Page 80 of Bleed with Me

He winked at the boy just when Malin threw a naked man down the stairs. The body slammed against the steps before crashing into a crumpled heap at the bottom. A broken gasp escaped him.

“Is this the man we’re looking for?” I asked cheerfully, a maniacal smile stretching my mouth wide. Though they couldn’t see it because of the mask, they could surely hear my excitement.

“He is,” Zyon confirmed, showing me the photo he carried in his pants back pocket. He approached the fucker, pushing him down with his boot on his chest when he tried to lift himself.

“W-what is h-happening?” the man panted, his protruding, confused eyes jumping from Zyon to me.

I opened my mouth to give him a menacing answer, but Malin cut me off, leading a crying woman down the stairs. She sported a black eye, a busted lip, and scratches and bruises on her arms. A black wool sweater was draped around her slender shoulders. Tears ran down her cheeks, smearing her makeup, and when she saw us with the kids, she hurried to the smallest one and cradled him in her trembling arms.

“Now, we’re all here,” Zyon interrupted the heavy silence, squashing the groaning abuser with his foot. “I want to make an announcement.”

The family watched him with alert expressions, not knowing what to expect. Malin leaned nonchalantly against the railing, and I plopped into the old armchair, which creaked in protest under my weight.

“You will never see this asshole again,” Zyon boomed, pointing at the quivering guy on the floor. “If the police show up, you say you don’t know where he is.” He scanned the kids and their shocked mother with his dark, devious eyes. “The nightmare is over. You’re free.”

None of them smiled. None of them relaxed. Freedom was such a foreign concept that they didn’t know how to react to it.

“But how?” The woman shook her head in incredulity.

“Leave that to us,” I said, my heart skipping a beat with excitement at the promise of some action. Malin had surely prepared something diabolical.

“W-what about his friends?” the girl asked in a hushed voice, flinching when her foster father snarled at her.

“Shut up,” he hissed, fighting Zyon’s boot. But my brother only moved a little, stood on his neck, and the idiot gasped for air.

“Friends, meaning the customers?” I looked at the terrified girl, her entire body trembled uncontrollably, yet the confirmation nod was firm.

“Do you know names?” She nodded again, watching me with wide, honey-brown, hopeful eyes. “Write them down,” I commanded, standing up. “Consider this matter closed.”

I helped Malin drag the fucker into the car. The whole time, I watched our surroundings, but in this neighborhood, no one cared. While Zyon chained him to the door, I went back inside and took the paper with names from the girl.

“There is one more customer,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at her foster mother and the boys. “A woman.”

I scanned the names she’d given me, but they were all men.

“A woman?” Malin appeared at my right like a ghost, startling me.

“Y-yes.” The girl shrank under his stare. “A powerful woman who likes to… train young boys.” She swallowed hard, visibly shaking. “I don’t… I can’t… write…”

“It’s okay,” I said softly.

“It’s not!” Her voice jumped, and she clenched her fists. “My brothers barely walked for days after…”

“Name,” Malin cut in.

Her chin quivered. For a moment, she hesitated before finally whispering, “Meredith Cole.”

My mouth fell open beneath the mask.

“Meredith Cole?” I echoed. That name was everywhere. “The Meredith Cole who is running for mayor?”

She nodded slowly.

“Oooooh, fuck.” I handed the paper to my brother, who seemed momentarily frozen. A split second later, he turned on his heel and left. I followed him after making sure the girl understood that she and everyone in that house had to stay quiet about what happened.

“Will you check on Mrs. Cole?” I asked when I joined him beside the car. Zyon was already inside.

“Yes,” Malin replied curtly before slipping behind the wheel.