“And what was he right about, sweetie?”
“He told me you’d come.” She scoots toward me. “He said if I gave you a message, you wouldn’t hurt me.”
Terror settles in my gut. “I’m not going to hurt you even if you don’t give me the message. I promise.”
The girl seems to consider that and then nods as she reaches her hand into the pocket of her filthy shorts. She pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to me.
“What’s this?” I ask, taking it from her.
“The message I’m supposed to give you.”
Suddenly, the paper feels like hot coals in my grasp. I tuck it into the inner pocket of my cut and hold my arms out for her. She scrambles into them, her fear seemingly ebbing now that her task is complete.
“Peppermint?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for coming to save us.”
CHAPTER16
Nico
“Are you okay?”
I stare at the paper in my hands. Peppermint texted me on her way back from their job and asked me to meet her at Devil’s Double Down. Malachi got the same request from Harlow and now the four of us are in Harlow’s office.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” I respond honestly.
I read the note again, searching for answers I know won’t be there.
P.-
I knew you’d come. You can’t resist playing savior. I can’t tell you how much I wish the little girl in the basement was you so we could pick up where we left off all those years ago. Just the thought of my mouth on your inner thigh has me throbbing. We’re both older now, so there’s no reason for you to deny me like you did then.
In case you haven’t figured it out, you belong to me. I should’ve taken you last year when you and that bitch you call a friend killed my father, but the timing wasn’t right. It is now.
Be sure to tell that brother of mine that he doesn’t have to worry. I’ll take care of you for him since he’ll be dead. But I do think I’ll make him suffer first. I’ll send him straight to hell with the image of his twin fucking you imprinted on his gray matter. Won’t that be fun?
Until next time, N.
I crumble the paper in my fist and launch it at the wall. Without speaking, Peppermint slides her knife into my hand and nods toward the target by the door.
I throw the knife and she retrieves it for me. I throw, she retrieves. We repeat the process over and over again until my chest is heaving. Malachi and Harlow are standing in the corner, quietly watching, waiting for me to work through my rage.
“Feel better?” Peppermint asks as she hands me the knife again.
I throw the blade as hard as I can and wince when it hits the target. “A little.”
“Good. Because we need you to focus and you can’t do that when you’re spitting mad.”
I glance at Malachi. “This has to end.”
He nods. “It does.” He pushes off the wall and strides toward me. His expression conveys confusion. “Here’s what I don’t get. The Bends aren’t from here or Seattle. How do they factor in?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, shoving a hand through my hair. “But I promise you I won’t stop digging until I do.”
“There’s something else,” Harlow adds. “Nicholi has always been in the skin trade because of the Family. And when we realized he was back in the city, it was because of trafficking victims linked to him. But now he’s just killing. Why the switch?”