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The door clicked open, and I ushered a silent Everleigh inside.
The house was small; one narrow hallway led to the two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. It was clean and well-kept inside, a stark contrast to the neglected exterior.
I directed Everleigh to the small couch in the living room. “Wait here. I need to talk to Santino.”
Pulling off the sheet covering the furniture, she nodded. I hovered in the door for a few minutes, watching her turn on the small television on the side table.
Satisfied she wouldn’t pass out—or worse, sneak out—I joined Santino in the kitchen. “We need supplies to last us until tomorrow night. If you go to sort them out, I’ll speak to my contact at the airport.”
Cheddi Jagan Airport was about thirty minutes south of Georgetown. As soon as I found a flight, we could make our way there. Now that the threat of Maurizio was gone, I’d be able to get her on a commercial flight.
“Of course. Whatever you need. You want me to take the car?”
“It’ll be quicker. There’s a row of shops three blocks over.”
Santino left, and I went to the loose floorboard next to the fridge. I had a few passports, guns, ammo, and a couple burner phones in there.
I took out one of the phones, ignoring the rest of my stash, and dialed Officer Harris’s number.
He picked up before the first ring had ended. “Tell me what I just heard isn’t true.”
“Depends on what you heard.”
“You killed Maurizio.”
“Not quite. But he’s definitely dead.”
“Fucking hell. You knew we needed him alive. He had valuable information.”
He would have never talked, despite how highly Harris thought of his interrogation methods.
“I’ll get you something else, just give me a few days.”
“You have three days. If you don’t have something useful for me by then our deal’s off.”
I hung up, then turned the phone back off and placed it back into its hiding place, making sure the wooden slats were in place. Unable to fight the pull any longer, I went back into the living room and straight to where Everleigh was once again curled into a ball. She barely took up any space on the couch, and I sat down as close to her as I dared.
I brushed a hand over my face, suddenly feeling a hundred years old. “We leave tomorrow. You should try to get some sleep.”
Uncurling herself, she grabbed my hand that was resting on my thigh. “I’m sorry about your dad.”
I tightened my hand, relishing the contact, needing it to stay grounded. “I’m not. And you wouldn’t be either if you knew all the things he’d done. He was a bad man.”
“He was still your dad.”
She was right. Because despite all the horrible things he’d done, hewasstill my dad. I wouldn’t mourn him like a normal son. I’d never loved him. But I’d still felt a connection. He had been my last living relative.
I knew what I had to do, even if everything in me screamed to go with Everleigh. I had a responsibility, and it was time to end this.
I stood up, clenching my hand as if it would make the feeling of her skin on mine last longer. “I’ll make up the bed for you. You should get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us.”
She didn’t protest, turning off the TV and following me without a word.
Together we put fresh sheets on the double bed, the only thing in the room. Once done, I reluctantly walked toward the door. She needed to sleep. And I needed to accept the fact that this time tomorrow she’d be gone.
“Don’t leave.” Her whispered plea halted my movements.
She looked lost standing next to the bed, her arms wrapped around herself. And my answer was there as soon as she uttered her last word. Because there wasnothingI’d ever deny her. Especially not a request such as this. Holding her one last time was an offer too hard to resist.
