Page 36

This situation with Victor needs to end, and it must be now. I snatch the centipede pendant off the coffee table and study the ugly design. After yanking it from Victor's chest, it only confirmed what I’m thinking. Each of the victims had this pendant. Besides Joe, I never got to see because Anita got to him first. I don't recall Tractor having one.
I quickly took a picture and sent the symbol to Bedford.
Me: I need any information that you can find on this.
I should have done this a long time ago, but now it's imperative that I know because it could be an entire underground cult that I know nothing about. Anyone could be a part of this...
I flip it in my fingers; the tiny legs curved out, and the body twisted like a circle. Who are these people? What is the centipede for? An ache permeates in my chest. How deep does this shit really go?
My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I rush to get it before it wakes her up. I stuff the pendant into my pants pocket and check the name. I grin.
I head to the balcony and shut the doors.
“Seems you couldn’t last more than a month without speaking to me. That's a world record.”
Detective Gear grumbles on the phone as a car door slams in the background. “Of course, I should've known you'll still be awake.”
“I stayed up until two a.m. waiting for your phone call,” I say sarcastically, crossing my arm over my chest as the chilly London air licks my skin. “What do you want?”
He sighs long and hard with annoyance. “What's this shit I hear about a Gala that was raided, multiple gun shots and dead bodies appearing onsite?”
I look off to the lake as the moon glistens over it. “Nothing of your concern, Gear. This isn't your jurisdiction.”
“I should've known it was you. Everywhere you go, bodies appear.”
My eyes dull at his constant bitching. “Dead bodies will appear with or without me.”
“Yeah, but in a considerable amount? It will always be you.”
I scratch my jaw. “The job had to get done. There is more to that Gala raid than a shootout, and innocent people that were killed.” Not one of those idiots were innocent. “It's not what you think.”
Thinking about it more makes my blood boil, and I want to appear where those kids are and free them from the fear of that cold, dark room that they're in.
I can picture them crying hysterically, afraid, sleeping upright with a bomb strapped to them, terrified to touch it, or it might go off. Squeezing my eyes shut, my heart slams against my ribcage. I forget Gear is on the phone until he speaks again.
“What are you not telling me?”
I rub my temple and glance behind me through the balcony doors at Anita. “Like I said. Nothing of your concern.”
“Bullshit,” he says. “It is my concern if it has to do with the people of Hollow City. What the hell is going on, Alvarez?”
I consider telling him because we have an understanding with each other. I do what I need to do, help him out occasionally, putting sick fuckers away (if I don't kill them first), and he keeps shit off my back. But this time is different. If I let him know, then he’ll go ape shit and notify every law enforcement agency he can think of, and that’ll get back to Victor somehow. I don't know who he works with, or if I can trust them, for all I know, someone in law enforcement could be coercing him along with Victor. The only people I trust are myself...and my team.
I turn, doing a 180, placing my hand on the knob. “You’ll know soon enough.”
He mutters a curse, then after another aggravated huff states, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Opening the door, I pause. “No.”
Then I click the end button. I stroll into the room as quietly as I can, closing the door with a gentle click. Her sweet humming sounds fill the room as she sleeps away, so I head to the restroom, retrieve a rag, wet it with hot water so by the time I make it to her, it’ll be warm. I don't care how much it stings my skin.
Carrying the steaming rag, I head to her sleeping body, truly looking so innocent and beautiful. I move the covers carefully to expose her thighs and pussy. My chest tightens at the sight of her sex on display, and my dick instantly becomes hard. I bite back the urge to do something I shouldn't, and I begin to wipe her slowly on the inside of her thighs and all the way to her cunt.
I make sure to clean discreetly so she doesn't awake. She deserves all the sleep she can get.
Once I’m done, I toss the rag off to the side and check the time again. Five more hours before everything goes back to reality. The kids, the money, Victor. It's rampant in my mind, but I can’t get through the next day running on fumes. And the thought of lying next to her brings a taut relaxation to my shoulder. A heaviness to my eyes.
Everything can wait for now.