SAINT NOBODY ── RIO [GOOD GIRLS]

five ━━ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛᴏʟᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴜꜱ.

"What do you want?"

Throat burning in the wake of her shrieking, and eyes shining from Avery's pained wailing, Faye's trembling question resulted in the strangers sharing a chuckle. She was pulled backward by Beth's grasp around her wrist as the redhead tried to put as much distance between themselves and the kitchen.

Between themselves and the aureate gun on display beside the intruder's thigh.

"Oh, relax, sweetheart."The man seated alongside the gun crooned, leaping down from the counter.

He stood there for a moment, the side of his hand grazing the gun, and Faye stifled another scream so she wouldn't aggravate Avery's distressed state.

"It's okay."She softly reassured, caressing patterns against her daughter's back. Avery snuffled unhappily against her neck."You're okay. Mama's okay."

Faye retreated several steps when he stalked over to them, swallowing a moan of pain when her lower back collided with a side table. His complacent smile broadened when he noted their unease and he came to a stop just alongside the spilled groceries.

She and Beth quickly surmised, due to how the others complied with his significant looks, and how he was the only one speaking, that he was the one in charge—he was the one to be mindful of.

"I just need you to call your lady friends over so we can all have..."He cocked his head to the side, scratching at his jaw. Faye's eyes tracked his movements, her eyes narrowing when her gaze fixed on his throat.

I know—oh. Oh.

Her ears ringing from her daughter's wailing, Faye shook her head incredulously as realization gradually dawned on her. She wrapped the blanket securely around Avery and held her daughter impossibly closer when Avery burrowed deeper into her neck.

The park. The park. I know him from the park. Her exhausted mind comprehended, sifting through the memory of that smile. The tattoo.

Faye inched closer to Beth when he scanned her out of the corner of his eye. T corner of his mouth tugged upwards when he picked up on her slow realization. He watched her watching him as she inched closer to Beth, his eyes flitting between them.

His shoulders lifted in a relaxed shrug."a little talk."

Even though he'd lowered his voice it did nothing to mollify Avery's state and the child nestled closer in her mother's neck. Hyperaware of the weapons they donned and the tension, Beth took a moment to think through their situation and his demand.

"About what?"Beth carefully queried, her voice coarse from her screaming. Her eyes darted between him and his gun, uneasy at how within reach it was.

His poker-faced features broke out into an artificial convivial grin, a sharp contrast to the dusk brimming in his eyes.

"Oh, about the money you stole from us."