Page 5 of Assassin's Heart
Chapter Three
Remi —
I narrowed my eyes on Leah’s face, watching the color leach out, the way her hands came up, almost as if to ward something—or someone—off. She knew that voice. It scared her. Why?
“Who is this?” I used the tone that made marks shit their pants.
Silence. I could practically hear the man calculating, deciding on the best course of action. What I didn’t hear was backing down.
“Oh, Leah,” the man finally said. “You know better than to bring someone else into this.”
“Where is Brooke?” she asked, voice trembling as much as her body. I could see it, see the fear gripping her. The need to pull her close, to comfort her, give her the safety of my arms, rose to choke me, but I forced it ruthlessly away. Now wasn’t the time, nor would Leah welcome my touch.
“Brooke is safe,” the man said. “Did you have any doubt?”
“You killed Lydia,” she said, her tone allhell yeah I doubt it.
A heavy sigh crossed the line. He got her message loud and clear. He could read her just by her voice.
He knew her. Intimately. The thought blazed through my mind, hazing everything in red.
“An unfortunate accident,” he was saying. “I didn’t let Brooke see, I assure you of that. She is safe and sound.”
“I want to speak to her,” Leah said. “Please. Just let me tell her it’s okay.”
The little sob that said everything definitely wasn’t okay tore at me, threatened to distract me even more than the jealousy. I’d never encountered that before—on a job I was all business; emotion wasn’t a factor.
With Leah it was all emotion. Definite distraction.
“I always knew you’d be a wonderful mother,” the man said. “But right now I don’t think speaking to Brooke is the best idea. She’s finally calm. Hearing Mommy’s voice would undo all my hard work.”
Hectic color hit Leah’s cheeks. “You’re a bastard.”
“I’m not, Leah. You know I’m not.”
A tear squeezed out as she closed her eyes, tearing at my gut, but there was no trace of weakness when she asked, “How did you find us?”
“An informant. He’d seen a news story a while ago, something about you being kidnapped?” Concern creeped in, making my skin crawl. “Everything turned out fine, it seems.”
Leah scoffed. “Would you care if it hadn’t?”
“How could you even ask me that?”
Leah tightened her lips in that way she had when she desperately wanted to say something but shouldn’t. She knew him as well as he did her, then.
How well?
I shoved the question down deep. The caller was keeping this personal; getting down to business might throw him off. “What is it you want?” I asked.
Another pause—he didn’t like talking to me. It proved my point. Finally he spoke, his tone almost tired. “Leah knows what I want; I’m sure she’ll fill you in. She returns what belongs to a certain powerful someone, and she gets what belongs to her back safe and sound. That’s it. Simple.” Another sigh. “I’ll be waiting, Leah.”
The call clicked off.
As if her strings had been cut, Leah dropped to her knees on the floor, her body bowing down over her thighs. No matter how much my brain shouted that it was a bad idea, my heart forced me to go to her. Sobs threatened to choke her as she rocked forward and back, her face practically on the floor, crying her daughter’s name—I couldn’t stand it, couldn’t leave her in so much fucking pain that it was rippingmyguts out.
Kneeling down, I planted my knees on either side of hers and pulled her up into my arms, her face in the hollow of my shoulder, her tears soaking my shirt.
Holy shit.
