Chapter 37 #2
I shake my head, feeling my tears drip down my face as I lean over him. “She’s shackled to you, Capone. She’s not going anywhere without you, and I’m not going anywhere without her.”
He makes a noise, one of pure distress as he tries to pull himself out of the fog. “He drugged us. I bought us sodas from the drive-thru, left them in the car while I grabbed her. Can’t think of any other way…” He coughs, blood splattering his teeth as my brain screams at me to do something.
“Shh…none of that matters right now. Save your energy.”
“Took my gun,” he whispers, his lips taking on a bluish tint. “But there’s a knife in my boot. I can still feel it.”
I move down his body to his feet as Star begins to stir. I loosen the laces of his boot and pull the knife from its sheath. It’s some kind of hunting knife, and I wonder idly how he hasn’t cut his damn foot off with it.
“I’ve got it,” I tell him, crawling up his body as Star blinks her eyes. She looks confused as I cup her face and force a smile.
“Hey, baby. Mommy’s here. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I bite back my scream at having to use the same lie I’ve told her a thousand times before. Her eyes cloud over as she looks around fretfully. She’s looking for Jasper, because fuck knows ghosts rooted in evil are harder to shake than most.
“Tell the guys it was an honor to be a part of the Ravens,” Capone tells me, a knowing in his eyes that I refuse to accept.
“No, you can tell them yourself.”
“Tell them I’d do it again. There is no scenario, in any lifetime, where I wouldn’t put myself between a bullet and Star.”
“Please, Capone. Just hang on for a little while, okay? They’ll find us. I know they will.”
“But not in time for me.”
“Screw that, you’re not leaving us, you asshole. Hang the fuck on.”
He grins, his lips coated in blood. I lean down and kiss him gently, smoothing back his hair.
“We love you. And we need you to hold on for us, okay? I’m going to poke my head outside and see if I can figure out where we are.”
“Okay.”
I get to my feet, stopping when he chokes out my name. “Love you and the kid. Don’t tell Ambros. He’ll kick my ass.”
“You saved our daughter. I think he’ll kiss you, too.”
He chuffs out a laugh as I look at Star. “Mommy will be right back. I promise.”
She nods and curls up under Capone’s neck, her arm over his chest.
I hurry to the mouth of the cave, swiping tears from my face, but they refuse to stop.
I step outside, knife in hand. I see nothing but trees.
I move out a little farther, but I can’t see much of anything.
When I look at the ground, I notice a set of tire tracks.
Torn between following them and turning back, I hesitate before jogging back to the cave.
Getting lost won’t do Capone or Star any good.
I search my pockets, already knowing my phone is gone, but hoping for a hair clip or something I might be able to use on the shackles.
As I step into the foot of the cave, my footsteps falter when I hear a childlike voice singing.
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broken, Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat.
I walk toward my daughter in a daze. This is the first time I’ve heard her speak, let alone sing. She’s singing the song I used to sing to her when I didn’t want her to be afraid.
My eyes drift to Capone. He has a serene smile on his face, his eyes fixed on a point on the ceiling. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my sob as I drop down beside them.
“Come here, baby.”
Star looks up at me, her voice cutting off before she looks back at Capone. When she leans over and kisses his cheek, something inside of me breaks apart.
“Bye-bye, Uncle Capone.”
I don’t try to hide my tears this time—it would be impossible. Instead, I pull my daughter to my chest and sob into her hair at the unfairness of it all.
Once I have myself under control, I swipe my hand over my face before pulling back and looking down at Star. “Your voice is beautiful. I’m so proud of you.” I smooth her hair back and kiss her forehead. “I love you, sweet girl.”
“I love you too, mama,” she whispers, making me cry once more, with the words I never thought I’d hear.
“Okay, I need to find a way to get us out of here.”
She nods, sliding off my lap, her trust in me complete.
