I received unpleasant looks as I walked past the reception to the elevator. Maybe it will be because of the little girl in my arms, who is all dirty.

If they think I'm her mother, they must have already called social services.

I was about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened.

A smile appeared on my face when I saw Killian, but he didn't look too excited.

"What were you thinking?"

"Not now." I looked at Lucy and walked her past him inside.

I found Nyx on the couch and saw three other girls in the smaller bedroom.

After carrying Lucy to the others and convincing her that I wouldn't leave her, I returned to the living room to see Killian and Nyx.

"We'll talk about what's bothering you later." I told Killian. "We have something more important to do now. Nyx, have you heard from Luna and Theo?"

"Yes, these are the addresses of the parents." She moved a piece of paper across the table, which I picked up and looked at. "I erased their names from the records when we were in New Life, so no one should be looking for them. There will be no need for them to move or hide. At least not until they open their mouths."

"Could you shut up?" I said between my teeth. "Those girls have been through hell.

"If they go to the police, they're going to be worse off."

"I'll go talk to them." Killian slipped past me and headed into the bedroom after the girls.

"When you have a plan to destroy the management, call me." She took out a small piece of paper from her pocket.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stay in Atlanta for a little longer." She bent down to pick up her travel bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I hope you realize that we have started a war. There is no going back now."

"I'll still go for the heads of white snakes. That hasn't changed."

"Call me when you have a real plan and not just talk." She walked around the table closer to me. "Good luck, Eris." She slipped past me to the door.

"Lyssa." I shouted after her and she looked at me confused. "My name. Lyssa."

"Good luck, Lyssa."

*****

"We're here Chloe. I turned to her as we sat in the car. "Let's go."

I got out of the car, leaving Killian in the car with the other girls. Chloe pulled up next to me as she got out of the car.

"What if they're angry?"

"Oh Chloe." I grabbed her hand. "They'll be happy to see you. They won't be mad. Trust me." I smiled at her and waited for her to take the first step towards her house.

"Ready?" We stopped in front of the door and Chloe just nodded. I rang the bell which was heard from behind the door and it wasn't long before I heard footsteps and the door was flung open.

A man and a woman stood in them, tears welling up in their eyes as their eyes fell on Chloe.

"Oh my God." The woman came out of the house and hugged Chloe tightly. "We were so scared."

"Who are you?" A man's voice sounded in my ears. I looked up from Chloe to the door.

"This is all you need to know." I handed him a blue folder with papers. "You must have contacted the police by now, all the information is there for them. Also money if you decide to leave."

"Leave? Why?" An elderly woman looked up at me.

"It's all in this." Finally, the man took the file from my hands. "But I can assure you that your daughter is safe. Nothing will happen to her." I smiled at Chloe.

"Are you with the FBI or..."

"Something like that." I interrupted her. "Take care Chloe. Have a good evening." I said goodbye to them and started walking away from their house.

"Lyssa!" I stopped and turned back to Chloe, who ran to me and hugged me tightly. "Thank you."

"Take care Chloe." I pulled away from her. "My number is in the papers I gave your father. If something doesn't seem right, don't be afraid to call. I'll be here immediately."

She smiled at me before running back to the house, to her parents.

I looked at them one last time before I got back in the car.

"Are you okay?" I looked at Killian.

"Of course." I tried to smile.

But that's a lie. I'm not okay. Although I am happy for the girls who return to their families, I do not have that option. And I never will.

Finally, only Lucy remained in the car. We got Ellie and Grace to their families without any problems.

I got back into the car after saying goodbye to Ellie and her parents and looked at Lucy who was curled up in the backseat.

"Lucy?" She looked up at me. "You know you don't have to worry, right? We'll get you back to your parents." I smiled at her.

We pulled out of the driveway and headed for the last address on the paper.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I looked out the window and read the sign on the gate. It's an orphanage.

"Luna sent this address." He turned off the engine and looked back at Lucy. "Do you live here?"

Lucy just nodded at him with sad eyes.

"Let's go." He reached for the door, but I caught his hand. He looked at me confused.

"We can't leave her here."

"Lyssa, she's a kid. She'll find a good home."

I looked back at Lucy, my heart breaking at the thought of leaving her here. I came here with the intention of returning her to her family and not to an orphanage.

"We're going back to the hotel."

"Lyssa..."

"One night." I interrupted him. "It's late. We'll decide what to do with her tomorrow."

He hesitated until he looked at her, then back at me. He let out a frustrated breath and started up.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."



I can't believe this is happening.

First of all, I'm still pissed that Lyssa went back for Lucy without backup. Second, Lyssa doesn't want to leave her in the orphanage.

When we got back to the hotel, we left Lucy in the living room to draw while I went to talk to Lyssa in the bedroom.

I closed the door behind us so Lucy couldn't hear us and started talking. "We have to take her back there tomorrow. She's only five. She can still have a good life with a good family. We have no right to deny her that opportunity."

"Do you think anyone will take her when she starts talking about what she saw? They'll think she's crazy. Damaged." She sat on the bed.

"Or that she's just making it up. That's what kids do."

"And what if some family that is not good takes her? What kind of life will she have?"

"And what do you want to do if we don't take her back?" I frowned. "We can't go back to New York with her."

"Why not?" She shrugged.

"Because you're an ex-assassin and I'm a mob boss. People from all over the world are after us. Do you know the danger we'd put her in?"

I don't think Lyssa is thinking rationally. It is obvious that something is wrong. Ever since she got back with Lucy, she's different.

"She can't stay with us. You know that."

"But..." She put her head in her hands and exhaled heavily.

