Page 2 of Breaking Rosalind
She moves closer, her steps tentative. I keep my features light and even to mask my inner turmoil. Frustration roils through my gut and my breath turns shallow.
What lies have Matteo and Mom spewed to make a four-year-old girl so wary?
She reaches for the box, just as Mom’s sharp voice says, “Miriam, come away.”
My jaw clenches.
Her name is Miranda.
Mom shoots up from the bench, dropping the tablet. My heart plummets into my stomach, bringing up a wave of panic.
Time has run out, and so have my chances for a peaceful abduction. I burst out of the bushes and scoop Miranda into my arms.
Eyes widening, Mom reaches into her pocket and produces a pistol.
Shit.
“Drop my daughter!” She points the gun at my head.
“Your daughter?”
Forcing Miranda’s face into my chest, I draw my weapon and shoot her between the eyes, releasing over four years of resentment.
Despite my use of a silencer, Miranda screams, breaking my moment of relief. Mom falls to the ground just as sirens blare from the mansion, filling the air with the chaos. Alarm explodes through my insides, and I disappear into the bushes, clinging onto the wailing child.
“Hold tight, Miri.”
“Put me down!” she cries. “You’re hurting me!”
My heart shatters into jagged pieces. When she’s old enough to understand, I’ll explain that this is for her own good. With me as her parent, she can have a normal life.
For now, I’ll withstand her hatred.
I run alongside the hedges, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The sirens grow louder, as do Miranda’s cries. There’s no way we’re getting out of here unnoticed, but I’ve spent four years planning for every possible scenario.
An armored car pulls up, its engines still running. I fling open the back door and jump into the seat, still clinging onto Miranda.
“What took you so long?” Britt’s blonde head whips to the side.
“Drive.” I pull the door shut.
The central locking system whirs into place, and the car hurtles down the tree-lined drive that runs between Matteo’s mansion and the neighbors.
Miranda’s tiny fists pound on my shoulders as she screams for help, and I hold her close. “It’s okay, Miri,” I murmur. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here to protect you.”
Britt slams on the brakes, making Miranda and me lurch forward.
“Fuck!” she screams.
My head snaps up to the windshield, where an SUV blocks the road ahead. When I turn to the back window, another car closes in on us from behind.
“We’re trapped,” she snarls.
“Miri, listen carefully.” I stare into her huge, blue eyes, trying to convey the intensity of the situation. “Those men are going to shoot at us. Hide behind the seat, so you don’t get hurt.”
Her bottom lip trembles. For a brief second, I wonder if she’ll try to break free again, but she nods.
I release my grip on Miranda, and she ducks down, staying close to the floor. My pulse has never beaten so hard or fast, but I’ve already prepared for a blockade. As I reach for a helmet, the SUV’s back door opens, and a man steps out. It’s Matteo.