I lift her arm and look at the shackle attaching her to Capone. I fight off the flashback the clank makes, remembering how heavy and cold these things can get. Was this a coincidence or a twisted ploy on Michael’s part to get me spiraling? Well, fuck him.
I yank at it, tugging and twisting until my fingers bleed. When that doesn’t work, I use my blood to try and slip the shackle from Star’s wrist. When she cries out in pain, I stop, pressing my lips to her wrist in an apology.
My frayed nerves are fueled by anger as I pick up the knife I’d placed on the floor in front of them and try to use it to pry the shackle free. When I nick Star’s skin, I have to give up. I turn to Capone’s rapidly cooling body and fight back the agony over what I’m about to do.
“Star? Please close your eyes and cover them for me. Keep them covered until I say so. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“No matter what. You keep them closed.”
She nods and closes them, burying her face against her bent knees and wrapping her arms around them.
I turn back to Capone and rest my hand on his wrist just above the shackle. “I’m so sorry, Capone. Please forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You get her out of here, Citi. You do whatever you have to, and I’ll be here right behind you.”
“You’re not really here.”
He huffs out a laugh. “You think I’d let something as trivial as death stop me? Woman, please.” His face sobers as he looks around. “We need to work fast, though. I don’t know how long we have until he comes back.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” I hold the knife and watch as it shakes in my grip.
“If you don’t, Star dies. And then I died for nothing.”
I let my eyes slip closed as his words hit me and feel myself shut off my emotions. It’s the only way I can do this.
I cast my eyes to Star. “Sing for me, baby. Sing for mama.”
I wait a beat until Star’s soft, haunting voice starts singing the first line of Hush Little Baby before I tighten my grip around Capone’s arm, place my knife to his wrist, and start cutting.
I don’t know how much time passes. I have to stop more than once to throw up.
But eventually, with my arms shaking from the exertion, Capone’s hand pulls free from his wrist. It takes a second for me to slip it from the shackle.
I tug Star away from the carnage, her voice now hoarse from singing.
I place her on the ground near where I first woke up, knowing the shadows will hide what I did to her savior.
I contemplate our next move when I hear a noise—the sound a boot makes when it slips a little on rocky dirt.
“Keep those eyes closed, baby,” I whisper to Star as I run back to where I dropped the knife. I don’t try to be quiet. I slide across the floor, ignoring the pain, and grab the knife before getting to my feet and holding it behind my back.
I hold my breath as the oppressive silence threatens to choke me. And then I see him, a shadow within the shadows, stepping into the light, gun in one hand, handcuffs in the other.
I blink as his face comes into view and feel a simmering rage start to boil inside me. Pig. That motherfucker.
“Surprise,” he taunts as I take him in. He still looks as unkempt as the last time I saw him outside Michael’s office. I should have remembered him, but everything else took precedence. Now I feel like kicking myself, as seeing him helps some of the pieces fall into place.
“He planted you at the club so you could feed him information. Only prospects are mostly kept in the dark.”
“Clever girl. One thing prospects aren’t kept from, though, is the old ladies and kids, which is fucking stupid if you ask me.”
Given where we are, I can’t say I disagree.
“I might not have been able to find out the inner workings of the club, but I knew the code for your house, knew yours and Star’s routine, and places you liked to go.”
He steps closer, not looking like the uninterested prospect any longer but like someone who has little left to lose.
“I know how much you struggle to be close to men, how your dreams taunt you, how you see Markham every time you close your eyes. Face it, Citi, you’re as fucked-up in the head now as he was.”
I tilt my head and take a step closer so the light hits me better. His eyes move down my body, pausing when he sees all the blood covering me.
“Maybe I am fucked in the head, Pig. But I didn’t kidnap and re-traumatize a little girl, did I? That’s all on you. Tell me, Pig, are you proud of yourself? You think when your time comes, God’s going to be standing next to those pearly gates ready to welcome you in? Because I doubt it.”
