ECSTASY | CRIME PRINCE SERIES | BOOK 0.5 FIRST EDITION

|𝟑𝟕.| 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 ♤

Aria

"Please, stop crying. I promise she will be back. Mommy is fine." I coddle Zalea in my lap, lulling her trying to stop her from crying. She shakes rapidly in my arms, still fighting against my grasp determined to run after her mother even though she's long gone. My heart drops at the helpless whimper she let's out.

"Mom is not fine, aunty aia. I saw evewything, that man's friend punched you...kicked you until you were bleeding. That man, he said that mama had to pay for what she did, for forgetting him and moving on." she continues to cry, fighting against my hold hurting my wounds, "Mama didn't do anything wrong."

"I know baby, I know" it's all I can say to her, it's all I can reassure her to do because even I have no idea what Devon will do to Marae. He hates seeing Marae with someone other than him. Knowing that his daughter's rights were given to someone else. It might send him over the edge. "Zalea, I need you to be strong. Tell me anything that can help me find mommy, anything."

"I don't know, I only heard him say that's his, my father. Is he my father...I don't want him to be my father."

My heart shatters. I don't know what to say, I don't know if it's my place to even say anything. But I know my silence will speak for itself...Zalea is smart she might figure it out on her own. I need help, from anyone. I turn my head to find River standing in the doorway, his eyes red and filled with sadness. I know he heard her. Zalea looks to the doorway and already rushes to Rivers' side.

"My mommy! River, you said he wouldn't...but he took her, and he wants to hurt her." for a second I focus on the fact that every 'r' in her sentence was perfectly pronounced because it's the only thing I can focus on. The only thing that I can keep in mind is to tell Marae when she comes back home.

River Monero has been known to be the most ruthless assassin in the underground industry. He has killed without blinking an eye, tortured without hesitancy. Men fear him and every business needs him. They used to say that emotions were something he doesn't have, feelings and actions of empathy didn't exist in his name or life. River Monero was destruction if he ever crossed your path.

And yet.

Today he falls apart in front of a little girl. Unable to be strong for her, River crouches down to his knees. He clutches Zalea as if she might disappear and that's when he couldn't keep it in. River can longer blink back the tears he holds, and can longer appear strong in the face of his mean. The cry for help that he lets out shatters me. And Zalea stands firm no idea how to calm him down because even she is crying.

Slowly, I see the courage of a child when Zalea lifts her hand. Unsure of what to do, she places her hand on his head that is practically embedded near her chest and whispers something so quiet I might have not heard it if not for the silence, "It's okay. I didn't mean to make you sad, please don't cry." she says in between breaths, hiccuping after almost every word.

River doesn't move from his place. He doesn't stop, and quite frankly I think it's because he does not know how to stop. When bottling up emotions and not being used to the feeling of failure, not be able to protect the people you love. He continues to cry against Zalea, he continues to focus on her voice to find the similarities between Marae and her voice. Something that will bring him down to earth.

I can't take this anymore. I stand up from my spot and rush past them and it seems to snap a thought in Zalea when she gasps. "What is it? What's wrong, what did you remember?" I push her for an answer, for anything that will help me get to Marae as soon as possible.