I slip out of bed as carefully as I can, taking great care not to disturb Katie. I don’t want to wake her, not now that she finally seems to have drifted off to sleep. And besides—she looks so beautiful when she is at rest.
I check the baby monitor, to see Polly still asleep after the feed Katie did about an hour ago. I don’t know how she keeps up with all of this, but she never complains, never has to think twice. Everything I get to know about her, I feel as though I’m falling for her a little harder, and I know that’s going to put me in a very dangerous position.
I can’t let myself get drawn into something more than what I can deal with. Whatever is going on between us, I’m going to keep it low-key—I’m going to make sure I don’t let us get too involved. I don’t want it to be some kind of wrench when I go back to what I was doing before, for her to feel as though she had no warning before I just turned my back and walked out on her.
Which is what I’m doing right now, I guess—but I have to go into work, and I know if I turn up late, there’s going to be no end of questions about where I’ve been. I had never worked in a real hospital before now, and I have to admit, the level of gossip is something I’m still trying to get used to. I’m not sure I ever will.
But then, it’s not as though I’ll have much of a chance to, given that I’m meant to be out of here the first chance I get.
I dress myself and head for the door, but not before sticking my head into Polly’s room to check on her. I’m sure she’s going to be awake for another feed soon enough, and I almost want to stick around a little longer and spend that time with her, but I know I should be moving on out. I head over to her crib and check that her sleep suit hasn’t shifted as she’s resting—she’s swaddled up, her arms tucked in at her sides and her eyes shut as though she’s in another world entirely. I reach down to stroke her hair, not wanting to wake her, before I finally step outside.
It’s early—early enough that there’s barely anyone else on the street right now. I like this time of day, always have. It feels as though the whole world exists just for you. I suppose Katie has been seeing plenty of that lately too, given how her little girl seems intent on keeping her up all night.
I’m about to head to my car when something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. My head whips around, and I scan the street, searching for whoever has drawn my attention.
But there’s nothing. At least, nobody I can see. I think about calling out, to see if it’s a neighbor of hers or something, but I can’t make out anyone there. Must just be tired. Not like I got a lot of rest last night, with everything Katie and I were getting up to…
I smirk to myself and make my way over to the car, hand on the door—when I hear something behind me. I flash around in an instant, but before I can even speak a word, someone is on me.
It’s a man—I catch sigh of him just before he descends on me, the flash of a knife in his hand, a fury in his eyes that almost scares me. On instinct, I duck out of the way at the last second, putting as much distance between us as I can. I’ve been trained in all kinds of fighting by my father over the years, and my body moves almost before I have a chance to take in what’s going on.
The knife ricochets off the car behind me, the sound of metal clashing against metal exploding through the quiet street, and I roll to the side, taking cover around the other side of the car as I catch my breath.
I’m breathing hard as I stare at him, taking him in. I don’t recognize him, but judging by the scar that runs along the side of his cheek, I would guess he’s in the same business that I am.
“What the fuck do you want?” I spit at him. I know it doesn’t really matter what his answer is, not really—I’m just trying to keep him talking, get him distracted enough not to notice that I’m planning my next move. I don’t have a weapon on me, so I’ve got to figure out what I’m dealing with here if I have any chance of handling him.
He parts his lips, but then thinks better of it, lifting the knife once more and making a move toward me. It’s got a nasty serrated blade—he’s intending to do some serious damage with this. It’s not just a mugging that’s gotten out of control. No, he was sent here to…
To kill me.
I lunge for him again, keeping my head down and my shoulders braced so he doesn’t have anywhere to land a blow on me, and I wrap my arms around his waist, flinging him to the ground. He lets out a grunt as he hits the road, the knife skittering out of his grip and across the asphalt beside us. I kneel on him, one leg pinning his chest, the other holding his arm down, and draw back my fist to land a blow on his face.
I manage to get in a few before he throws me off, rolling out from underneath me and sending me flying onto my haunches beside him. I reach for the knife, snatching it up and brandishing it in his direction as I look around. Chances are, if he knows who I am, then he’s not alone, and I need to be ready for whatever these fuckers are going to throw at me…
He dives at me again, but I swing the knife at him, landing a painful slash across his arm. He staggers back, letting out a grunt of pain as he grips the newfound wound at his side, and he darts off down the road, out of sight.
I catch my breath, adrenaline coursing through my system, blood pumping in my ears as I look this way and that. I can’t make out any more movement, but they could just be holding back until they think I’ve let my guard down. In a street this quiet, anyone who doesn’t look like they belong here is going to be obvious, and make no mistake, I will kill if I have to…
Suddenly, I remember—Katie is just upstairs. My eyes dart toward the apartment, checking to see if there’s anything wrong, but if there is, I can’t see it. She’s probably still asleep, maybe taking care of Polly, but I can’t risk someone getting up there and causing her trouble.
I slip into my car and grab my phone, the knife still gripped tight in my hand. I scan the street ahead of me, keeping watch for any additional attackers, and call up my brother.
I clench my jaw as I wait for him to pick up, urging him to drop whatever the hell he’s doing and answer me—I need him right now. I can’t let anything happen to Katie or Polly. It’s not myself I’m worried about, it’s them…
“Hello?” Emil’s bleary voice comes down the line. He sounds as though he’s half-asleep, but I need him up and ready to fight right now.
“Emil, wake up,” I bark at him. “I’m going to text you an address, you need to come right now. Someone just attacked me in the street.”
“What the fuck—”
“I’ll explain when you get here,” I promise him. “Just come, okay?”
“I’ll be there,” he promises, and I can tell he’s wide-awake now. This is what he’s been worried about—something happening to pull us both into trouble. No matter how much distance we put between ourselves and our normal lives, we are still our father’s sons, and there’s no way the world is going to let us forget that anytime soon.
I climb out of the car once I’ve sent him the address, keeping my eyes pinned to the door opposite me—the one that leads to her apartment. I didn’t pass anyone on the way down, and I don’t think there’s another way into the building. I should check to make sure all the entrances are covered. I can station Emil on one and patrol the others myself, if that’s what it takes…
But then, another sound draws my attention. It’s the same man as before, advancing around the corner toward me, but this time he has several men at his side. He looks pissed, his shirt stained with blood where I managed to land a blow on him. I can tell from the expression on his face that he’s not going to let me go without a fight.
But if he thinks I’m just going to back down and roll over, he has another thing coming. I grip the knife in my hand and turn to face them, my body tensing, my muscles flexing. With my brother on the way, a knife in my hand, and my family to protect…
These motherfuckers don’t know what’s about to hit them.
