Page 10 of Axe
She shuffled back, looking like a caged animal. Her eyes shifted around and I was smart enough to know she was looking for a weapon or a way out. I’d bet on the former. There was something in her that screamed ‘fight’ at that moment.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said, pulling out my handgun from my side holster. Now, I knew I wasn’t going to use the thing on her, butshedidn’t. And that was all I needed her to believe.
She froze, her chest rising and falling heavily. I placed the gun down on the table, my hand still gripped the handle but my finger was laying off the trigger. I lifted the pizza to my mouth with my other hand and took a giant bite.
“Eat,” a small voice called from behind her. My guess was it came from the other side of the couch that was blocking my view.
I shot out of my seat, the legs scraping along the wood making a loud, ear piercing ruckus as it did so. The panic and fear in her eyes flashed hard and I could see the wetness building up in them.
Before I could take another breath, little pitter-patter footsteps came running across the floor in our direction. With lightning speed, I tucked my gun back in my holster and made sure my cut covered it. I rounded the table, knowing I was about to come face-to-face with a kid. Well, probably knee-to-face, but you get my point.
The tiny boy stopped short right in front of me. His little head moved up as his eyes took me in. His little brows pinched together when he made it about halfway up my body, and what I only could assume was my cut.
“Dayee?” His voice rang out with confusion and a hint of fear.
“No,” she huffed out a strained laugh as she reached for the boy and picked him up. “Mommy’s got you.” She shot me a nasty look as she turned him away from me, trying her best to shield him with her body.
I won’t lie, I was fucked at that moment. No one said a damn thing about a kid. How had she managed to keep him hidden? And more importantly, why did she?
“I need to feed him. Do you mind?!” Her clipped tone wasn’t lost on me.
My eyes slid over to Brand’s. I could tell he felt as uneasy as I did. This changed everything.