I came closer and sat next to her. "We have no right to take her. She will be better off without us. Please understand."

"What if..."

"Lyssa." I interrupted her. "Stop it. You're just making it worse. I'll send Lucy to bed. Stay here with her, I'll take the couch."

*****

I woke up to the feeling of someone pulling my shirt. When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw that it was Lucy.

She was standing by the couch in a big t-shirt that reached almost her ankles because it belonged to Lyssa

"Lucy." I propped myself up with my hands so I could sit up. "Everything okay?" I rubbed my eyes.

"I don't want to go back to Mrs. Pierce." She looked at me with sad eyes.

"What are you talking about Lucy?"

"She is mean." She looked down at her hands.

For Christ's sake. I don't know if this is some kind of Lyssa's method to change my mind about Lucy coming back to New York with us, but I don't like it.

"Lucy, look."" I'd be lying if I said that my heart didn't ache when she looked up at me. "Those bad guys that Lyssa saved you from are still out there somewhere. You'll be safe back with...Mrs. Pierce." I assume she runs the orphanage that Lucy is at.

"But Lyssa said she wouldn't let anyone hurt me."

"And she will keep her promise." I grabbed her shoulders. "But you can't stay with us."

It would be selfish of both of us to take her back to New York. She would be our weakness. Anyone who came after us could use it. It would only hurt her.

There is a good chance that she will find a good home where she will be happy. She is only five years old. At that age, someone will definitely adopt her.

"I want to stay with Lyssa." Her voice broke mid-sentence.

"Lucy." I breathed heavily. "It's not safe. I'm really sorry."

"But..." Tears welled up in her eyes and her breath began to catch in her chest.

Oh no. Don't cry. Shit, I made her cry. I didn't want that.

"Come here." I picked her up and sat her next to me. I pulled her to me and covered her with a blanket. "Why do you say Mrs. Pierce is mean?"

"She screams at me." A sob escaped her mouth.

I shouldn't have asked. Why did I even ask? I can't get attached to her. That would be selfish.

"Did you do something wrong when she's yelling at you?"

"She screams when she's angry."

"But isn't she angry because of something you did?" She shook her head in disapproval and I regretted asking. "Lucy..." No. Do not ask. If she answers yes, there is no going back. "Did she ever hurt you?" Shit.

She nodded slowly before tears began to stream down her cheeks.

I never should have asked.

I never ever should have asked.



"Good morning." I left the bedroom and closed the door so as not to wake Lucy. "Killy?" I spoke again, since he probably didn't hear me the first time.

"What?" He looked up from his laptop and looked at me.

"Good morning?" I walked up to him. "What are you doing?" I sat down next to him and turned the laptop towards me, which had some page on it. When I looked through it, I found out that it was the page of the orphanage where Lucy lives.

"I called there."

"Oh." I couldn't look at Killian.

"They didn't even know she wasn't there."

"What?" I frowned and looked at him confused.

"They didn't know Lucy wasn't there until I asked about her." His jaw clenched.. "How could they not notice?"

"Killian..."

"We can't take her back there." He cut me off. "We can not." He looked at me.

"I take it you've already found another orphanage to take her to." I bit my lip.

"Not quite." He reached for the papers from the table and handed them to me.

"Adoption papers? I thought..." I looked up at him.

"I have contacts, so all you have to do is sign it and she's yours. It also helped that they didn't know where she was. But they had no problem getting rid of her." He snorted angrily. "It's unbelievable."

"Do you think I should sign it?"

Actually, I don't know if I should. Although I don't want Lucy to go back there, she can have a better life with someone else. Do I want to take that option away from her?

"If anyone finds out about her, it's going to be bad. She's going to be a target. A big target."

"I sense that there is a but." Please let there be a but.

"But," he exhaled heavily, "if anyone is going to keep her safe, it's going to be you."

My gaze fell back on the paper, more precisely on the dotted line where the signature goes. "I don't know if I can do it. I've never taken care of a child. I never thought I would."

I have no chance of having my own child. This is probably the closest I'll get to one. And I like Lucy.

"You have to realize that she's going to be your responsibility. That means you can't afford to put yourself in a situation where something happens to you. You'd leave her alone, and that's not fair to her. You can't do anything stupid by going after management. At least you'll have a reason to survive."

"I already have one." I muttered under my breath. I don't know if he heard it, and I don't even know if I want him to hear it. I just wanted to say it.

"But you should still ask her."

"Of course." I exhaled heavily and stood up from the couch. I headed to the bedroom, and when I opened the door, Lucy was no longer asleep. She was sitting in the middle of the bed. "Were you listening?"

Lucy shook her head way too quickly which made me smile.

"So you don't know what I want to ask you?" I walked closer to her and sat on the bed.

"Maybe." She looked down at her small hands.

"If you came with us, it wouldn't be easy. I have things to do. They're very important. But then it would probably be normal." At least as normal as possible. "Of course you can say no, and Killian and I will make sure you go somewhere else. We won't be mad if you say no. I promise."

"Where would we go?" She looked up at me.

"Well, New York for now. And then..." I stopped.

New York for now and then what? I can't stay with Killian after all. Is it one thing if I stayed alone, but with a child? I can't want that from him. I also can't stay with Luna, her apartment is small.

Money won't be a problem, but where would we go?

"And then we'll see." I tried to smile. "So what do you think?

"Yes." She smiled and quickly crossed the bed to where I was sitting and wrapped her arms around my neck.

I really hope that what I'm doing doesn't end badly.

*****

I really hope you don't dislike Lucy, because she is staying in this book.

Hope you enjoyed. <3