Page 33 of The Taker

But then I hear a soft voice crying, and all those thoughts fall to the wayside.

“Leo, your sister.” I try to get his attention, but he’s frozen in his own thoughts. She calls his name, her crying getting louder, and I can’t bear to leave her alone.

Using the pin from my tie clip, I quickly pick the locked bathroom door. Lucy sits in the tub, her head in her knees as she quietly cries. When she lifts her head and sees me, she sobs.

“Please, don’t hurt me!” she squeaks, pressing herself to the back of the tub to put as much distance between us as possible.

I have no clue what to do with a child. Especially one who wasn’t raised in the life the way I was. Strange men came into her home, and she’s probably terrorized. Her whole body shakes and her breathing quickens.

“Hey, Lucy. My name is Rocco, and I’m Leo’s friend. The bad men are gone. It’s safe to come out,” I say, trying to coax her out of the tub. The last thing I want to do is scare her more by removing her myself.

“Rocco… Leo’s boss?” she asks.

I nod, then she shakes her head, a scowl crossing her adorable little face that so resembles Leo’s. “No. I don’t want to go out there.”

Smart kid, never trust a stranger…especially me. In most situations, I’m the most dangerous person in the room. But right now, I just want to make sure she’s safe and unharmed.

“Okay, I get it. I’m sure you’re scared. I’ll wait here with you.” I sit on the ground, a few feet from the tub.

We sit in silence for a couple minutes before a panicked look strikes her face.

“Where is Leo?” tears start to roll down her cheeks again.

“He’s fine, but my doctor is checking him out just to make sure. He’ll be here soon,” I lie, internally refusing to tell her he’s covered in blood, caught in some kind of mental dissociation or whatever it’s called. Either way, he’s not really fit to be in here.

We sit in silence, but at least she stopped crying. She isn’t visibly injured, but I won’t assume anything until Doctor Caruso checks her out.

I try to think of anything specific about Lucy from the file I had my cousins Max and Maddie compile on Leo. When Giuseppe arranged for the interior design people to decorate the apartment, I remember him saying something about unicorns.

“Hey, Lucy, was that your cool unicorn I saw sitting in the living room on my way in?” In truth, I have no clue what the stuffie I saw on the armchair was, but it sorta looked like a horse so…

“Yeah, Ulysses. He’s a Pegasus, actually. That’s a special type of unicorn with wings. Julia thinks they’re stupid, but I love unicorns,” she says, her voice pepping up a bit.

Okay, that’s something I can work with… “You know, my cousin Maddie had one just like it growing up. I’d love to see more of your stuffed animals. Can you please come out of the tub and show me?”

Lucy eyes me for a moment, unmoving, yet slightly less resistant than she was the first time I ask.

“I know you’re scared, but I promise all the bad guys are gone. Leo told me you had cupcakes, and I won’t know where they are unless you tell me…”

“And you’ll let me have another one? He only lets me have one,” she grouses.

“Yes. You can have one more, and a glass of chocolate milk to wash it down.” If Leo doesn’t have any, I’ll make one of my men run out and get it.

At the promise of sweets, Lucy grins from ear to ear as she shakily gets out of the tub. She stumbles, and I offer her a hand. When she takes it, a breath of relief washed through me, although I couldn’t tell you why. I’m the least paternal man you’ll ever meet—practically a lizard person, I’m so cold-blooded.

I peek around the bedroom door and confirm the bodies of Ronan’s men are gone, although some of the carnage remains. Thankfully, Lucy seems not to notice, because she only has eyes for her brother. He sits on the couch, his head in his hands.

“Leo!” she squeals, running toward him and jumping into him. “Rocco told me I can have another cupcakeandchocolate milk!”

That snapped him out of it. “Oh did he?” he snarks. “Sure, why not. Today has already gone to hell in a handbasket. Let’s add a ton of sugar on top of it.”

She rushes to the kitchen, gets some plates out of the cabinet, and pulls the cupcake container to the edge of the counter. She sits at the table with three plates, each with a death by chocolate cupcake on it. The irony of the cupcake name in the current situation is not lost on me.

Leo follows her in, grabbing three glasses and filling them with milk. His hands shake, making the milk slosh around. Lucy beckons me in with a wave of her hand, and I sit next to her.

“You ready for an extra cupcake, Lucy?” I ask her, just to needle my little lionheart. Leo skeptically glares at me while he sips his milk. She already bit into her cupcake, giving me a puffy cheeked smile instead of a real answer.

My phone buzzes with a text.

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