“Wanna go in?” I ask her.
“Really?” she replies in excitement, clapping her hands together happily.
“Let’s do it,” I reply as I pull the sign off the fence and toss it aside. I lean down and narrow my eyes at the lock before I decide that it’ll be easy enough to pick. In no time, I’ve got the chain wrapped around my fist, the lock swinging from the end of it, and push one of the fence doors open for my Sweet Molls.
Her tiny, but deadly form moves quickly into the forbidden and I follow closely behind her. I don’t think we’ll have too much trouble if someone catches us in here, because I’ll just let Molls do her thing and see if anyone thinks it would be a good idea to try and report us afterwards. She’s so small and unassuming that it makes the shock of what she’s truly capable of even more fucking amazing if she’s pushed too far.
I laugh when she runs for the first open train car she sees and climbs in, striking a pose with her arms high up in the air, like she’s just won the Train Yard Olympics or some shit.
I walk over and lean on the wooden floor, grinning up at her child-like enthusiasm for breaking the rules yet again. “How is it that this place makes you so damn happy?”
“Because on the outside, you only see what you’re presented—old, broken down skeletons of things that once were, but when you get the chance to come in and take a closer look, you can see these for what they are. Beautiful pieces of art lost to time with little to no one who actually appreciates them. Kind of like us,” she explains with a small smile.
My grin gives way to a genuine smile and I find myself wondering how I got so lucky to end up with a girl like this. There are days where I doubt that I’m even worth her time anymore, but then she says shit like this and it makes me remember that she loves me just as much as I love her.
The grip we have on each other’s hearts is all consuming and burns brighter than the sun itself, and I’d let her drag me to Hell if she wished without a second thought of the flames awaiting us or objections of any kind.
“Come on down, baby girl. Let’s take a walk around,” I suggest, holding my arms up toward her. She leans down and jumps into my embrace, wrapping her legs around me, and nips the side of my neck before I set her down with a laugh.
Molly slips her hand into mine and I use my fingers to undo the chain and swing it around as we begin our little expedition. It’s mostly like she said—skeletons of the past and nothing more, but she seems to be enjoying it and I won’t rush her since I don’t know when I’ll be able to get her back in here again. She seems happy enough just running her hand along the sides of the ruined and dismal structures, until she suddenly stops short, narrowing her eyes at something in the distance.
I turn my eyes to follow hers and begin to chew my lower lip thoughtfully. I know what she wants to do and that’s walk toward the fire that has her suddenly entranced to find out what, or who, the source is. I didn’t think tonight would be anything other than a friendly stroll out with my girl, but it seems that the little, dangerous girl inside of Molly wants to come out and play.
“Please, Daddy?”
I look down at her and damn near melt when I see how she’s looking up at me with adoration and hope in her eyes. They seem to shine like emeralds at will and she knows how to fucking play me like a fiddle.
“Anything for you, baby girl,” I reply softly, wrapping an arm around her, holding her close. Molly’s hope gives way to happiness as she leans up on the tips of her toes and presses her soft lips against mine.
I chuckle when she backs away from me with a wicked grin and reaches for my hand, pulling me toward the source of the fire. I count the train cars as we pass them. One, two, three, four … five.
“Look Daddy,” she says in a loud-stage whisper. “Let’s go play with them.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, then turn my attention back to the obviously homeless couple, assessing the situation as best as I can. The guy looks up at me with murderous intent in his eyes, but I know that feeling well. He only wants to protect what’s his and the woman at his side, even through the dirt caked on his face and the smell of filth that emanates from the both of them, I can appreciate him for it.