Page 88 of The First Cut

She nods rapidly as I gently turn her ankle so I can get to the lock. The medic in me catalogs the ring of bruises and broken skin around the shackle. Even with the thing still on, I can see it’s infected.

I use the pick to work the lock, taking my time because rushing only leads to mistakes. She never complains or asks me to hurry up. The kid in her lap doesn’t say a word either but she watches me with curious eyes until the lock clicks and I grin.

“Got it.” I ease the shackle from her leg and drop it to the floor with a clang.

Ambros wastes no time scooping her up, kid and all. “Let’s get you out of here,” he murmurs to her as he passes by me. Havoc stops them for a minute to ask her something before Ambros carries her out. The others follow her as I look around the sparse room. There’s an old-fashioned single bed under the window and a small dresser on the opposite wall. That’s it. Judging from the size of the bed, I have to assume this is the kid’s room. But there are no toys or stuffed animals. Hell, there isn’t even any color in here. It has the personality of a hospital waiting room. How the fuck could a kid possibly thrive in here?

I head down after the others, thinking about Millie. I wonder what her room could have been like if I’d let her go into foster care, and feel myself start to get angry.

How do you protect your kids when there are so many fucking monsters in the world? And yeah, I know I’m not in aposition to judge, given how fucked-up I am. But kids are off-limits. And it should be that way for everyone.

And yet, looking at this house, I know it’s not. While other kids her age might be scared of the monster under their beds, this one will know that real monsters blend in with everyone else. It’s impossible to spot a monster in a crowd when they look just like the rest of us.

I shake my head and walk outside, needing some air. I notice everyone disappearing around the side of the house, so I follow them.

Ferris jogs up behind me. “I’ve got the place ready to burn. With how far out it is, it should burn out of control before anyone can do anything about it.”

“Good. I think they’ve all been through enough. Cops taking this guy in wouldn’t have solved anything. He’d be out in a few years, targeting someone else.”

“Not to mention the media circus if the cops let the story leak. And let’s be honest, they always fucking do. What’s going on?”

I turn at his question and see Citi sitting alone in a circle of flowers as Ambros talks to Havoc and Nevaeh.

G steps over to us, his jaw tight with anger. “There were other children over the years.”

I wait for the rest. When it doesn’t come, I look over at Citi and fill in the blanks. “They’re buried out there, aren’t they?”

G nods as Ferris curses. “Does she still want me to burn this place?”

“Yeah. She says it will set them free.”

We all stand on the sidelines, watching a young woman already ravaged by abuse, grieve for what should have been. It’s both beautiful and painful to watch.

Feeling like we’ve intruded enough, I walk over to Havoc, who has Nevaeh tucked under one arm and Star in the other.Nevaeh cries silently as she watches her sister say goodbye to a tainted past and a stolen future.

“We’ll ride back with you, just in case you need a medic.” Without examining Citi, I can’t tell what kind of state she’s in, and I don’t think she’d consent to that somehow.

“Appreciate it, Hannibal.”

I nod. “That’s what brothers are for. Besides, I need to check on Probe. Can’t go home without knowing what’s going on.”

He blows out a deep sigh as I head for my bike to wait. I tug the packet of cigarettes from my cut, offering one to Ferris when he follows me. He takes it and lights it with his Zippo before leaning over and lighting mine.

“I quit,” I tell him as he sucks in a lungful of nicotine.

“So did I. But days like these…” He drifts off, leaving the rest unsaid.

“Yeah, days like these.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lola

The stupid nursery rhyme that had been stuck in my head all morning came to a screeching halt when Hannibal’s phone rang.

After folding the last of the tiny onesies and adding them to the pile of others, I’d answered the phone without looking to see who it was.

“Hello?”