incorrectly you’d brought him on board.” She gestured to the door. “Rico, please take Annalise to the car. Nick, Scarlet, go to the condo, it might not be safe to stay here. Eric, go with them but stay guard outside. Report anything else you hear directly to me.”
Eric nodded “Yes ma’am.”
Were they just going to leave the body? Annalise blinked. Bleeding all over the floor? Maybe that’s what “the cleaners” did. She opened her mouth to ask when Nick moved.
“No.” He growled and loomed over Marianna. “I’m not going to the fucking condo. You’re taking her, I’m going.”
“Nick. You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with this life, and I did everything I could to keep Scarlet out of it. What kind of sense would it make to put you anywhere near the action? Hmm?”
“But, it’s okay to take my eighteen-year-old sister? I don’t think so.”
That was the last straw. Annalise stormed toward the door and threw herself over the threshold. He’d have to try and stop her. Even then, she’d knee him in the fucking nuts.
“Annalise, stop.” Nick stomped after her, followed by Rico and Marianna.
She didn’t stop. She turned to go up the side path, and he grabbed her shoulder before she could make it under the trellis.
“Do you want to die?” He let her go and held up his hand when her mouth dropped open. “Sorry. Bad choice of—listen. What are you doing?”
“I love him, Nick. With my whole—every part of me. And they took him. Right in front of me! Would you just sit around waiting if they did that to Scarlet?”
His eyes widened, and his hand dropped.
Didn’t think so.
“Go home. I’ll be fine. Rico is the bomb, there’ll be a ton of other mob dudes, and you need to protect Scarlet.” She paused a second before crashing into him, wrapping her arms under his. He hugged her tight.
“I love you, dork,” she mumbled into his chest.
He snorted. “Love you too, squirt.” He pushed her back by her shoulders and caught her gaze. “I don’t like any part of this. If something happens to you—” His jaw jumped, gaze intensifying. “You stay out of, well, everything. Stay in the car. Be more careful than you’ve ever been. Do exactly what Rico says. But you better come back.”
She nodded and stepped back with a smile. Rico let out a quiet cough, and Annalise turned on her heel and ran to the idling car.
Thomas
Fire.
Flames licked at the roof, at the windows, at the doors. They writhed and launched skyward, kissing the smoke trails as they leapt.
He could stand there all day, watching the colors swirl to the sky. Natty liked fire too, almost as much as he did.
So pretty.
Then screaming. Who was that? He looked around but didn’t see anyone. The Greene’s mean old dog must have been asleep. It usually came out all barking and snarling when they were this close to the house.
More screaming.
“Thomas, what have you done?”
What had he done? He was just standing outside. He was just watching the pretty colors.
“Who’s screamin’, Papa? Why’m I out here?”
“You must have been sleepwalking.”
Thomas looked back toward the flames and smiled. They were so pretty to watch.
“You’re a monster.”
Thomas blinked at his Papa. Why was he smiling? Monster? Like the one that lived under the bed? He didn’t think he was a monster. For starters, he only had two arms.
“Papa, I ain’t a monster! That’s silly. I’m thirsty, can we go home now?”
He looked down at his tiny, bare feet and wiggled his toes in the grass. Sirens echoed down the street, and Thomas grinned. He loved fire trucks. Especially that older one they had on display on the big road. He tugged on his papa’s coat.
“Papa! That a fire truck? Can I sit inside?”
His papa jerked his coat out of Thomas’s hand and knelt down to snatch his arms, shaking him.
“Tommy, listen to me. You killed all those people. Everyone in that house. They’re all dead ‘cause of you.” Thomas blinked. “But it’ll be our secret. I’ll keep you safe from the people who’ll come to take you away. I’ll hide your monster for now.”
Thomas’s heart pounded like it did when he chased after Natty. How had he killed anyone by standing outside? How could you walk while sleeping anyway? His eyes watered, and his papa sneered.
“Only babies cry, Thomas. You’re a killer now. A monster. And monsters don’t cry.”
Thomas looked back toward the house with tears clinging to his burning cheeks. Smoke curled around it now. He squinted. Was that a lady yanking on the upstairs window? Was she trying to get out? She’d get hurt if she fell, that was really high.
The woman slammed her fists against the glass, followed by her shoulder. Her mouth opened like she was screaming, but he couldn’t hear anything with the sirens so close. She almost looked like his mamma, but why would she be in someone else’s house? Did she sleepwalk too?
The pretty red lights of the firetruck reflected off the windows. She saw them too, and turned, locking eyes with Thomas. Hey, that was his mamma! She needed to get out!
“Mamma! Papa we—”
That same second the whole top of the house exploded, and Thomas screamed.
Thomas jerked awake as the car bumped over what he guessed was a pothole. The grainy blackness created by the hood slammed him back to the present, and he groaned. He tried to shift positions, but his knees were packed tight against the wheel well. They could’ve at least used a car with a bigger trunk.
“Damn.”
He hadn’t had one of those in a long while. Not since the very first time he talked to—
“Anna!”
Those fuckers better not have touched her. He struggled against the ropes around his wrists before his wounded side stung and he gave up.
“Buncha sorry cowards.”
Only way to grab him was to get the drop on him like they did, and they knew it. If he’d just reacted sooner. He winced.
At least they took him, not her. He’d step in front of her every time. He’d move the Earth to save her. In fact, he’d get shot every day for the rest of his life if it would keep her safe.
The car lurched to a stop and two car doors slammed. Thomas swallowed. He really hoped they weren’t taking him where he thought they were taking him. Also, that they weren’t planning on kicking his ass anymore, now that he was tied up. Easy target and all that.
The trunk opened and a grabby hand wrapped around his arm. Then another. They jerked him out of the trunk, nearly throwing him
on the ground.
He groaned as he steadied his legs, finding his voice despite the terror. “Ever heard of askin’?”
They shoved him in the back, and he stumbled forward.
Guess not.
He sniffed the air. Toothpaste? No. Gum of some kind though. He sniffed again and his eyes widened. Nicorette. It really was Booker.
“Book, you’re a sorry s.o.b., ya know that?”
Another sharp shove on his left shoulder was the only answer. Loud and clear though.
“You back stabbin’—she’ll fuckin’ murder you. If I don’t first. Bare hands, Book. Ya ain’t worth the cost of a bullet.”
Booker snorted and shoved him again. “Just keep walking and shut the fuck up for a change!”
Cars rumbled on the street behind him. Where the hell had they taken him?
A shop bell dinged across the street. The air stank like rotted trash and sewer water, too, but that didn’t help him orient either. Almost every place in this damn town smelled like that. Or old, wet dog.
Did anyone notice two goons pushing a man in a hood down the sidewalk? It was late. Might not be many out to see in the first place. He tested the ropes around his wrists again and frowned.
Though, even if they did, even if there were, they sure as hell wouldn’t interfere. There were a lot of scared sheep in this town. And six times as many bloodthirsty wolves.
Two hard shoves on his right shoulder rotated him left. A few steps further and all street sounds became muffled. Alley. His pulse quickened. Lots of alleys in town. Didn’t mean anything.
One of the two men applied steady forward pressure on Thomas’ shoulder, and his shin bumped into a wide, flat piece of metal. His eyes bugged. Fire escape. All his senses went on high alert.
Nostrils flared, ears trained on the weak breathing coming from his left. Not Booker. He inhaled slow and deep.
One step up. He grimaced as his footsteps made the metal twang, and the staircase rattled under the pressure.
A second separated his next step and the softer one behind him. The wobbly structure groaned under the combined weight. Another weak breath off to his left.
