Page 7 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“He was a great man,” I amended. “You and your boys will never want for anything, I promise. I will take care of you. Like you said, he thought of me like a brother, and I felt the same way.”

Gina nodded. Then her bright-green eyes looked up at me. “You gotta find out who was responsible.”

“I will, and it won’t be quick for them like it was for Marco.”

She squeezed my hand and released it. “You’re a good man too, Saros.”

I wasn’t. But I loved my family, and for them I’d do anything. That thought spun around my head for hours after Gina left. That, and Em.

Where was he? Was he safe? Why would a perfect stranger risk his life to save another?Before I tucked in for the night, the last thought I had was to find Em and make sure he didn’t pay a price for what happened tonight.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?”

~ Charles Bukowski

Em

The door creaked open,and I flinched at the streak of light that was let in.

“You can come up now.” The voice was stern, but being without light or sound for three days, it could have been a whisper and been too loud.

I stood from where I sat on the tattered old mattress and made my way up the stairs. While in the basement, I’d walked around so my legs didn’t cramp, but I was thirsty and starving and halfway up the stairs, my head spun.

“Hurry up,” they snapped, and I double-timed it so they wouldn’t shut the door on me.

That had happened to me a few times—I’d been tricked into thinking I was being released, but at the last minute someone would cackle and slam the door shut.

The basement led to the kitchen. The chef was at the stove, his little minions all doing his bidding. No one paid me any mind; they rarely did. I followed Jim, the butler, through the room, relishing in the aroma of whatever was being cooked.

“Master and Mistress Brookes will see you in the library.”

I didn’t say anything; it was better that way. If I only spoke when I was asked a question, it was safer. I hoped to get this part over with quickly, so I could scrounge up something to eat.

Jim opened the French doors that led to the library. It used to be my favorite room in this ridiculously big house. I could hide in the stacks, and it was two floors. I used to pretend I was a prisoner being held by two evil serpents, and I was desperately waiting for my prince to come rescue me.

Alas, no prince has done so, but the part with the two evil serpents was true.

“Em.”

I lifted my head at the sound of my name. Shyla sounded happy to see me, but she was likely drunk and had forgotten I existed until now. She had long blond hair, absolutely dyed. I wasn’t sure what she originally looked like, but she had more plastic in her body than a Mattel factory.

“Mistress Brookes.” I dipped my head, knowing she loved the respect.

“Do you understand why you were punished?” A much more cruel voice spoke from my left. Ramsey Brookes. Hair brown like chocolate, eyes black like death, and while he had no work done on him, he was in great shape and unfortunately was handsome.

“I do, Master Brookes.”

“I’ve been thinking about what you told me the other night after you returned from the errand. You explained that there wasan issue getting a cab, and then some man was getting mugged, which caused you to take a different route, which is why you were late?”

“Yes, sir.” I wasn’t going to tell them that I’d helped men get murdered or helped strangers.

“Interesting, and where was this mugging?”

“A few blocks from the gallery.”

“I see.”

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