Page 26 of The Pawn

“It’s me. It’s Cassian.”

I approach slowly, keeping the weapon ready at my side in case we’re ambushed, but not wanting to scare her any more than she already is. She’s still rocking, eyes locked on whatever it is she’s holding, her body trembling all over.

“Allegra?”

I touch her shoulder, look down at the stained rag in her hand.

“Allegra.” My heart pounds against my chest. Nothing. “Little Moth?” I ask more gently.

At that she stops her rocking, if only momentarily. That’s something.

“It’s me, Little Moth. It’s Cassian.” Nothing. “Look at me, babygirl. Look at me. It’s me. You’re safe now.”

At that she lifts her face, her mouth open, lips cracked, her eyes huge with terror. I touch her face, and she blinks, but her eyes don’t quite focus on me.

“You’re safe now, Little Moth,” I repeat because she seems to understand that, to register something in the pet name it’s become. “You’re safe.”

She starts her rocking again, whimpering, muttering. Her gaze moves back to that rag and my stomach twists at the thought of what I’ll find. Of what he might have done to her.

I crouch down in front of her. “Allegra, shh. It’s okay now. I’m going to take care of you now.”

She’s still muttering, rocking, eyes locked on that rag.

“Let me look. Let me see.” My heart thuds heavy against my ribs. She’s alive, I tell myself. Whatever else he did, she’s alive.

I reach for her hands, but she shakes her head, draws back.

“Shh. I’ll fix everything, I promise. You’re safe now, Little Moth. You’re safe,” I keep repeating.

Her resistance when I cup my hands gently around hers gives way and I’m not sure if it’s relief or she simply has no more strength, no more energy.

Footsteps at my back have me dropping to one knee to block her from sight. I half turn, my weapon aimed, my finger ready to pull the trigger.

“Whoa relax, man.” It’s Jet. He looks beyond me to her, his brow creasing.

I turn back to Allegra. She’s still holding that rag, eyes locked on it again, muttering again.

“It’s going to be all right,” I tell her, setting the gun and flashlight down to gently take her hands in mine.

She starts to shake her head, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Shh,” I coax, and draw that rag away and the instant Ido, Allegra screams a deafening scream, her entire body shaking violently as I hold her hands in mine looking at what’s inside it. At what he did to her.

She screams and screams and screams.

9

CASSIAN

“Jesus Christ.” I shift my gaze up to look at her face, her eyes. They’re huge and locked on that bloody rag. That filthy, bloody rag.

“Fuck,” comes Jet’s voice.

I push my hand into my hair. Something clinks onto the ground. I look down to watch a ring roll a small distance then come to rest.

“Shh now,” I say, letting her hand go, pulling my shirt out of my slacks and ripping as much of it as I can get. It’s cleaner than that rag. “Shh, babygirl.” I close the makeshift bandage over her hand as gently as I can, but she still cries out when I do it and that tightening in my chest of earlier, it’s back and it’s closing up my throat. I look at her face, her wet face, her searching eyes locked on me now.

Fuck.