Page 87 of Sweet Poison

“Good. I’ll be back soon, sweetheart,” I reassured, my stomach twisting. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but there was a small but very real possibility that it wouldn’t end up being the truth.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“Are you going to be brave?”

She nodded.

“You do want me to find your mommy, right?

She nodded again, this time more vigorously. “I’ll be brave, Daddy.”

“Good girl.” I smiled encouragingly at her.

“Bye-bye, Daddy.”

“Bye, honey,” I rose to my feet. If I hung around any longer, I didn’t think I would be able to leave. I turned around then to check the camera feeds once again. They were working fine. Then I checked that everything she could possibly need was in place, and then I kissed my daughter and opened the blast door. Anya was standing in the middle of the room looking as if she was about to burst into tears. I waved at her. She waved back tearfully.

I watched the door lock before I left. Just as I was strolling through the living room, however, the hairs on the back of my neck stood. Just then my phone began to ring, but I didn’t really need to pick up to understand what was going on.

They were here.

The last place I wanted to deal with them was inside the house. First, I sent Anya a text.

ME: The video feed is going to go down for a few minutes for maintenance. So don’t worry if the screens go blank.

ANYA: Okay, Daddy.

As soon as I got her message, I remotely switched off the video feeds. No need for Anya to see what was going to happen next. Then I grabbed my duffel bag and rather than exit the house, I sprinted upstairs. They followed and one of them spoke, quite confident and leisurely I might add.

“This cat and mouse game you’re playing,” he said. “You know how this is going to end, right?”

I disappeared into the secret panel door and waited for them to come up the stairs. When I heard their footsteps just outside my hiding place, I hit the remote and triggered the first booby trap. It hit one of them. The one that escaped screamed like a girl with shock and fear. I popped out and fired one shot. My gun had a silencer and it barely made a sound. The axe booby trap had got the bigger guy squarely in his head and cleaved cleanly through his brain. I recognized him, Looney Lenny. I had shot the other in his shoulder. I did not recognize him. He was dark-haired and in his thirties. He staggered backwards, shocked and in so much pain he couldn’t help but grunt like a stuck pig.

“You just killed one of the Don’s best men, you’re a dead man walking,” he shouted as he stumbled and fell on his back.

I stood over him.

“You won’t get away with this, you fucking monster,” he cursed.

“Monster?” I asked. “If I was such a monster, then why I am of a mind to send you to the hospital now? Unlike your … partner, you still have a fighting chance … but that will depend on how you respond to my questions.”

He continued to groan, the blood seeping out of his shoulder onto my new floors. It was going to be a bitch to clean.

“What is it? What do you want to know?” he muttered. He was becoming pale with blood loss.

I smiled darkly. “Where’s that old fool?”

He shut his eyes at the pain and he relayed the information to me. “His house. He’s at his main house, okay?”

It was just as I expected. “Thanks,” I said.

He was looking at me with wide eyes. All the earlier adrenaline-rush-bravado was gone. I stared down at him and considered sparing him, but then, I changed my mind and pointed the gun straight at his head.

“No … no, no, no,” he pleaded.

But it was too late. My heart had turned to stone. I pulled the trigger. “Back to hell, where you belong.”

Chapter 52

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