Page 36 of Redeem
“When are you going?” he asks.
“That's the million-dollar question. We can't really leave. Not until we take care of a few people, my father included,” I whisper under my breath. I know that Izzy has mentioned that Arrow isn’t working for her father anymore. But I need to see where his mind is at.
“Then, we take him out,” he states matter of factly. Like it's just a regular thing to take out a mob boss. “Then we take out Salvatore and Tony.”
I’m not surprised by that. Salvatore will want her back…and Tony. That asshole raised Arrow after his parents were killed. He wasn't nice to Arrow. Treated him badly.
Tony needs to be gone, as he would come after Izzy. He’s next in line after Salvatore and would still use her to gain favor with whoever takes my father’s place. Because that sure as hell won't be me.
“Done,” Arrow says. “We need to plan this so it’s executed in a way no one suspects us. We don't want to be running for the rest of our lives.”
I shiver in the cold. Not from what he’s saying but because the snow is falling harder. “Come inside, man. Don't stay out here.” I watch him shift, like he’s going to come in. But he turns to me.
“You're right, you can protect her. I’m gonna get some stuff started. I’ll come back tomorrow. We’ll all chat then.”
He shakes my hand, then pulls me in for a hug. It’s unexpected and a little awkward at first. But I pat his back, and for the first time tonight, I feel like I can breathe. We’re all in this together. With Arrow, I know we can protect Izzy and Lily.
This is only the start. And things are gonna get...bloody.
CHAPTER26
ADDIE / ISABELLA
Knocking on the front door to Madden’s house for the millionth time, I give up with a sigh and push open the door. No way am I standing out in the snow for a second longer.
“Hello,” I call out, but no one’s there. A door creaks open, then the patter of feet running down the hallway. A mop of blonde hair greets me, and Lily smiles, waving shyly at me. She clutches a well-worn doll to her chest.
“Hi, Lily, who do we have here?” I ask, waving to her doll.
She cocks her head to the side, watching me intently, before replying. “This is Coco.”
“Oh, wow, she’s beautiful and must be so cuddly,” I say and Lily giggles, lifting Coco from her chest to show me her doll more closely. I take a couple of steps forward, taking the doll from her and cuddling it before returning it to her.
“She’s my favorite. Wanna see my other dolls?” she asks, moving from one foot to the other like she's unsure of me.
I don't want her to feel that way. I want her to feel like she can trust me. Because I will protect her, just as much as the guys.
“Of course, I do,” I say and I follow her down the hallway.
She pushes open the door to a room I haven’t seen, and we walk into a bedroom that’s full of girly things. A large double bed sits in the middle of the room with a pink glittery comforter. A few teddy bears sit in the center of the neatly made bed. My hand goes to my throat as I choke up a little at how beautiful this room is.
Madden has created her very own room here, and I can’t believe it. The guy scares most people, and those knives of his do wicked things. But the love he has for this little girl is so beautiful.
Lily runs over to a doll house and hands me a Barbie. And for the next hour, we play, and she shows me every single toy she owns, and I fall even more in love with her. She’s got a cheeky personality that reminds me so much of Keegan. She’s the apple of his eye, along with the other guys, and I can understand why.
“Do you know where your brother is?” I ask, standing up from the ground and stretching out my muscles. It’s been a while, and even Lily’s babysitter hasn't checked in with her, so she must not be here.
“He’s in the back room.” She points to her door and continues to play with her dolls.
I leave her in her bedroom, moving down the hallway, past Madden’s room. The door is closed, but I’m tempted to go in. The memories of what all three of us did there after Keegan’s birthday comes flooding back, and I smile. Voices start to rise the closer I get to the back of the house. The door is slightly ajar, so I peek inside to find Keegan, Madden, Emilio, and Arrow talking softly. Arrow is here? My heart leaps at the sight of them all together, working together.
“Like fuck you’re going to be the one to kill him,” Emilio growls, pointing at Arrow, who paces in front of him.
Maybe they’re not all on the same page yet...not that I expect them to be. They’re all so different.
“We do this together or not at all,” Keegan says, leaning back against the wall near the door.
“I just thought, if I can go in undetected...”
