Deeper (The Deeper Chronicles #1) (20 page)

A
dark sedan rolled to a stop at the traffic light near a newsstand on a busy SoHo street corner. The driver and passenger wore dark clothing and leather gloves. The passenger’s hair was hidden under a black knit hat. A foot tapped in anticipation on the floor mat of the car. The light turned green and they both glowered when the car made a right onto the street where a few pedestrians walked about.

Their mission was simple: shoot to kill.

The passenger lifted the gun and lowered the window. A cool breeze wafted inside the warm interior.

Avi was nervous.

Since her talk with Harry, she’d been a jittery mess. She was knotted so tightly she was sure her nerves would never unwind. Spending an hour choosing the right outfit had left her closet empty and her bedroom in a shambles. In the end, she chose her favorite top and paired it with jeans.

As her foot landed on the last subway stair, a gust of cool autumn breeze hit her cheeks with such force that Avi began to rethink the lightweight coat she had chosen to wear. Tucking her face into her jacket, she tugged down the multicolored beanie she had told Harry she’d wear so he would be able to recognize her.

Avi approached a newsstand at the corner. Harry said he’d be in front of the restaurant across the street. With each step she took, her mind was chaotic.

Would she know him upon sight?

Was this even a good idea?

She kept her eyes downcast, too afraid to look at the restaurant. What if he didn’t show? Avi strolled past the newsstand. Large, colored print on the front page caught her eye and stopped her progression.

Avi picked up the local newspaper. Her gaze was transfixed on the face that graced the cover. He was bold and smug in the photograph. His smile was playful and dangerous, and there was a challenge in his eyes. “Idogbe Aswad: Is He the Next Noah Adams?” The words almost leapt off the page against the man’s sun-kissed skin and sleek gray suit.

There seemed to be no escaping Noah Adams. He dominated everything, even stories about other people. Avi put the newspaper back on the rack, determined to put as much space between Noah and herself as possible. He was a complication, and Avi’s life had exceeded its trouble quotient. Right now, she needed to get through brunch with this stranger who professed to be her father.

She took a deep breath and raised her head. The newsstand vendor gave her an appeasing smile, making Avi feel as if she should buy something.

“Let me get a pack of gum, please?” She reached into her coat pocket and grabbed a few coins.

Just as she was slipping the green package in her coat’s pocket, a loud crack and pop sounded off to her left, startling her. Cackling children scampered away, throwing more little white balls on the ground, which exploded on impact.

Kids.

Nearby, adults shouted their disapproval.

Her focus was drawn to the front of the restaurant.

Avi lifted her right hand from her pocket, half-waving at Harry, who stood at the entrance of the restaurant as he said he would.

Harry took two steps from the doorway with his heart racing, and waved with enthusiasm at her. His pace quickened, needing to get to Avi sooner rather than later. Even if she wasn’t ready for a hug, that’s what he planned on giving his daughter.
My daughter.
That had a nice ring to it.

Just a few feet away was the person who he had a hand in creating.

I should’ve fought to keep Ellie.

Even tried to find her.

But he’d been too fearful of Ellie’s rejection. The last time they’d seen each other still played, like a bad record, in his head.

I don’t want kids
was what he’d told her when she’d raised the question. He still remembered what she had worn, the way her eyes drooped at his words. At the time, he’d counted himself lucky to have found Ellie, when he believed he’d never have a woman in his life. She’d left him during one of his late shifts at work, taking everything she owned. She’d forgotten a few things, or left them behind for him—he liked to believe it was the latter, which showed him she was a real class act.

The nearby conversations of patrons who chose to sit outside the restaurant brought him back to the present. But he didn’t pay them any attention, because she was right there, willing to give him a shot.

Is she mad at me?

What have I missed out on not being part of her life?

He swallowed his anxiety.

No way would he lose her again. He couldn’t have Ellie, not like he wanted, but Avi...

His daughter’s name brought a smile to his face. He had to know her. Know that a part of him was out in the world and thriving. He wanted her to be proud of him. He never had that thought before. It was the other way around with Noah. He was proud of Noah, but just wished he’d put all his ingenuity toward positive ends.

But here was his flesh and blood. She was good. She was honest. She was wise. At least that was what her mother told him. She was stubborn, like the two of them. But determined was a better term.

Others on the sidewalk moved aside as if they all understood the importance of the day.

He took another step toward his future.

Maybe we can even talk about her and Ellie.

Avi moved faster toward the average-height man with a prominent square jawline, a cleft in his chin, and a twinkle in his violet eyes.

Avi reached the corner, ready to cross, when a sedan sped up and blocked her path.

A short burst hit something solid. Then the sound repeated itself.

Screams broke out.

Instinct made Avi drop down.

Her knees hit the unforgiving cement. She broke what could have been a disastrous fall with her outstretched hands while her upper body tumbled forward. Her ears picked up the whirling sounds around, but she couldn’t focus on any one thing. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Tires screeched.

Chaos ensued.

“Call the police,” someone shouted.

She chanced to look up.

Bodies were still flat on the ground. A few were getting up, looking around in confusion.

“What the hell was that?” someone nearby wondered aloud.

A scream pierced the morning air.

“Get an ambulance...h-he’s bleeding too much...” another voice begged.

Avi jumped up, racing across the street.

A set of feet followed Avi’s at a slower pace.

Since his return to the city on Columbus Day, he had been pulled off all other assignments and given two tasks: watch Avianna and report everything back to his boss. Sharp eagle eyes trained to assess a situation in mere seconds zoomed in on Avi during the commotion. Internally, he waged a war as to whether to swoop in and rescue Avi or remain in the shadows as he was directed. He surveyed the opposite buildings and the road, deeming it safe for Avi. If something happened to her under his watch, he had already been told there’d be hell to pay.

This is a definite need-to-know, and not the end of night report I normally give.
With a grimace, he keyed in the numbers to a line, which rang once and was answered by a gruff voice.

“What?”

Undetected, Ro continued behind Avi’s hurried steps at a safe distance. “This ain’t good, Noah,” he recounted as his gaze finally settled on the man lying on the ground near a few overturned tables.

“Fuck.”

He recognized Harry’s ashen face.

Ro crossed the street, slipping behind a parked van.

“Keep pressure on it,” another person said near Harry. Phone in hand, the man shouted, “At the corner of...”

Voices drowned out.

In front of her, a woman used her hand as a plug on the side of Harry’s neck. Her hand was slick with the thick red blood.

Avi’s hand muffled her screams.