Page 96 of Keepsake

“You can keep walking and die here,” he listed. “You can walk away, not give me my money—”

“You have no money.”

“Now, interrupting isn’t good. Maybe I don’t want you to raise my kids,” he said. “Then again, I don’t want someone involved with illegal fighting raising my kids.”

For the first time, my eyes tore from the gun to his. He was smiling.

“Logan is the legal guardian,” I said for the last time.

“Yeah, and she wants you with the kids. I don’t blame you for staying with her. She’s a piece of ass that comes with a penthouse.”

My feet moved before I could think better. I just couldn’t deal with her name on his lips. David held the gun against my chest, the cold metal carving on my skin, separated only by a thin T-shirt. I was much bigger than David, but his smirk never faltered.

“Don’t look so angry. I’m complimenting the girl. Go home. Get my money.”

“Fuck you,” I snarled.

He pressed the cold metal further into my chest. “There’s no point in doing this, Alvaro. Sofia is gone. But you can protect Logan. If you die here, what good is that to her? You can pay me, and I’ll never breathe the same air as your ice queen. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that why you are here playing superhero? Trying to protect them from the big bad wolf?” he mocked. “Here’s your chance.”

I wanted to kill him. I shook from it, my hands closing in a fist, begging to just end his miserable life. I couldn’t see reason.

I just wanted to end it. Him and I.

“I’d do you a favor. I’ll walk away.” He stepped back. Flicking the cigarette, the sparks dying over the wet pavement.

“I have proof, Alvaro,” he said, putting his gun away. “What you’re doing is illegal, and you just damned those kids. Tell me again who the big bad wolf is, huh?”

With a smile, he left, leaving me paralyzed in the alleyway.

Life turned up again, cars passing by, drunks watching the fights. A streetlamp flickered in front of my eyes, but I remained unmoved.

The reasoning for killing him was still there, but in my head, I could only replay his words. I put the kids at risk. Logan gave me her trust, and I threw it in the garbage by coming here.

David was a con artist, but it wasn’t hard to prove I was here. If not for whatever proof he had, I just exited a gym full of people who were sketchy enough to be bought.

Paddy himself, even though the venue was his. I could see him betraying me to the highest bidder.

I fucked it up.

“Ican’tlistentothis anymore.” Dash groaned as he pressed pause on the last song fromEncanto.

“Shush!” I hid a giggle. “And grab Lachlan.”

Vienna fell asleep in the first twenty minutes of the movie, even before her brother. I tried to move her, but her body was heavy with sleep.

“Mmm, Logan?”

“What?” I asked, trying to gather the girl in my arms, blowing a rogue strand of hair from my eyes.

“Maybe you get Lachlan and I take care of Vienna?”

I eyed him up and down. Sure, he was lanky, but taller than me and easily stronger.

“You’re a twig, Lo.” He smiled.

And it was theLocoming so easily out of his mouth that made me step away from his sister, lowering my arms beside my body.

“Well, she’s heavy.”

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