The Delta's Daughter Chapter 320

LYRIC

I look around, peering down one end of the street and up the other. The last thing I need is for anyone to see me. Us.

I grip the tiny hand in mine a little tighter. I raise my other hand and knock on the worn and cracked door, quickly glancing around at our surroundings again. For the millionth time. All the while listening for movement from the other side of the door.

I knock again when I hear nothing. Tap, tap, tap. My nerves ramp up as I wait, listening, looking, “Hurry up” I whisper sigh.

The bite of cold nipping at us as we wait for the door to open. The snow in this part of the boroughs was thick and more was falling. The damp air seeped into our skin through the layers of clothing, chilling us right down to the bone.

I would give anything to curl up in front of a fire with a warm drink and cozy up with my favorite person in the realm. Anything was better than having to drag us from the comfort and safety of our home out into the bitter cold night.

But I didn’t have a choice this time.

Finally, I hear movement from inside. “Who is it?” The familiar raspy voice of Aunt Lizzy calls out.

“It’s us, Aunt Lizzy, open up it's cold!” I answer back, keeping my voice low but loud enough for the old she-wolf to hear.

The door opens and we slip inside, taking another look up and down the crumbling and decrepit street. My eyes finding the shadows of falling down houses, moving to the next when I find nothing or nobody before I close the door behind us. Leaving the cold night air outside.

Aunt Lizzy's home is warm and the immediate change in temperature heats my cheeks.

“Thank you,” I mouth to her as we move through the small two-bedroom stone house. The interior, in better shape than the exterior.

Aunt Lizzy gives me a tight smile. One that shows she’s not happy with me. One that I know is only out of concern with my choice of work.

It’s what puts food on the table and a roof over our heads. I know my line of work can be… challenging and not quite above the law. I deal with some shady characters, to say the least. And it’s because of the unique skills I possess that landed me the job I was running off to once I left here.

If given the choice I would have never taken the job, but when your family is threatened, and you’re blackmailed. What choice do you actually have? In my case – none.

“He ate before we came here. Maybe a warm drink and he will be ready to crash.” I tell Aunt Lizzy.

I look down at the small boy standing next to me and stoop to pick him up. He was my everything. My only family left. It broke my heart to have to leave him for a few days, but it was to protect him. I just had to keep reminding myself of that fact.

I would do anything for him, and if it meant having to do a job for the worst and slimiest gangster in the boroughs, this side of the Kingdom. Then so be it.

I kiss the little guy's cheek, “You be good for Aunt Lizzy and I promise I will only be gone for a few days, a week at the most. Then I will never have to leave you again.” I say the words and I mean them. I just hope I can follow through.

“Please don’t go mommy. I will miss you too much.” He speaks. His little chubby hands grab my face so he can stare me in the eyes.

I hold back the tears. I don’t want to leave him. My gut told me this is a bad idea and that I should have taken him and run far, far away. But to where? They would find me. Find him.

“I love you, baby. You be a good boy for Aunt Lizzy. Don’t you be giving her any trouble, you hear?”

He nods his head, his black hair falling over his haunting eyes. “I promise.” He says with a sad tone and an even sadder look in his eyes. I brush his hair back, the tips of my fingers lingering on the clashing bright blonde streak that he was born with.

“You are such a smart boy. I will miss you, but I will be back before you know it.” I put him down, and Aunt Lizzy tells him to go get a book from her chest.

As soon he is out of sight, she turns to me with a worried look marring her face. “Lyric,” She shakes her head. “I wish you would find another way to make money. You said last time was your last job.”

I grit my teeth and clench my fists, my gaze still on the empty door frame my heart disappeared through. “I know. I don’t have a choice.” I tell her, the words coming out harsh.

“You always have a choice.” Lizzy sighs.

“Not this time,” I shake my head. “They threatened him, he said they needed me on this job and if I didn’t do this then he would expose him. I can't let them, or anyone, know about him. I have to keep him safe Lizzy.” I look at her, hoping she can see the truth in my eyes. That I had no choice.

she bobs her head with understanding.

