Page 66 of Redemption
“Your baby,” I sneer. “I haven’t seen you with her, notoncein the four days I’ve been tailing you. You’re one fine mother, aren’t you? When does she get to see you? Do you book her in your agenda once a week or fucking what? Your security guy takes her out to play?”
From the look on her face I can see several things I said hit home at once. “You followed me?”
“Not once!” I hiss and shake her again. “Give me one good reason I should even think of you as a mother at all. All I ask. Just one fucking reason.”
I feel her sharp intake of air against my arm over her throat. Accuse people of being bad parents and they’re sure to forget even a death threat in their indignation.
“You don’t know anything about us,” she spits. “Nothing! I love my baby and I’ll do anything for her. If you’re here to kill me, then do it, but leave her alone!”
Her courage kind of impresses me, and she’s clearly got some motherly instincts in some of the right places. And I’m far out on the edge now. “Anything?” I ask, straining to keep my voice steady.
She nods.
I let her go and shove her toward the girl. Erica falls to her knees and embraces the little one who’s still too stunned to even cry out loud, just the silent wetness on her cheeks. She just stands there, easy prey, too innocent to even try to defend herself, her panda bear tightly held.
“You two.” I point with the knife to her and the child. “You leave tonight. Without a trace. I don’t care how you do it, but you’ll have to vanish off the face of the earth. I’d strongly recommend you leave the continent all together. Get me?”
“W—what?”
“You heard me,” I say in a low voice.
“You’ll let me live?”
There’s hope in that voice and I can’t stand to hear it. I don’tdohope. I turn to leave but stop in the doorway and regard them. “If you’re still in the fucking country tomorrow morning, I’ll come back for you both. And if I don’t, there’ll be others. There’s a very large sum on your head, Erica.”
“W—why? Who?”
I’ve had enough of this, but I decide to drive the nail in further. And maybe save my own fucking ass. I shrug as I lean against the doorframe. “Someone close. I’d say you can’t trust anyone.”
My hand trembles so much when I try to put the key in the ignition, I have to steady it with the other. The gravel squirts behind the car as I speed off into the night. I can’t believe I did that. I’ll have to make up a story as to why her body is missing. If she’s not gone tomorrow I’m in serious shit.
What the fuck’s wrong with me?
Kerry
I sigh and try to collect my thoughts as I wrap a thick wool blanket around my shivering body.
Cecilia is sleeping. We brushed her teeth tonight. Today was a good day. Nothing particular happened. I read a book and she played on the floor. We made pancakes. Yesterday was horrible. I almost killed a man.
I was too upset yesterday to even write about it. I’m still trembling just thinking about what happened.
We’ve been completely alone here for about a year now. Nobody ever comes here. That is what I’ve chosen, the safety and predictability I need. Only the first few weeks, when I had to have help with some plumbing, and with the repairing of the porch was when I allowed people here. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were so kind, and they have respected my wishes ever since.
But now there’s the problem with Ray.
Poor, kind, stupid Ray.
He came here UNINVITED. And I almost shot him!
God, I don’t know what to do.
If I’d have shot him… then I’d have been sent to jail… and Cece would be ALONE! Or maybe not alone. She’d probably have to go live with Mom, and then she’d be out in the open. Visible to all the predators out there.
To HIM.
That cannot happen. I have to take precautions. I might have to move. WE might have to move.
Because next time, next time someone might be following Ray here. And that someone… will be Christian.