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“You sure he’ll be safe?” Izel asks, glancing back at the house.

“He’ll be fine. Ma won’t let anything happen to him.” My mother might look innocent, short and like she wouldn’t hurt a fly. But she knows how to get shit done if the time comes, especially if it comes to children.

“We won’t be gone for long, right?”

“Izel, will you just trust me?” I sigh, knowing if she really doesn’t want to leave, I’ll turn around and take her back to the house.

She looks up at me, and for a moment I’m taken back to when I found her. She had to be scared down there alone, yet she trusted me enough to get her out.

“I do trust you,” Izel whispers, wrapping her arms around my waist. “It’s just, we trusted someone before, and they ended up delivering us back to Dan. After that we only trusted each other and it’s hard to know who’s helping us and who’s in their back pocket.”

“Just say the word and I’ll bury them,” I declare. I don’t care who it is, they don’t call me The Butcher for nothing.

“They’re bad people, Zion, and I don’t want you getting hurt because of us.”

“You can’t live your life on the run, Red.”

“I know, he deserves better. He’s twelve he should be going to school, hanging out with his friends. Not worried that a gang of men are going to come to rape and mur–” Izel stops talking mid-sentence, and slow as can be looks up at me.

I already know what I look like, my eyes narrowing at her words, and my hands fisted at my sides. I’m moments away from contacting Aziza and Killian to find where this “gang” is and put an end to their lives.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” she mumbles.

“They’re going to die either way, Red. Either when they come looking for you or I go looking for them. So, like I said, either way, Izel, they’re going to die. It just depends on where and how.” Sidestepping her I throw the shed door open.

Killian can figure out who Izel is and track down the fuckers that are intent on hurting Gabriel and her. I’ll kill every single one of them, bathe in their blood, create a fucking warpath just for the ones who bullied Izel in school. I don’t fucking care. I’ll tear them apart, make them regret ever laying their eyes on her. Gouge their fucking eyes out and shove a barbe–

Izel’s arms wrap around my waist, her chest against my back. Pressing her lips against the middle of my back, I’m instantly calm.

“You can’t take them all by yourself, I can’t lose you too,” she whispers.

“You’re not going to lose me, Red.”

I might not have cared much about dying before. I walked into a building not fearing I wouldn’t walk out. I knew I was better than those others. I still know I’m better, but now I have a reason to live.

Izel.

“Come on, let’s go for a ride.” Opening the cabinet, I take out Ma’s snow pants, helping Izel into them. Grabbing gloves for both of us, we slip them on before I’m pushing the snowmobile out the door and into the snow.

“You know how to drive this thing, right?”

Grabbing the helmets, I pull it on top of her beanie-covered head. Clasping it around her chin, I can’t resist kissing her button nose.

“I do. If you can trust me with a motorcycle, then you can trust me on this.” Swinging my leg over, Izel follows, settling in behind me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she leaves some room between our bodies.

“Scoot closer, don’t need you flying off into the snow,” I joke.

“Wow, is this Zion, the cranky man joking around?” Izel scoots until there’s no separation between us.

“I can joke sometimes,” I mutter, cranking the throttle. Izel lets out a squeal as I take off, the snow and trees blurring.

We ride over the hills; Izel giggles every time we hit a dip making our stomachs drop. Once we reach the clearing, I pull off to the side shutting the snowmobile off.

“That was the most fun I think I ever had.” Izel laughs. “Man, that was so fun.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Red.” Removing my helmet, I help Izel out of hers before pulling her into my lap.

“I have a question,” she finally says.