Page 7 of Dark Consequences
I step back with a frown and say into the mic, “Xiao’s not in the house.”
“What?” Enzo says.
“Are you serious?” Dominic asks.
“Yes,” I growl out the answer. “The upstairs is clear. He must have slipped out before we got inside.”
“Or maybe he’s still in here,” Dominic suggests. “We should look around some more.”
“You can’t. You’re out of time,” Enzo declares. “Get out. Now.”
I glance back at the girl and her mother and make a sudden decision. “Buy me a few minutes, then meet me outside with the car.”
If I can’t have Xiao, then his daughter and her mom will have to do. Maybe with them in hand, that’ll be enough to tempt the rat out of hiding once and for all.
“Are you fucking serious?” Enzo snaps.
“It’s important. I’ll explain when I see you.”
“Do you need help, Raphael?” Dominic offers.
“Just keep the escape route clear.”
Kneeling in front of the bed, I look from the girl to her mom. She’s staring at me with the same strange expression from before, but this time, a layer of uncertainty laces it. “Something tells me you’re not here by choice?”
The mom shakes her head. “We’re not.”
I assumed as much, which makes the next part easy to offer, and she’d be a fool to turn it down. “I can get you out of here, but we’d have to go right now.”
She hesitates. A flicker of hope appears in her eyes, like she’s ready to jump at the chance, before doubt snuffs it out. “We can’t.”
“And why’s that?”
“He’ll come after us and…”
She trails off and it doesn’t take a genius to finish her sentence. Xiao will hurt her…or worse. “What if I tell you that you’ll be safe?”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
Her doubt should annoy me, but it doesn’t. Oddly enough, it calls to a strange part of me that stirs free a protective emotion. “No, I can’t.” I admit the fact honestly. “But anything would be better than staying here, yes? Don’t you want the chance to get away? Be free?”
“In exchange for what?”
The woman’s smart. I’ll give her that. Her remark even makes the corner of my lips twitch. “Your help in taking Xiao down.”
“I don’t even know who you are.”
“I can promise you I’m a better man than Xiao is.”
Her eyes shift down to the gun stowed at my hip. Her brow rises in challenge when she looks at me like she doesn’t believe a word I say.
“Look, I came here tonight for Xiao. To put an end to him. But I found you two instead. Let me help you, and in return, you help me.” I shouldn’t have to explain myself, nor do we have the time for it, but I need her to trust me in some way if she’s going to help us take Xiao down.
With a visible gulp, she glances down at her daughter briefly before locking eyes with me again. The fire in her gaze has transformed into a blazing inferno, mesmerizing me by its raw beauty.
She nods. “Deal.”
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