Page 24 of Coup De Grâce
I snatched the garb I’d worn and quickly tugged it on, then wrapped the scarf around my head. I was as covered as I could be. It felt wrong having Sally covered in the way she was with no easy access to her, but it was imperative that I get the hell out of here.
Stepping onto the street, I easily got lost in the chaos of people fleeing for their lives. I blended with the crowd, heading toward a shop on the edge of town that I had spotted on my way in. With any luck, I could hide out there until things cooled and I had a plan in place.
I should have fucking known and made a plan separate from those in the Shadow Government, but I hadn’t thought they’d change the target at the last minute.
I hadn’t expected my old man to be a piece of shit either. Did he change the target or had the men on my team? The order had to come from the top. I couldn’t see another way around it.
I turned the corner on the main road and was just about to the shop when pain exploded at the back of my skull and the world went black.
9
EVA
Air whooshedout of my lungs as something hard landed on my stomach. Without even opening my eyes, I knew it was Eloise. Just one morning, I’d like to wake up without a child jumping on me.
Then again, I knew that when this stage ended, I would miss it. Sort of.
“Eloise, it’s too early,” I groaned, fighting the strain in my voice from the early morning wakeup call.
“Momma, we go pway!”
“Honey, Momma’s barely awake.”
“Pwease, Momma?”
I didn’t have to open my eyes to know she was staring at me with puppy dog eyes. My baby girl was the best at manipulation.
A second hard body landed on me, followed by extreme laughter that broke the trance of sleep and brought a smile to my lips. Benjamin had a way of doing that to me. Maybe it was the fact that we tried so hard to have him, only for it to suddenly happen just when I thought it was hopeless. Either way, he was the joy I never thought I would have.
And he was so much like his father.
I peeled my eyes open and looked at my kids, my heart clenching when I stared into those beautiful eyes that reminded me so much of him. I fought the tears that threatened to well in my eyes. Crying wouldn’t do me any good. I’d done enough of that to last a lifetime. What I needed right now was a distraction.
“Alright, let me get up and then we’ll head over to the main building.”
“The filo!” Eloise screamed, her eyes bugging out in excitement.
I grimaced as I got a good look at her. Slobber coated her mouth, along with some red substance that I could only assume was candy, and her hair resembled a rat’s nest. There was no way I was taking her out looking like that. People would think I didn’t take care of my kids.
“Baths first.”
Groans followed by heavy flops onto the bed reminded me of just how much I hated bath time. Some kids loved to play in the water. My kids hated it and screamed through the entire experience. I didn’t know why, and I stopped asking a long time ago.
“Come on. In and out. We’ll be quick.”
“I’m not dirty!” Benjamin insisted.
“Bud, you might not be dirty, but you’re definitely smelly.”
His face instantly contorted into a sad, puppy dog face and tears coated his eyes. “But you told me I don’t smell.”
His little chin quivered, but I knew it was all an act. The kid had mad acting skills. Someday, he would twist some woman’s heart into doing anything he wanted, and I would just sit back and watch the show. I had been manipulated enough by this kid. It was someone else’s turn.
“You’re not getting out of this. We already skipped last night, and I know you’ve been in the candy.”
They both stiffened and Eloise shook her head slowly. “Momma, we no get in candy.”
“Really? Then what’s that red stuff on your face?”
