Page 19 of Declan's Dove

I turn my head to look at him over my shoulder. “I’m not going to say yes to that, Little Man. Your mama would be pissed at me, and I need her to like me. You get what I’m saying?”

“Okay. How about we make a deal?” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. I turn as far as I can to see his face, knowing I’m about to be swindled by a ten-year-old.

“What do ya got?” I ask, amused.

“I’ll put in a good word for you, help you get on my mama’s good side, and you let me say curse words when she’s not around.” He puts his hand out for me to shake. “Deal?”

I throw my head back and laugh.

“You’re pretty good, kid.”

“Is that a yes?”

I take his little hand firmly in my big one and squeeze. “Deal. But if Violet catches you cussing, I’ll deny we ever had this conversation. You got me? You get caught; you are on your own.”

“Got it.” He smiles. I slam the visor shut on his face and the little punk laughs harder.

I turn back around to face front, start the bike, and take off for their apartment.

It takes us fifteen minutes to navigate traffic and arrive at their building with Carter whooping and hollering the entire way.

Ethan is waiting in the parking lot, leaning against his bike with his arms crossed. I park beside him and cut the engine.

“Did you go up?” I ask.

Ethan nods. “No answer. Called her phone, too. Nothing.” He looks over my shoulder at Carter, who's taken off my helmet and now looks nervous. “You have a key, kid?” he asks Carter. He takes my helmet off, setting it on the seat, and nods.

“Come on, kid. Let’s go see if your mom’s okay.”

The three of us make our way into the building and up the stairs. When we get to their door, I knock three times, announcing our presence.

Nothing.

Carter is looking at the ground playing with his backpack straps, shifting the bag around the front of his body. He opens the small pocket in the front where he has a key safety pinned to the inside. Unhooking the safety pin, he removes the key and hands it to Ethan.

I look at Ethan, and he nods. I move Carter behind me and keep my hand on the pistol I tucked into my pants back at the bike before following Carter into the building. Ethan opens the door.

Ethan enters first. I follow, holding Carter back with me. Ethan moves through the apartment, his gun in hand.

Reaching around, I move Carter in front of me, not taking my eyes off the hallway over his shoulder. Ethan moves from room to room, nodding as he passes.

“Carter, did your mom say anything to you this morning when she dropped you off at school?” I ask, watching him closely as he continues to fiddle with his backpack, putting it back on over his shoulders.

“She told me to be good. She loves me, and to listen to you when you came to get me today.”

“Wait. She told you I would be coming to get you today,” I ask, confused and frustrated. “Why the hell didn’t she tell me?” I grumble to myself. I don’t mind helping Violet with the kid if she needs me to, but why wouldn’t she call and ask me? At least tell me she was going to drop him in my lap for a while.

“She said she had something to do and if she didn’t make it back in time, you would come get me and I’m supposed to listen to you until she gets back.” He wipes his hand across the back of his neck. “Are you mad?”

“Not mad, just confused,” I answer honestly. “Why didn’t you tell me this at the school?”

“Mama doesn’t like strangers knowing our business.”

“Did your mom say where she was going? What she had to do?” I ask.

Carter shakes his head.

“The place is empty,” Ethan says, coming back into the living room. “Nothing looks out of place. But I found this.” He hands me an envelope with my name scribbled on the front.

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