Merciless Love: A Dark Romance(7)
“You're safe.” Without pause, I sprinkled more alcohol on her cuts until she wheezed. “It's just disinfectant. Who was the man you were with? Family?”
I needed her to focus on something else. She was in no shape to be putting up a fight, and she would if she thought I was anything more than a concerned citizen.
“My father...he always had a crazy temper.” Her voice was like a whisper, and I finally stopped burning up her wounds when she moved away from me. “You...you killed him.”
The realization must've set in. Holding her limbs close, she sat up, crouching on the bed like a scared animal. I nodded.
No use in hiding the awful truth. Didn't feel sorry for the motherfucker I killed either, and I wasn't gonna pretend I did.
“He beat the shit out of you. Couldn't let him keep it up, babe. He might've killed you in that storm.” I stood up, an old technique from my days blowing out skulls and slitting throats.
First thing a man does to take control is to assert himself.
I narrowed my eyes, folded my arms across my chest, watching her closely. She was in no shape to do shit except rest.
Little by little, she looked at me and began to relax. Perfect.
“I'm glad,” she muttered.
Shit, I expected a lot, but not that. I raised an eyebrow. “What're you talking about?”
“I glad he's dead, thankful somebody showed up in time to save me.” She went a little limp after the words were out, spreading her long legs over the bed. “It's a sin to be happy about it, I know, but I don't care. He hurt me and Heather all the time. I can't feel bad...not for him.”
“Then don't.” I seized her eyes with mine and held them, locked in a solid stare. “I don't know what kinda bullshit those assholes shoved down your throat. It's a different world here, and you're free of all that now. If some bastard whips your ass with a belt, you don't need to feel guilty when a bigger, meaner bastard whips his. Congratulations, babe. You're normal. You got a name?”
“Cassie,” she murmured, opening her mouth to say something else, but I cut her off.
“There's a fresh change of clothes in the closet. I'll get you some clean sheets and a hot meal. You need to rest tonight after all the shit you went through.”
Without waiting for her to respond, I closed the door and heard the locks click behind me. The girl was sharp, and I was taking a risk with her noticing the heavy locks. She'd be less likely to notice the quick flick of the key card against the hidden reader in the wood on my way out.
Too fucking bad. Time to get this sideshow on the road.
Izzy was in the kitchen nursing a half-drained bottle of whiskey. Damn, I'd been too busy tending the new arrival to hear her getting up.
“Who is she?” She coiled her bony fingers tight around the bottle and clanked it on the counter. “I saw you bring her in. I was looking out the window when you pulled up.”
“Somebody I picked up from Beacon.” I watched Izzy's eyes go wide with surprise. “Calm down. The girl was alone. It was raining like hell and she came willingly. Her daddy was beating her ass, but I took care of that.”
“Yeah, I'm sure you did.” Izzy took another swig of poison, not even bothering with the cups a few feet away. “Is this it then, Evan? Is she the one?”
She fixed her catty eyes on me and I turned away. I fucking had to. The question I really didn't want to ask was right on top of me.
Don't make me say it, bitch, I thought with a growl. We both know the cold blooded answer.
Of course, Izzy wouldn't let up until I coughed up my guts. Better just get it over with.
“Yeah. Yeah, she is. I'll send the jackass some pictures as soon as she's cleaned up and rested. She's not what I was going for, but she'll do.”
“Sure hope so.” The woman's whisper was like a snake hissing. “You know what we've got riding on this. He won't wait forever.”
“I know,” I said sternly, shooting her a warning look.
Day after day, the bitch put the fear back into me, a yapping reminder that I'd lose what little I still had if we didn't get moving, and fast.
Borzia was an impatient sonofabitch. It was a small miracle he hadn't hurt my boy while we dragged our feet. Me, cooped up in this house with the drunken nag, feeling her twist my balls a little tighter every day when I failed to find a girl.
“You said you'd help with the domestic bullshit.” I turned back to her. “You gonna put down the bottle long enough to nurse her tomorrow? I can't do that shit myself.”
Izzy took another long pull, sat the whiskey down, and looked at it sadly. “Sure. I told you I would. We've both been waiting for this day...waiting to get him back. It's finally here, isn't it?”