Page 102 of Cruel Honor

Maxim and I shoot them dead before they get very far.

“Abram will know we’re in here,” I say. “We have to get the girl now.” I rush upstairs while Maxim remains on the first floor. Abram doesn’t pop out anywhere, so I know he’s somewhere else.

I open every door until I find the room I’m looking for.

A little girl is asleep in her bed. I feel a pang of guilt, but then I push it to the side. Now is not the time for guilt. If it were, I’d be dead already from the pain of it.

I slip my hand over the girl’s mouth. She wakes up and tries to scream. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you can’t scream. Understood?”

Slowly, she nods.

“Good.” I release her mouth. “Now, I’m sorry about this, but you’re coming with me.” I pick her up and carry her downstairs. Maxim is pacing back and forth while the alarm continues to blare.

“See?” I say. “No girls were harmed in the breaking and entering of Abram’s house.”

Maxim rolls his eyes. “Let’s just go.”

“Wait.” I set the girl down and run into the kitchen. I find a pen and notepad and leave a note for Abram. Just so he knows it was me.

We hurry out of the house and to my car. I place the girl in the back seat, being careful with her. Then we drive away from Abram’s house.

He doesn’t even know what I just did. I know when he finds out, he’ll be even angrier, but hopefully, he’ll lay down his life for his daughter. If I had a daughter, I would do that.

I wonder if Evie and I will ever have kids. The thought makes me strangely excited. Me as a dad? I can see it.

Maxim insists on staying, so all three of us head back to the motel.

“You sure your wife is going to agree with this?” he asks, nodding at the girl in the backseat. She hasn’t said a word since I took her.

“No. She’s going to hate me for this, but I’m doing this for her.”

“I can’t imagine fighting for someone so hard.”

“That’s because you’ve never been in love.” I pause. Am I in love? Honestly, I have no fucking clue, but if being in love means I can’t get Evie off my mind, then sure, I’m in love.

Maxim only shakes his head as he gets out of the car. He coaxes the girl out of her seat. “We won’t hurt you.”

“What about my dad?” she asks.

I startle at her voice. “Your dad is the reason we’re doing this.”

She flinches and doesn’t say another word. Maxim glares at me, but I don’t care. What I said is the truth.

Opening the motel door, I find Evie and Katya huddled together on the bed.

“There’s a cockroach,” Katya whispers.

“Whispering won’t make it disappear,” I respond.

“You made it back safely,” Evie says, coming over to me. “I’m so glad.”

“There was, uh, something I had to do.” I motion at Maxim to bring the girl inside.

Evie steps back. “What’s … going on? Who is this?”

“This is Abram’s other daughter,” I announce. “Uh …” I turn to the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Maria,” she whispers.

---