You Are The Reason

CHAPTER 23: You Are The Reason

Just then we heard some footsteps running into the kitchen. "Papa!" A little girl, around eight came running in and hugged the man's legs. She had striking green eyes, reddish brown hair that flowed down her back and innocence oozing out her face.

"Indy, go in. It's not safe here!" The man desperately tried to tell her daughter to run away. From me.

The man looked between his daughter and me, silently begging me not to hurt her.

"No, papa." She shook her head, hugging him more tightly. "I'm not leaving you."

I decided to ask. "Where's her mother?" And they both looked up at me.

"I'm sorry, sir. But please don't hurt her, she's just a child."

"Where's her mother?" I asked again.

"She...died during birth. She's all I have." He told me while the girl stared at me with her big, green eyes.

I hummed, crouching down to the girl's level, and she took a step back along with the man.

"Sir--" The man was about to say something but I gave him a look, telling him to shut up.

"What's your name, child?" I asked her softly.

She looked at her father, questioning him silently and he nudged her, gesturing her to answer me fearing that might anger me more.

She looked at me and answered. "Indy."

"Indy." I repeated.

She cocked her head. "Are you a monster? Is that why you are here? To kill us?"

I can't describe how much her words hurt me that day. All I wanted to do at that moment was to fall down at her feet and beg for her forgiveness as tears threatened to form in my eyes but I quickly blinked them away.

I let out a shaky breath to control my emotions. And ignoring her question, I asked her instead. "So, Indy. What do you wanna do when you grow up?"

She contemplated before answering. "I haven't decided yet." Her voice puerile. "But someone good. I want to help others."

I smiled softly at her answer. That's what I also wanted to be. Not a fucking Mafia leader.

I gently patted her cheek. "I hope your dreams come true, Indy." And then I got up.

Lucas stared at me, baffled as to what I was doing. To be honest, even I don't know what I was doing.

I glanced back at the window which was thankfully covered. And I inquired Lucas. "You have a back door?"

He nodded still not sure what was going on.

My voice dropped down to a whisper. "Now. Listed very carefully. Don't use the backdoor because that's where everyone's standing thinking you might run from there. I am going to take them all away. And..." My eyes roamed the kitchen and I spotted a notepad and a pen. I moved towards it and quickly scribbled down my number on it and tearing the page, handed it to him.

"I'm gonna take them all away while you and Indy are gonna hide under this kitchen counter and after a few minutes, you both leave. From the front door. Run away, okay? And when you reach some far away place, call on this number. Make sure the line is secure. Tell me your location and I will provide you with some money or a house or anything that I could manage. Understood?"

His mouth was hanging open in shock. Too shocked to say anything.

"Lucas!" I whispered shouted bringing him back to reality and he nodded promptly. "I understood, sir. I understood."