30 Everett
October 28th, 2022
She was refusing.
I watched her from the far corner of the apartment, Malachi standing feet away, talking to the cleaners about what to do while Evelyn and Cam, one of the members of Harriet’s cleaning team, tried to talk to Olivia.
She was just sitting in the chair, staring.
She had Merlin clutched in her bloody hands, Lucy sitting right by her side, looking between she and the body, her ears folding every time she found Tommy, only to perk when she looked back.
Why was she refusing?
She had made progress. She had done better today. She gave me a look of relief when I said she had done good. So, why was she shutting down now?
“Jack is tracking down those pictures now,”
Malachi said, rejoining me. “But he suspects they’ll lead to a network far bigger than we think. A rabbit hole of sorts. We’ll do our best, but this would be a larger commitment. One that could span years.”
I found his eyes for half a second. I understood that. Kiddy porn was not an easy thing to shut down. We had done it in the past, but it had taken two years, and we only found a few of the suppliers, not the people running it. Unfortunately, it would always be around. It wasn’t something that could be stopped just fought for eternity.
“You should get yourself cleaned up.”
“No,”
I replied evenly. No. I had my own plans for the handprint she had left around my throat.
“How is she?”
Malachi asked after a moment.
Afraid. Terrified of the anger that now lived under her skin. I wasn’t sure if that’s why she wouldn’t talk to me, but after watching what happened in this apartment, after seeing the look in her eyes, I knew that’s what she felt. She was scared of what lurked within her now because now she felt a kind of rage she didn’t understand.
Luckily for her, our family specialized in that. It finally gave me a path to take in this chess game we’ve been playing.
The King rescuing his Queen from the too powerful pawns. She just didn’t realize they were pawns yet, she would though. I would help her see it.
“Healing,”
I answered.
“Are you going to save them?”
My heart skipped a beat, my eyes shooting to hers, finding them staring directly into mine. Blue and brown and green surrounded by blood. Wide with fire and worry. “Yes,”
I said without thought, too caught up in the fact that she had said something to me, that I didn’t consider how difficult it would be. I didn’t care. God, I’d seek out and rip apart every goddamn pedophile in this world if it meant she would just keep talking to me.
She searched my eyes for a moment before turning back to Evelyn and Cam.
Evelyn gave me a soft smile before her attention returned to my girl.
“Well,”
Malachi said on a breath as Olivia finally took Evelyn’s hand, allowing her to pull her up. “That is a good sign. I suppose we’ve got another job then. I’ll let Jack know.”
My eyes were locked on her as they led her towards the bathroom and finally closed the door behind her.
She spoke to me. She fucking spoke to me.