His gun shakes a little before he steadies himself. “Fuck you, bitch. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Too fucked-up in the head now. I bet you liked what Markham did to you in the end. Bet you came around his cock like a pornstar.”
I shake my head like I’m disappointed. If anything, I’m numb to it all. There is nothing he can say to me that will hurt me. I’ve been through hell and back and survived—like fuck will I let his man-child be the one to break me.
“You were the one to take Capone and Star. You knew where her school was, knew where we usually parked. Hell, I bet you even had a spare key for the truck, didn’t you?
Most of the prospects do. So you slipped something in their drinks and waited for it to take effect, knowing Capone wouldn’t risk my daughter.
When he started to feel off, he pulled over—maybe he tried to make a call—but you got to him first. Did you bring them here in the truck?
Because you should know they have GPS in them now after the incident with Star.
” I have no idea if that’s true, but it sounds believable, judging from his widening eyes and the way they flit around.
He shakes his head. “It’s not here now, so it doesn’t matter.”
“No, I don’t suppose it does.” Because, for once, my paranoia paid off. Star has tags in her sneakers and Ambros will already be heading right for us.
“How did you end up tangled up with Michael?”
He grins. “That’s what you call him? Let’s just say he did me a favor and I owed him one.”
“Guess that explains why you were always slacking on the job. You weren’t interested in becoming a patched brother or a prospect. You were just fulfilling your favor,” I say, making finger quotes.
“I’ve done my part now anyway. Evened the score. After this, I’m done.”
“I doubt it. He has you exactly where he wants you. You’re just too dumb to realize.”
“Fuck you. You know nothing.”
“I know you brought cuffs so you can restrain me. Michael didn’t bother because he knew I’d never voluntarily leave my daughter.
He also knew he could subdue me in a heartbeat.
For a big guy like him, it would be easy.
Guess he looked at you and thought you’d need help.
Not everyone grows into their skin after all,” I mock.
But my heart is threatening to beat out of my chest.
“Careful, Citi.” I hear Capone’s soft voice in my ear as if he really were standing beside me.
Pig takes another step forward, his face menacing. “That’s a smart mouth you have there. Wonder if you’ll still be able to smile with my cock between your lips.”
“Oh, I imagine I’d be able to have a full-blown conversation.”
He snarls at the obvious dig at the size of his manhood, his anger overriding his common sense as he steps closer. “You’ll fucking feel it when I fuck you raw. You’d be screaming my name.”
My throat is dry and fear threatens to choke me, but I keep taunting him, trying to buy more time. “To ask you if it’s in yet? Maybe stick to using your fingers. I might actually feel it then.”
He drops the cuffs and fists my hair, snapping my head back so he can tower over me. “Let’s see if your daughter feels it. Hey, Star, come here. I’ve got something for you,” he calls in a sing-song voice.
I’d planned to drag this out as long as I could, to give the guys time to get here, but his words change everything.
Not this time. Not my daughter.
With zero hesitation, I swing the knife up and stab him in his side.
He lets go with a bellow, dropping the gun as he instinctively reaches for the knife.
I yank it out and stab him again, this time in the stomach.
He looks at me in shock before he drops to his knees, his eyes finally falling to the dead and bloody Capone that had been hidden behind me.
His face drains of color as I swing the knife again, this time slashing at his face.
When he crumbles to the ground on his back, I straddle him.
I stab him in the chest over and over until I’m dragged off his body by strong arms that wrap themselves tightly around me.
I fight and scream until eventually the voice murmuring in my ear becomes clear.
“I’ve got you, angel. I’ve got you.”
“Ambros?”
“Yeah, Citi, it’s me.”
I tip my head up to look, but a blurry image over his shoulder catches my eye.
Capone.
“You did good, Citi. Real fucking good. Proud of you. Now go live that happily-ever-after shit you deserve. Do it for both of us.”
He presses his hand to his heart, and then he’s gone.
Which is precisely when my legs give out.