Page 79 of Ballistic

“Daniel.”

“I want you to do me a favor, Daniel. Okay?”

He gave a nod, and the hand picking at his nose joined the first as he held them together in front of his body.

“I want you to go back to your room and close the door. Can you do that for me?”

At the second nod, he did as I asked, toddling along back to the only other room down the hall, which I guessed he must’ve shared with his sister.

When I spun around to face Nicoleta, the expression on her face was unreadable. Perhaps disappointment. Anger. And something else.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she shook her head. “It’s too late, Dax. I’m not turning back now.”

“Can’t do it. Not like this, Nic.” I shook my head, too, and hiked a thumb over my shoulder, toward the bedroom behind me. “Those kids don’t deserve that shit.”

“Those kids aren’t safe with him.”

“Maybe not. But I’m not killing a man in front of his boy. I won’t do it.”

“We might not get the opportunity again. We walk away tonight? That kid might tell his dad we were here. They might flee first chance they get.” She pushed past me, toward the staircase. “I’m doing this. With or without you.”

A tight clutch of her arm swung her around, and I dodged a punch to my face, wrestled her other arm against me. “I’m not letting you do this! Whatever this motherfucker did … his kids don’t need to see that. They’re innocent. Watching that will fuck them up for life.”

“What makes you think they haven’t already been exposed, huh? What makes you think they’re not suffering his abuse everyday?” Jaw tight and eyes raging with frustration, she fought my grasp, twisting and yanking her hands. “I guess you need a dick pic sent to you before anything warrants punishment, is that it? You have to be groomed and seduced before they’re considered guilty?”

No lie, her words struck like a blow to my chest, but I stood by my argument. Had any of the bastards I met up with, and beat the shit out of, had a child with them, I’d have spared them my fists until the next time.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I do. But this isn’t happening like this. Not tonight. Now, if I gotta drag you out of this house kicking and screaming, I will. Then we’ll watch how fast they bounce out of here.”

“Fuck you, Dax. Fuck you.” With tears in her eyes, she wrenched her arms from mine, but instead of heading toward the staircase, she stormed back to the bedroom we’d come in through and climbed out the window.

Everything about the night, from the moment the asshole had stumbled home, until I saw that doll in the backyard, had given me a bad vibe.

Maybe she was right. Perhaps I hadn’t seen enough to flip my kill switch.

The boy didn’t have the bruises I’d come to know of an abusive parent. Yeah, the piece of shit had left two young kids home alone, and was probably a deadbeat dad who didn’t take care of them like he should’ve. But my own mom had done the same thing when I was that age. It was shitty, but I’d have never wished her dead for it.

I leaped off the rooftop and made my way back to the ‘Cuda, where Nicoleta already sat staring through the windshield. The wet streaks on her face told me she’d been crying, and the second I fell into the driver’s seat, she wiped her skin clean.

“Nicoleta—”

“Piss off. I’m done with you. You promised me.” Turning to face the passenger window, she sniffled “You told me you’d help me!”

“I did. And I would’ve. But the game changed, Nic. Sometimes, you gotta fold.”

“No. You don’t fold. The weak fold. The beaten fold. I. don’t. fold.”

“That may be true. But the experienced players know when to step back and assess the situation.”

“Is this a crack at my age? Because you’re a decade older, you know so much more?”

“Yeah, it is. Christ, have you forgotten what it’s like to be a kid? To have a shitty parent, but love them, anyway?” Tilting my head failed to get her attention. “I get it. He hurt someone you care about. I know that feeling. I know it eats at you. I’ve acted on it myself, impulsively. But there isn’t a damn good reason in the world that would justify mutilating that asshole in front of those kids.” Didn’t seem like anything I’d said was getting through to her, the way she kept her eyes glued to the passenger window. “You think your friend would want that? You think she’d want two more kids to be fucked up because of this cocksucker?”

More tears wet her cheeks, and shoulders slouching in defeat, she finally dropped her gaze to her lap. “No. You’re right. She wouldn’t.”

“He’s going to pay for what he did. I promise you.” I gripped her chin, guiding her eyes back to mine. “I promise you. We’ll go back and rethink the plan.”

“And if the kid says something?”