“What is this?” Wes glared at Leah’s car, then at Leah. “Are you stealing my children from me?”
“No, sir.” Her voice sounded thin. “As we were pulling away, we saw Claire trying to get through her window. I stopped to help her.”
“I told you that she’s grounded.” Another expletive hissed from him. “You didn’t think you were in enough trouble already?” he demanded of Claire. “So you decided to sneak out?”
Claire stared at the grass.
He turned away. Took a few paces toward the door. Rounded on them again. Sweat beaded his forehead. “Claire is not leaving,” he spat. “None of them are leaving.” He threw one of the metal chairs in their direction. They darted apart. The chair clattered between them, narrowly missing them both.
Wes charged to Claire, grabbed her forearm, and marched her toward the house.
“No!” Leah extended a hand. “I’m very sorry. I don’t want Claire to get in trouble—”
A blur shot past Leah. Then another. Becca and Mason launched themselves at their dad, trying to free Claire. He shoved them away.
“That’s enough!” Leah yelled. “Stop—”
Pattering footsteps neared. Leah turned to see Annie hurtling toward the mob. Leah intercepted her, wrapping her arms around the girl’s waist. Screeching in outrage, Annie flailed.
“You can help them best by going to get a neighbor,” Leah toldher. “Any neighbor you trust who you think might be home.” She set the girl down.
Annie froze.
“Go!” Leah ordered. Annie sprinted away.
Leah moved toward Wes, who continued to grapple with his children. Hateful words roared from him as he thrust Mason to the ground and tossed Becca aside. Mason sprang back at his father. While Wes’s attention was on his son, Leah drew Becca away, then attempted to pry Claire from his grip. Just when she thought she might succeed, Wes’s elbow collided with her cheekbone.
The impact filled Leah’s vision with stars. She stumbled back. Her equilibrium tilted ... the world dimmed ... then slowly righted itself.
Wes was far stronger than any of them individually and maybe all of them collectively. Claire and her siblings were already hurt, and he’d hurt them more severely—
A figure barreled forward and entered the fray with the force of a silent and deadly wind.
Sebastian, she realized.
Sebastian.
He threw a punch at Wes that connected with the older man’s jaw. Wes’s head snapped to the side, and his hold on Claire released.
With quicksilver speed, Sebastian positioned the kids and Leah behind himself. “Get back,” he gritted out.
Leah steered the kids a safe distance away.
Wes stormed at Sebastian, his shoulders lowered so that he caught Sebastian in the stomach and drove him into the ground. They rolled, struggling. Wes rose on top, clobbering Sebastian with a fist to the temple. He pulled his arm back again—
Leah shoved Wes to the side. He fell and the two men wrestled, each landing blows to the other’s ribs.
A stranger—a muscular man in his fifties—entered the scene. He hauled Wes off Sebastian. Wes retaliated by swinging at the stranger, barely missing him.
Sebastian gained his feet. Together, he and the stranger workedto subdue Wes. It was like bringing down a thrashing bull, but they finally pushed him facedown on the grass and held him there.
Wes continued to swear and strain.
Leah’s pulse jangled. Her breath came hard. The children were breathing hard, too—all of them blinking and shell-shocked. “Is everyone all right?” Leah asked.
They nodded, though they didn’t look all right. Mason had a split lip. A red ring marked the skin of Claire’s forearm where her father had gripped her.
Annie hugged Claire. “I went and got our neighbor, Mr. Hawthorne,” the little girl whispered to Leah.
