“That’ll be good for her.” I’m pleased to hear Peyton is doing something positive.
“You ready to go home?” Alicia asks, looking shattered.
“I’ll drive ya both there, but I'll have to come back. Wrath’s called a meeting after he’s done with Eden’s appointment.
“You don’t have to drive us home, you just stay here. Your bike’s still in the yard from where you left it here last night,” she reminds me.
“I don’t like you being on your own, not with that kill–”
“Vike, I love that you care so much about us, but I’m literally driving from here to home. We’ll be fine,” she assures me, rolling her eyes
“I ju–”
“You can’t be there to protect us twenty-four/seven. I’ll go straight home, and I always keep the door locked these days.” The smile she makes is a little seductive. “Don’t want Iris to catch you naked again, do we?” Stretching up on her toes, she kisses me.
“Well, at least let me carry her out to the car.” I wrap my arm around Alicia’s shoulder and lift baby Mia’s carseat from the table so I can strap her in and send them safely on their way home.
Although I’m tired from the lack of sleep my little girl’s giving me, I can’t help feeling uplifted as I step through the door and place Mia’s carseat on the table.
“I think seeing you was just what Auntie Peyton needed today,” I tell her, rubbing the tip of my nose against hers before heading to the kitchen to grab some water. “When Daddy gets home tonight, we are gonna make him something spec–” I freeze when I turn around from the refrigerator and see Greaser standing beside the table staring into Mia’s seat.
“Greaser, what ya doin' here?” I hear the nerves in my voice, and when I see the gun in his hand, I panic even more.
“I need to make a confession,” he tells me, gently rocking Mia’s seat and smiling at her.
“Okay, that's fine, but do you need your gun out for that? It’s kinda making me feel uncomfortable.
“I wouldn’t need the gun if you were still doing as you were told.” He looks up from my daughter and smiles at me sarcastically.
“Greaser, just put the gun down; you don’t want to hurt Mia.”
“That ain’t her name,” he whispers, shaking his head. “How fuckin’ dare you name her after that bastard's sister, instead of her own grandma?” He laughs hysterically, and it makes my stomach knot.
“It wasn’t like that…it–”
“I didn’t kill Raze. Vike thinks I did, but I didn’t.” He lifts Mia’s carseat up from the table.
“What are you doing?” I step forward.
“Me, you and Iris are all going for a ride,” he tells me, walking casually toward the door with the most precious thing in my world in one hand and a gun in the other.
“I’d rather stay here,”
“I’m sorry, Alicia, but that's not an option.” He nods his head toward the outside once he’s opened it, and I have no choice but to follow after him.
I pray that a neighbour or someone will see us as we get to the car, and when he opens the back door, I feel the gun press against my ribs. “Strap her in, and don’t try to scream.” He looks around the street while I do as he says, strapping Mia in and then turning to face him.
“Now get behind the wheel, you're driving,” he tells me
“Driving where…? Greaser, I haven’t got anything she needs. Her bag’s in the hou–”
“We’re going home, darlin’, and everything my girl needs is right there.” A shiver travels down my spine as he presses the gun deeper into my ribs. “Open the passenger door and slide across,” he instructs, and I do as he asks, terrified of what comes next.
“Good girl; see how nice I can be when you do what I tell you?” He chuckles as he gets into the driver’s seat and hands me the keys he must have picked up from the table.
“You still haven’t told me where we're going,” I remind him. If I can get him to tell me, at least I can start trying to think of ways to get us out of this.
“I told you, silly girl. We’re going home.” Taking a strand of my hair, he twists it around his finger and makes me feel sickwhen he leans over the console to kiss my cheek. “And we’re gonna be so happy there.”
