Taking Down The Mob

Kolli

I lay the infant in the makeshift cradle before sitting on the bed.

"Nikko, can I ask you a question?"

"You're going to anyway."

Not true. If I don't get permission before I ask, you'll yell at me.

"So what made you want to take this baby upstairs?"

"What do you mean?"

He sounds offended. Defensive almost.

"You hate children."

"I wanted to see what one is really like. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I was just curious."

"Don't you like kids anyway?"

"Yes. I love children."

He just nods, throwing back the covers before crawling under them. I mimic him. He reaches over, clicking off his bedside lamp. I take one last look at the sleeping infant near my side of the bed.

Her features soft, not a single sign of worry anywhere.

Her mind uncorrupted by society.

Her body untouched by the cruel hand of man.

For now. That'll all change tomorrow when she is sold off to some desperate gang leader. The things they do to the infants is horrifying. Some are raised in the gang life. Some are just used to help deliver drugs and smuggle weapons into places.

A hand wraps around me. Nikko pulls me back against him.

"Shut off the light, Kolli."

I do as he says and he kisses my neck slowly. I want to cry. I know exactly what's coming next. To spare him the wasted oxygen, I shift to face him, calculating if I am correct. When I am sure that I'm right, I move to straddle his hips.