Page 108 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘I’m his family.’

‘You are no more his family than a kidnapper. We’ll pay you for him.’

‘I don’t want your money. Riley is my son.’

‘That’s what you called him?’ she whispers, horrified. Riley can’t see her face, but he thinks it must be beautiful if her voice is so pretty. ‘Riley?’

‘He’s my son to name, and no one else’s.’

‘Then he is nobody’s son, but I am his blood and I am asking you, begging you…’ A shaky breath is drawn swiftly. ‘Please let me take him. She would have wanted that.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about and if you try to kidnap my son from me, I’ll string your guts around the city like garlands, understand?’

It’s the bad voice.

The one Riley hears before Troy makes blood come out.

‘You can’t take care of him, you don’t know—’

‘Get the fuck out of here, kid.’

‘Just let me see him!’

Troy smacks the back of his hand into her face. The girl doesn’t fall, but she stumbles to the side, clutching her face, angled down, breathing fast.

Riley gets a glimpse.

Eyes. Mouth.

She’s younger than he thought.

The youngest person he’s ever seen. He cannot guess how young but maybe only a handful of years older than him.

‘Next time it’ll be a knife,’ Troy warns.

The young girl spits blood on the floor, and then her gaze catches Riley’s.

Her green eyes widen.

‘Jean-Marie,’ she whispers.

Riley freezes.

‘Get her out of here!’ Troy barks. Two men drag the red-haired girl away.

She screams that unfamiliar name, promising she’ll come back for him.

Riley has tears in his eyes and doesn’t know why.

When the door slams shut, he hears bad sounds from outside, knows those men are hurting her. He clamps his hands over his ears, squeezes his eyes tight to block it out. Troy grabs him roughly.

‘Stop that. Look at me, Riley. Breathe. You’re all right.’

Riley cannot breathe and he’s not all right.

He can’t be a good boy.

The bad feelings are growing in his chest like angry flowers.