Page 3 of P.S. I’m With You (Hel’s Ink: Extended)

Two

NIKA

“ M ama!”

I can’t help the smile that stretches over my face as I walk in and see my beautiful little girl—my Zora. She’s five now and full of so many questions. I love her more than anything in this world. She is my reason for breathing.

“Zora!” I say with the same level of excitement. She runs to me, her long black braids bouncing behind her. She leaps into my arms and I hold her tightly to my chest, inhaling her scent as is customary whenever I leave or come home from business trips.

“Mama! I missed you! You were gone for so many nights.” It was three, but I understand. I, too, felt a longing to get back to my girl.

“I know, my flower,” I say softly while brushing fallen strands of hair from her face. “You know I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t have to.” Zora gives me the sweetest little pout.

“You should stay home like the other mommies and play with me.” It hurts my heart, but I don’t let it show. I wish I could stay with her. I wish I could get us out of this life—of this country. But there are too many who wish me harm. If I’m here, I at least know where my enemy is.

Movement grabs my attention and I spot Rigo, my daughter’s bodyguard, coming forward.

I’ll be honest, Rigo would be one I would’ve killed years ago if he hadn’t saved my daughter.

He broke into our home during the night.

At first, I thought he was a part of another crime family coming to put my head on a platter for their ruler.

But no, Rigo was simply trying to burglarize my home and steal my shit.

He and I fought, and my then three year old, chose that moment to engage her defiance.

I told her to stay in her room but she ignored me, ran out of our home and fell into the pond.

Before I could blink, Rigo was running out of the house and jumping into the water to pull her out. That night, I offered him the job.

I trust him with Zora’s life, but that’s all I trust him with. There is something about that man that twists my gut, but I know Zora is safe with him, and that’s the only thing that matters. So as far as Rigo knows, I work as a mule for a crime family, nothing more.

“You’re relieved, Rigo,” I state, while bouncing Zora up on my hip and walking off, not waiting for his response. Rigo and I don’t have much to say to each other. It’s a mutual agreement. We don’t talk about anything that doesn’t pertain to Zora, and that keeps everyone safe.

“Come now, my flower, let's go take a bubble bath!”

“ M ama,” Zora says softly as I blow a handful of bubbles at her.

“Yes, my love?”

“Do I have a daddy?” Always with the same question.

“Zora, I’ve told you before—yes, you have a father.

” My voice is pained and tired, as it always is with these questions.

She has so many questions and I can’t answer any of them.

It’s so heartbreaking, and I fear as she grows it will cause her and I to drift apart.

I wouldn’t blame her if it did. I’m her mother and she knows nothing about me.

“Why isn’t he here, though? I want a daddy instead of a Rigo.” I chuckle lightly at her sour expression. Rigo is very strict with the girl due to the fear I’ve struck in his heart.

“Rigo is not here to be your friend, my flower. He is here to protect you while I’m at work.”

“A daddy would protect me.” I grunt in discomfort, suddenly missing the days where she was unable to talk.

“Zora, your father is not able to be a dad. I know it’s hard to understand right now, but one day you will see that this is for the best. Now come on, your fingers are getting wrinkly.

Let’s get you dried and dressed, and we’ll have snacks and read stories.

” I stand from the tub and grab my towel while noticing Zora’s big blue eyes looking at me.

“You have a lot of ouchies.” I give her a sad smile while wrapping the towel around me.

“They don't hurt anymore, flower, they’re called scars.”

“What’s a scar?”

“It’s a spot where you got hurt and your body healed over it.” Zora thinks as I dry her off, wrapping herself in her own towel.

“Why do they look different?” I give her a small shrug.

“To remind us of the past so we don’t make the same mistake twice.”

A loud crash wakes me from my sleep with Zora. I bolt out of bed, my daughter letting out a cry of fear as something crashes again.

“Shhh…” I whisper, as I grab my girl and run to the closet. I hear heavy footsteps downstairs. How? How was I found?

Opening the door on the floor, I usher Zora into the small area with her blanket and teddy bear.

“Remember, flower,” I say as calmly as possible, “not a peep. Be good for your mama, alright?” Her watery eyes and look of terror are a knife in my heart.

Closing the door, I cover the floor with a rug as I walk back to my bed and lay back down.

I hear the different sets of footsteps, the different voices.

Four, five… fuck, there might be eight men.

I’ll never get them all. Rigo knows where to find Zora, and he will.

We have plans laid out for this exact moment.

If I’m found, Rigo lays and waits until they leave, and he takes Zora to her father.

Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply to calm my nerves, as well as my aching heart at having to leave her.

The door is kicked open and two large men wearing masks walk in.

“Kasapin!” one barks, and I make no move to acknowledge him.

The other man walks to me and grabs me by my braided hair, dragging me out of the bed and across the floor.

I say nothing—I refuse to even grunt. The last thing I want is for Zora to hear and come out.

The man throws me down the stairs and I land at the feet of another masked man.

“Fucking cowards.” I spit on his boots. “No fucking balls, you come into my house to throw your dick around yet hide your faces.”

The man I spat on lifts me by my shirt to meet his eyes before smacking me across the face with his pistol.

“Let’s go.” He and his men start forcing me out of the house when a distinct smell fills my nose.

Petrol. My eyes widen as I notice the men are saturating everything in it.

Shoving me out of my house, I start fighting the laughing man.

“Kasapin, your fight is useless. Not so tough now without your men to act as your muscle.” The presumed leader sneers before whistling at the men. “Our lady is feeling cold, let’s warm her up, men.”

“NO!” I scream in horror as my house is engulfed in flames.

I watch in panic, waiting to hear a window break, see Rigo running out with my Zora, but I don’t, there is only more fire.

I scream again, driving my fist into the man’s throat before running toward my burning house.

“Zora!!!” It’s a sob more than a call for her.

Another man wraps his arms around my chest. “Let me go!” I scream through my tears as I slam the back of my head into his face.

He drops me and I try to run to the door when something hard hits the back of my head.