Page 6 of Safe Haven
“Quiet!” I call out to him, but he still growls as Loki rushes past me, frantically looking for my cousin.
“Oh fuck, Mercy! Shit!” I close the door and look at it, then join them in my living room.
“Cargo secure?” Danica sputters out the question, and her breathing gets labored.
“Yeah, what do you want me to do about this?” Loki looks at me, and I frown.
“This has ears and can hear you, just fine. You don’t have much time. Danica, I’m sorry I didn’t answer you earlier.” The guilt I fought with all night comes to a head as I watch her slip away.
“Okay, love you both. Loki, she’s Prez now. Tell her everything…” Danica stops breathing.
Loki shakes her and screams her name, but it’s useless.
I watch this stranger fall apart over my cousin’s body and feel empty. I’m completely numb, and for the millionth time in my life, I wonder what is wrong with me.
I just don’t deal with death like normal people do.
It’s always fascinated me more than scared me. Am I sad my cousin is dead? Fuck yes. Looking at her has always been like looking into a mirror. The fact that she’s gone and I’ll never talkto her again is agonizing, but I’m more angry than sad. I feel cheated.
I’ll never know who she grew up to be. What she’s been doing all these years, or why she chose this life. I have no fucking closure for the absence of my closest family member.
“Get off her body. You’re getting your DNA on her.” I clear my throat from how hoarse it sounds.
“Wow, is that all you have to say? Your cousin just died!” I glare at this woman who has known me for ten seconds.
“You don’t get to judge me in my own house. I’ve known Danica all my life, and she came to me for help. This is now a family matter, and if I don’t want you slobbering all over her corpse that I’ll need to clean and prep so that her mother will actually recognize her at her funeral, then I damn well will tell you to back the fuck off.” I’ve walked right into this woman’s face with my fists balled up, hoping she’ll argue with me.
I want to hit something, and she’ll fucking do.
“Fucking Christ, you really do look just like her.” Loki tilts her head to the side to examine my face better.
“Get out. Diesel!” My Dobermann is at my hip in a second.
He might be a hellhound when left alone unsupervised, but he’s a hell of an attack dog.
“I can’t. There is shit you need to know. I need to go hide her Harley and help you clean up her. Then we need to burn her body. There ain’t gonna be any funeral. As far as the world knows, Danica “Mercy” Demato is alive.” I shake my head in disbelief.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Lokie sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.
“She can’t be dead. Yet. She has to finish this drop. If not, a container of thirty-five women are all going to die with her.” My eyes widen.
“That was the cargo she asked about?” I glance at my cousin, feeling sick.
You were running women?
“It’s not what you think. We save them. Listen, call the dog off, and let me help you. I’ll talk to you. It’s all I ask. It was your cousin’s dying wish, for fuck’s sake.” I feel like she slapped me.
“What?” Loki rolls her eyes.
“Weren’t you listening? Mercy made you the President. This is your responsibility to finish now.” My knees finally give out, and I end up sitting on my ass staring at my cousin.
You fucking bitch. You just had to stick it to me one more time.
FINE.
I’ll clean up your mess one more time, Danica, but I will not take over your gang. I don’t owe them shit. After this, they are on their own.
Chapter Three
