The kid is buried so deep under the covers, I might have missed her if I hadn’t been so taken aback by the room.
Don’t leave her alone.Briar’s terror-filled plea.
I quickly holster my gun at my waist.
“Fuck.”
Not taking my eyes off of the sleeping child, I pick up my phone, dialing Liam before pressing the device to my ear.
“I need your help,” I mutter as soon as the call connects, keeping my voice as low as possible.
“Fucking hell.” I hear him slam his palm down on the wheel in frustration. “I’m coming.”
I eye the child warily while I wait for my brother. Dodging toys, I risk a closer look.
It’s a girl.
She looks to be around three, maybe four? With a mess of blonde curls strewn across her face, clutching a pink, stuffed unicorn in her hands. Sleeping peacefully.
Relief courses through me when, upon closer inspection, she looksnothinglike Briar. But with that blonde hair… shedoeslook an awful lot likeLily.
Not sure what else to do, I retreat back into the hallway, lightly pacing the space outside, standing guard over the room while watching the little rise and fall of the blankets, until I hear the front door open.
Liam moves swiftly through the apartment, mask on, gun in hand, seeing as I gave him no context as to thehelpI required.
He gives me a look of mild irritation when he finds me, just standing in the hallway waiting for him, and puts his weapon away.
“Aidan is with Briar?”
“Yeah, but what?—”
He’s loud.Too loud.I press a finger to my lips, pointing silently into the bedroom.
Liam arches a brow, but humors me, coming closer and taking a peek around the corner.
“Oh, fuck,” he breathes out, glancing back at me, his eyes wide.
“Yeah,” I clip out, still working out what to do about this situation in my head.
“Is she?—?”
“Lily’s,” I answer. “I think.” Or maybe we can add nannying to the seemingly never-ending list of Briar’s part-time jobs.
“We have to go.” The urgent look in Liam’s eyes reminds me we’ve long since overstayed our time here.
“I know.”
“We can’t leave the kid here.” His eyes dart from the child to me.
He isn’t wrong. We’re not the only ones after Briar. It’s only luck we beat Gio and his crew here, and I have no idea where Lily is.
I sigh. “We have to take her with us.” I pull out my phone and send out a few quick messages. “Mac and Alex are already out looking for Lily. I’ll have someone monitor the apartment in case she turns up here. You get the kid.” I shoulder past him, headed toward Briar’s room. “I need to find Briar’s laptop.”
Liam nods, rolling back his shoulders and cracking his neck before stepping into the child’s room. I should go look for the computer, but I wait in the doorway for my brother to reemerge. The child looks even smaller in his arms; he scooped her up, covers and all.
He gives me a silent nod before heading down the hall. As he does, she stirs, letting out a soft sigh, eyelids fluttering for a second. We both freeze and lock eyes, holding our breath. I can only imagine the sight if the kid wakes up right now… two strange men in masks, both of us still drenched in blood from our earlier altercation. But thankfully, her eyes remain shut, a deep sigh escaping as she burrows deeper into Liam’s arms. The pink stuffed unicorn slips out of her grasp and falls to the floor.
Not noticing the stuffed toy, Liam moves as swiftly and smoothly for the door as possible, disappearing with the child down the hall.
