Page 128 of The Assignment: Room 3

Just hang on for me, pet.

A scream cuts through the silence.Gracie.

Two blocks. That’s what stands between my girls and me.

I try to talk myself down, quietening my mind. If I go in there the way I am now, I’ll be putting them in more danger. You have to keep a cool head when lives are at stake. I didn’t get the chance to save my parents, but I won’t fail today. I will save the two people who mean more to me than anything else in this world. There’s no other option.

When I arrive, I skid off my bike, letting it fall to the ground as I bound up the front steps of Celest’s ramshackle house. I grab mygun out of its holster and come to a grinding halt when I see Gracie in the hallway with a fucking gag in her mouth, her little wrists duct-taped together, and her ankles bound. I am going to slaughter this man.

I’ll take a lifetime in prison to make sure he can’t lay a finger on my girls ever again. There’s no sign of Celest, but I need to get Gracie to safety. I quietly crack open the door and slip inside.

Gracie’s little face lights up, and I motion for her to stay quiet as a mouse. I move with stealth, the culmination of my entire career coming down to this one moment—to saving my little girl. She’s mine.

I can hear Celest screaming, but I have to block it out. If I don’t, I risk losing both of them. Gracie has a bruise on her eye, and I see fucking red. Cradling her in my arms, I creep back to the front door and over to the next house. I lightly knock on the door, my adrenaline pumping so hard in my veins that it’s all I can hear.

Celest’s neighbor opens the door, aghast at the sight of us. I quickly slip inside, set Gracie down, loosen her restraints, and untie her gag. “Are you okay, little bear?”

Her tiny bottom lip starts to quiver as tears form in her sweet, innocent eyes. I can’t even imagine the horrors she’s seen tonight.

“Daddy.” She throws her arms around my neck, and I hold her tight as sobs rack her small body. At the sound of her voice, Celest’s mom comes bounding out of the living room. I forgot she was visiting with Mrs. Truman this afternoon.

“I’ve got you, Gracie. I need you to be really brave for me. Can you do that?”

I look to Nora. “Call the police. Tell them there is a hostage situation next door. He’s armed and dangerous.”

“What’s going on? It’s him, isn’t it?” Her body visibly shakes as I transfer Gracie to her arms.

“I’ll explain everything soon. Call 9-1-1 and get as far away from here as you can. I need to know you and Gracie are safe. Then, call Luther. He’s on his way, and I need him to get her away from here.”

“He’ll kill her, Felix. Michael willkillCelest.” She’s clinging toGracie for dear life, the safety of her own daughter hanging in the balance.

“She’s going to be okay. I’m going to get her now. Look at me, Nora.” Her tear-filled eyes find mine. “You need to be strong for Gracie. I promise you I will get Celest out of there safely. You have my word.”

“You’re a good boy, Felix. Please save our girl.”

I lean in, pressing my lips to Gracie’s head. “I love you, little bear.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

My heart shatters into a million pieces. Today should be the happiest day of my life, hearing Gracie say those words to me for the first time, and yet here I am about to go to battle for Celest.

“Will Mommy be okay? The not-nice man was hitting her.”

“Of course she will. I’m going to get Mommy now. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay. Promise?” She holds out her tiny pinky, crooking it with mine.

“I promise.”

As I leave behind part of my heart, I steel myself for what I’m about to encounter at Celest’s and make a plea to whatever higher power is out there. I can’t lose her, and I certainly can’t let that be Gracie’s narrative in life. She needs her mom, just as I needed mine. I want her to have what I didn’t. To have a mommy and daddy who love her, who get to see her sweet sixteen. I want to teach her to drive and give her advice to stay away from boys until she’s thirty.

I’ve had dreams of dancing with Celest at our wedding and growing old together. I just need to keep a level head.

I creep up the front steps once more, this time with my gun trained and ready. I have been in so many high-pressure moments, with so many lives at stake, but this is different. Half of my heart is in the room, and one wrong move could mean Celest’s life.

From the direction of their voices, my girl is in the living room.

“Did you really think I would let you get away unpunished? I told you I would come looking for you, you dumb bitch. I knew sooner or later you would contact someone. You’ve been back onmy radar since you called that fucking stupid mother of yours. She didn’t even try to cover her tracks. I’ve just been biding my time.”

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