𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 | 𝟏𝟖+

ROYCE

041. GREATER GOOD

"Stai giù!"

Blood, smoke, and screams.

If that doesn't sound like hell, then I don't know what does.

As I analyze Mias unresponsive body I see something poking out her front pocket. Grabbing and unfolding it, I see her crouched beside a little boy, smiling happily into the camera.

"Fucking hell." I turn away, taking the picture with me, and head to Axel, who stands in the middle of all the chaos. "You need to see this," he says indifferently. "Theres this kid. I didn't know if you wanted to ask him questions. He seems pretty shaken up. Might need to give him candy or something."

"Round everyone up and head north of Merkersdorf. I'll handle the kid."

"Royce."

Axel can be a serious person, but even then, he's not that serious. The hard pinch of his brow and strain of his arms were different this time. He was determined.

"Be careful," he said before turning away.

I head to the car and slid in beside the boy. His body was tense, head facing the window. "....you...." He mumbles under his breath and clench the bracelet Lily gifted me.

Give me strength.

"Do you see a women and a man with a group blindfolded come through the station?"

....

"Look, kid I..."

"You killed my mom."

I froze, the boy turned his head, and his bright green eyes gazed into mine with hate and confusion-the same ones from the picture. "You killed her," he whimpers with unshed tears.

"I had to. She left me no choice." I kept my face stoned and watched him grow frustrated.

"Did she steal money from you too? I told her to stop after the bad man came to our house. Are you a bad man too?" he frantically pushes his small figure into the opposite door. I raise my hands to show that I mean no harm as he watches me with hawk eyes.

"What money do you speak off?" I start.

He hesitates for a moment, fidgeting with his fingers. "Mama was pretty private. But the bad man came demanding money or else they'd hurt me. I assumed mom took money from them like she did the first man that came and now you. Mama didn't any harm, she was only trying to take care of me."

I clench my jaw tightly. "Your mother didn't take money from me. She took something far more valuable."

He gazed up at me with his big green eyes and said, "can I help?"

"Not this time," I say in an airy tone.

We didn't speak for a moment, only looking at each other in silence before he spoke first. "The bad man...he was the people you speak of, but he looked funny."

"How so?"

"He was missing a hand this time."