Page 76 of Merciless Daddy

“Tonio did.”

“No, no. You guided him.”

“Pietro drove.”

“You knew the house.”

“Kiryl pulled the alarm.”

“Because you gave him enough courage to open the door.”

My fist closed in Sal’s shirt.

“You anticipated the guard routes,” he continued. “You found the hiding place. You gave Tonio the route no plan showed. Kiryl escaped because you knew what he needed to hear.”

“He hit somebody!”

“Yes. I’m very proud of him. As should you be.”

A wet laugh broke out of me.

Sal’s hand moved once down my back. Slow. Firm.

“And I’m proud of you,” he said.

The words hurt.

Not cruelly. More like warmth returning to a numb hand.

I cried harder and he let me.

Kiryl called privately twenty minutes later from the aircraft. Sal left the room before I asked.

My brother wanted to know where he was going. I told him I did not know yet, and for once uncertainty was not another name for danger.

He wanted to know if I was safe.

I looked through the open office door. Sal stood in the kitchen with his back to me, cutting bread.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m as safe as I think I can be right now.”

It frightened me.

Kiryl went quiet. “The Sicilian?”

“Yes.”

“The frightening one?”

“There are several. Like, a lot. You’ll need to be specific.”

“The one who watched you.”

I closed my eyes.

“Yes. Him.”

“I told you he wanted to help. Remember? I told you.”