Between the Cracks and Burning Doors: Book 2 of The Extraction List Series by Renee N. Meland Read Free Book Online

volume. She even waved her hands around to make it more dramatic. Though I didn’t appreciate it, she did have a point. I could almost hear the woman on the television scolding me in my head, whispering to me that I couldn’t possibly let what was going on there continue.
    Maureen sauntered over to the couch, draping her legs over the length of it like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. “Here’s the thing. I can’t let you take one. If you take one, I lose control, do you understand? If one can leave, why not two? Besides, I need money to keep this afloat,” she said as she waved her hand elegantly at the room around her. “Drugs aren’t nearly as expensive as they used to be, so we have to sell a lot. And that means a lot of dealers.” She swept her legs down off the couch and rested her elbows on her knees. “You have noticed, right?”
    “Noticed what?”
    “That they’re scared of me. All of them. Not the girls downstairs, but the children.”
    I stared at her.
    “Wanna know why?”
    I had no idea how she wanted me to respond so I just stood there. “Did Nick tell you what happened to the last child who left?” I didn’t want to know.
    She smiled at me.
    I wished she’d stop.
    “You see, a lot of our downstairs clients are police officers. Great customers, actually. They keep my secrets, I keep theirs, you know? But that last kid who left, I just happened to let it slip that he was selling drugs, and they couldn’t very well let someone like that stay on the street, right?”
    Oh, God.
    “Where is he now?”
    Maureen laughed again, that laugh that I wished would go away and never come back. “Where do all criminals go? Young and old? To jail, of course. Gosh, I do hope he made some friends. Frail little thing. Not much older than your Nick. So, you see, I can’t let you leave with him.”
    I had a sudden idea—a terrible, stupid idea—but an idea all the same. And honestly, it was the only one I had come up with all night. The woman on the television couldn’t save me, but maybe, just maybe, I could somehow save these kids. “What if I did it? What if I sold it instead?”
    Maureen looked at me, unblinking green eyes staring. “I’m listening.”
    “I sell the drugs.” Stop talking, Cain.
    “I don’t know—”
    “Think about it. I’m older, more threatening. I could make you double what he makes you. I’ll buy his freedom so to speak. How much money does he bring you?” Now is the time to stop. Talking.
    Maureen rose off the couch. “One thousand a week.”
    “So I’ll bring you two. And with every two, I buy another kid’s freedom. But I get to take Nick right now, as a gesture of good will.”
    Maureen started to extend her hand.
    Shit, I’m really doing this.
    “On one condition.” She leaned in and whispered so close to me I could feel her breath on my face. “Stay away from my girls. They are off limits. You mess with them and I’ll wreck you, do you understand?”
    I hesitated. Those girls were maybe five years older than Nick at the most. They were beautiful and they seemed to have no idea how much danger they were in. I sucked in a breath. I had to make a decision before she changed her mind and ended up sending Nick to jail. Dominic would never forgive me. “Okay. Deal.”
     
    Nick didn’t let go of my hand until the house was out of sight. When he dropped it, he looked up at me. “What did you do?”
    I didn’t answer.
    “You had to have done something. She doesn’t just let people out, ya know.”
    “All you need to know is you aren’t selling drugs anymore and you’re coming to live with me.”
    He wrinkled his tiny brow. “Where are we going?”
    “To the church, uh, my church. The pastor there is gone for six months on a goodwill mission. To…Australia. I’m taking care of the place while he’s away.”
    Nick nodded. “Jack?”
    “Yes?”
    “Thanks.”
     
    When we came up to the church, Nick’s eyes widened. “This is my church, I go