Page 28 of Deliverance

"For our escape."

His eyes cut to Zell.

"It's fine."

"It's not fine," he gritted out.

We stared at each other, and when the elevator was on the ground floor, Ric led us out, and then we walked across the street. The weather was as hot as I remembered, and the humidity was still as strong.

Ric pulled a baggie of white bread from his pocket. "Do you want to feed the ducks?"

"Yes!" Zell clapped excitedly. "How do I do that?"

"Just break small pieces off for them," I instructed.

We walked to the pond, and once Zell was a few feet away and engrossed in feeding the ducks, I said, "What if I run right now?"

He looked over his shoulder, and my gaze turned too. "Madam ordered me to do whatever is necessary to prevent your escape if you try to run, and Marcus will watch Zell."

"I didn't even see Marcus follow us."

"That's the whole plan."

"And you agreed to this?"

"I had to." He frowned.

"So, if I run, you'll kill me? There are people around."

"If you run, we're both dead."

Chapter Eleven

Ric

I pulled a syringe from my pocket as we continued to watch Zell grab white bread from the baggie and throw it into the water. "If you run, I have to inject you with this. You'll become drowsy, and we'll go back to the penthouse, and Saffron will call Frank. He won't fuck around. He'll kill us both."

"How will it be your fault?"

"Because he'll think I can't do my job."

"So, we're never going to leave?"

"I didn't say that. It's just not the time yet."

She looked up at me. "When will it be time?"

I sighed, not taking my gaze off of the little blonde girl. "I don't know."

There was a brief pause. "I know you're worried about your mom, but can't you two leave and go somewhere?"

"You don't think Frank will track me down?"

"Can he?"

I chuckled sarcastically under my breath. "Of course, he can. He probably has half the NYPD on his payroll."

"Change your name or something."