Page 12 of Twins for the Mafia Heir

“I colored it that way,” I say softly. “My hair, I mean.”

“Like with crayons?” the girl asks, her voice a little weaker than before.

“Not exactly,” I say, forcing myself to laugh a little to relax her. “Like with… ink. Special ink.”

“Can you make it blue?” she asks, looking a little more intrigued.

I pretend to think. “I could, but I’d have to go to the hairdresser for help.”

“Oh.”

The disappointment in her voice is so obvious I feel helplessly terrible. I’ll feel even worse if I’m caught here, but I can’t bear to leave this girl alone without knowing if she’s okay. “I’m E- er, Raleigh,” I say, catching myself just in time. “What’s your name?”

“Sidony!”

“Sidony,” I repeat. “That’s an awesome name!”

She nods, because of course she knows that already. “Daddy calls me princess,” she informs me.

I shiver again. Her dad.

I remember the sound of my own father coming home, the wild rattling of the front door that told me he’d dropped his keys and was already drunkenly furious. I’d have to scurry back to my room and close the door before he managed to pick them up and get into the house. He was a goon for Morgan Speare, a hired hand who did the dirty work without hesitation, and sometimes he was so drunk he forgot to wash the blood off his hands and clothes before he yanked me out of my hiding place.

Other times, he wasn’t drunk enough, and I knew all too well that beating me would help cheer him up.

If I sense this little girl is in danger, I won’t leave her behind. I’ll bring her with me, no matter the inconvenience of being on the run with a small child.

“Sidony,” I say again, forcing the memories to the back of my mind. “I’m sorry I came into your room without knocking. I just- I wanted to know how you are.”

Sidony gives this more thought than I would like. “Sleepy,” she finally decides.

I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, it is pretty late. But, uh… are you okay?”

Again, Sidony thinks about this for a long time. Finally she says, “Sometimes scary men come. Daddy says they’re dreams. He pinky-promised me.”

I can’t fault a kid growing up in this house for having nightmares. Still, I’m willing to bet these ‘scary men’ are all too real. Whether they’re from her past or still around is another question.

My indecision freezes me on the spot. I can’t just abduct this little girl and get out of here without being caught. That’s insane. But the thought of leaving her in a house with a madwoman and a cold-hearted killer and god knows who else makes me sick to my stomach.

“That’s good. Pinky-promises are serious.” I swallow to wet my throat. “And… where’s your daddy now?”

Sidony’s face falls. Her penguin is squeezed so tight I’m shocked its little button eyes don’t pop off. I’m afraid she’ll tell me he’s died, and I’ve just reminded her of the loss. Instead she says,“He went away. He- He said he’d come back soon. Tasia always sends him away…”

‘Tasia’. Fantasia, I’m guessing. My body goes numb with dread. If her dad keeps being sent away, it might be because he’s-

I hear the footsteps running down the hall too late. The door crashes open as Achilles lunges into the room. His suit jacket is missing, but there are a couple drops of something dark enough to be blood on his white dress shirt. As soon as he sees me, he freezes in place.

I’ve seen this man angry, but I’ve never seen him afraid. It’s a terrible thing. His eyes are too wide, the warm brown rimmed with white. His nostrils flare as he fights to catch his breathfrom running, while his lips are pressed into a bloodless line, the muscles in his jaw jumping as he grits his teeth.

I’m too afraid to even put my hands up in surrender. Any move might push him over the edge of his terror. He looks between Sidony and me and back, determining if I’m close enough to reach her before he can, if Sidony is hurt or afraid, if he can pull a weapon without frightening her further.

Maybe he decides he can’t, because instead he demands, “Get away from my daughter.Now.”

Chapter 7

Achilles

Finding the tower room empty was bad enough. Finding the missing hostage standing over my daughter-

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