Mirabella shifts.
"Stay quiet, baby," I whisper, carrying her into the closet. "Like our secret game, remember?"
Mirabella nods, eyes wide in the darkness. The closet smells of mothballs. I tuck her behind a row of hanging clothes, my hand lingering on her cheek.
"We have to be very quiet now. Don’t move unless I say the special word."
"Sunshine," she whispers, and my heart cracks that at three years old she’s subjected to this. The guilt of it is crushing.
"That's right." I plant a kiss on her forehead. "Not until you hear ‘sunshine’."
The footsteps grow louder as I slide the door shut, knowing it’s too little to save us.
My only salvation is that she’s not afraid of the dark.
"Come out, little bird." The voice sing-songs through the apartment. "The game is over."
Ice floods my veins.
"Your father died screaming your name, Eva. Or maybe cursing it. You let him down. You let us all down."
Mirabella flinches against me. I press my hand gently over her mouth.
"And no one to save you. Everyone thinks you’re dead. But I know differently.” His footsteps pause, then continue toward us.
The closet door rips open.
Light floods in as Mirabella screams. My hand finds the knife Adriano gave me strapped to my ankle.
I lunge at him, pushing him back. "Run!" I scream out to Mirabella.
The man’s hand clamps around my wrist as I slash upward. The knife catches something and he hisses.
"Bitch."
His fist connects with my jaw. Stars explode across my vision as I stagger back, but the knife stays clutched in my grip.
He comes at me again. This time, I'm ready. I dodge left, then drive the blade deep into his side. The sound is terrible.
His hands grasp at my throat, squeezing. I twist the knife, and hot blood coats my fingers as he howls. His grip loosens just enough for me to break free.
"Mirabella, run!" I scream, kicking him away.
He stumbles backward, knife still buried to the hilt. His hand touches the wound with something like surprise. I don’t know why. He’s not the first to come. He’s not the first I’ve had to kill.
The man's eyes find mine again, filled with hatred. "They'll find you. Both of you."
I back toward the door, never taking my eyes off him. "They've been trying for years."
His laugh turns into a wet cough. "Not like this. Not him."
A chill races down my spine wondering whohimis. Maksim? Or maybe Adriano has learned the truth.
“And the little girl… the sweet little girl. Oh, the things they’ll do to her.”
I lunge at him, a primal scream tearing from my throat. I crash into him, and we fall into the wall. Blood smears across the fading wallpaper.
"You won't touch her." My hands claw at his face.
