Page 35 of F*ck Steal Kill

He nodded, his eyes panicked as he sat up, glancing around and noticing the girl was gone.

“I already shot her. You’re next.”

His breathing quickened as he stood on shaky legs, his dick curling inside him like a turtle, keeping it from my view. Thank the stars for small mercies!

“Walk.”

He stumbled with his feet locked together. I’d only given him enough width to waddle. It was funny to watch, but also necessary to minimize my risk. He was bigger and stronger than me, so I had to use what I could to my advantage. Plus, I really wanted this to look like suicide. As much as I wanted to kill him in a bloody fashion, if I could avoid attention to a murder while Quentin and his team were in town, all the better.

Besides, dead was dead at the end of the day.

The child molester shuffled out into the hall, my gun still pointed at his head and a Taser on his back. I was prepared to incapacitate him if he decided to be an asshole.

Thankfully, the pedophile followed along, moving where I told him without a fight. Opening the door to the attached garage, I shoved him inside, keeping the light off. He whimpered as I pressed the gun harder, demanding he get into the car. I’d already grabbed the keys from the nightstand earlier, so I unlocked it as he slid in.

“Turn it on,” I growled, handing him the keys. They shook as he worked to find the spot, the car coming to life a second later.

Taking another zip tie, I tied his hands to the steering wheel, locking him in place. I’d have the clean-up crew remove all evidence later so it looked like he’d done it.

Taking out a piece of cloth, I stuffed it into the muffler so it would fill the car quicker with CO. With one quick salute, I headed back inside, locking the door so he couldn’t enter if he managed to get out somehow.

Running back to the bedroom, I gathered my bag of goodies and did a quick scan of the room for anything the girl might need. Finding a bag of clothes, I grabbed it and the money out of his wallet. Taking a deep breath to slow down my adrenaline, I knocked on the door.

“Hey, octopus. It’s me. He’s gone. It’s safe to come out.”

The lock was slow to turn, the door opening only a crack. I waved, trying to reassure her that it was safe. I stepped back so she could see the bed was clear as well. When she realized I wasn’t lying, she opened it more, pulling her arms over her chest.

“I have your clothes. I’d let you take a shower, but I think we should get out of here first. Do you need any help?” I asked.

She shook her head, grabbed the bag, and pulled out a pair of pants and a hoodie. She tucked the nightgown she’d been wearing into the pants and slipped on some shoes. Holding out my hand, I waited as she debated taking it.

“I know I’m a stranger, but I promise to protect you and get you safely back to your mom. You just have to trust me a few more steps.”

She took a deep breath, nodding.

This time, I didn’t need to be quiet or stealthy, so we jogged through the house and exited back the way I’d come, locking the door. The trek to the car was slower, but we made it, and I helped her get into the backseat.

“There are some parts where I’ll need you to lay down flat so that no one spots you on cameras, okay? We’re going somewhere safe, and your mom will meet us there.”

“What’s your name?” she whispered, the sound so lost and hollow.

I hesitated, never having given my real name before. But she’d already lost so much tonight; it felt wrong to give her something else fake.

“Holland. What’s yours?”

“Meredith.”

“You ready to get the hell out of here, Meredith?” I asked, turning on the car. Her nod was quick, and she laid down in the seat. Pulling out my phone, I texted the clean-up crew and Phantasm to tell her mom where to go.

It was jobs like these that reminded me I couldn't stop. If XOXO didn’t exist, her life would've been over. I wouldn’t let that happen to anyone if I could help.

Taking a second to let out another breath, I focused on the next steps of getting her back safely. I knew if I didn’t, I’d run back there and shoot his brains out, fall apart in tears myself, or probably the worst one, run straight into Quentin’s arms.

CHAPTER 14

MAX

I stared at my screen, wishing I could hear what was occurring with the little dots. Quentin’s icon mockingly flashed at me. The darn red dot had been stationary for a while now, and I didn’t know why. He’d left the bar an hour ago, then had pulled off to the side of the road where he’d stayed since.

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