“If you haven't heard from me in four days, you need to get him out of here. Take him to the safe house.” I bring her in for a hug, squeezing her tight. “If you don’t turn up at the safe house at the end of the week, take him, Lizzy. Run with him, as far as you can go away from the wolves. Go south, catch a boat to the other continent if you need to.” I whisper in her ear. Then pull back.

I know she will protect my baby with her life. The same way she did me.

She wasn’t a real Aunt. Lizzy had been a maid in my father's Pack house. When we were attacked five years ago, our pack was decimated and everyone who didn’t manage to flee was killed or enslaved by the Rogue King Silas. Women were taken, men slaughtered, and children sold.

The nightmares from that night still plague me.

I was lucky. Lizzy found me and together we ran. Became rogues of our own choosing, finding refuge in a borough on the outskirts of the New Moon Kingdom.

I wish I could say the same for the rest of our families. We had no idea if anyone else had made it out of that massacre of a night.

It would be two years later, after escaping with our lives that we would find out that pack members had lived. Or at least were kept alive.

“Come back to us Lyri,” Lizzy breaks my trip down memory lane, “He needs you,”

“I know.” I concede. “He promised to cut me loose after this job.”

“And you believe him?”

“I do, I hope he means it.” I want to believe this is the last time I’ll have to do anything for that slimeball of a wolf. Unfortunately, trusting his words is akin to trusting a rattlesnake won't bite you if you pet it. “I don’t have a choice if I want to keep him safe.” I gesture towards the living room where I can just hear a little voice speaking to himself, trying to read a book.

I dig into the inside pocket of my coat, pulling out a thick envelope full of notes. All the money I have. “Take this, just in case.” I shove it toward Aunt Lizzy who shakes her head.

“I can't take that Lyri. If I take it, it’s like sealing your fate.” She pushes back at me.

“Take it in case something happens. You will need it to get yourself and him out of here.” This time I grab her wrist and forcefully make her take it. “Four days, I will contact you. If I don’t, you go to the safe house. On the seventh day, if you still haven't heard from me, you run Lizzy. You take him far away from here. Promise me.” She shakes her head, white whisps of hair falling around her face framing the wrinkles and her doe eyes. “Promise me, Lizzy,” I growl out.

I see the fight in her eyes leaves, and the dawning of realization comes over her face. “Ok Lyricl, I promise. But you have to promise me to come back.”

“I Hope I can.” They are the last words I say to Aunt Lizzy before I slink out the door the same way I came in. Cautious, attentive, nervous. Hoping I wasn’t followed, and no one will know I brought him here.

Forty-five minutes later, I’m walking into Miko’s base of operations.

Several pairs of eyes stare me down, as I make my way through the seedy bar to the back room where I will be given the details of the job.

“Good to see you again, Swift.” I pause my steps at the familiar voice of Bram, who uses my street name. Miko’s number one henchman.

“Bram.” I greet him with a tight-lipped half smile. My gaze wandered from head to toe and back up again. Bram was a large male, werebear, with eyes like honey and hair that matched. He smiled at me, but that panty-melting smirk that would have any woman swooning didn’t do it for me.

I knew better. As easy on the eyes as Bram was - he was a killer. A stone-cold murderer who did Miko’s dirty work. A few times I had found myself at the edge of his mercy. As if his hand was still coiled tight around my neck, I swallow hard. The feeling of those gigantic paws from when he held my head underwater hadn’t left me. And I wasn’t in a hurry for a repeat.

“This way.” Bram directs me as if I didn’t already know the way. Regardless I let him lead me through the back of the bar down to Miko’s office.

Bram raps on the door three times before he opens it. Instinct has me assessing the room and as my eyes lock with Miko’s, I wish I had kept my head down.

“I came to do a job, Miko. Not watch you get off.” I spit turning my head away from the scene in front of me.

“Awe, don’t be such a prude Swift.” He chuckles lowly, “You could always join in,” That smug tone makes me shiver, and not in a good way.