“Cross my heart and hope to die.” He made an X across his chest with his finger.
“Don’t say die.” I tightened my grip around the steering wheel.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. Then he stood up and pushed his head in between the driver’s and passenger seat to kiss my cheek. “Thanks.”
I gestured with my head toward the backseat. “Sit down and put your seatbelt on.”
I sent Ace a text to let him know that Aiden and I decided to make an ice cream run and then would be on our way home.
“What kind does Dad want?” Aiden asked once we parked in the small lot behind the parlor.
It made my heart stutter a little hearing Aiden call AceDad.
“Chocolate with fudge swirls,” I told him, knowing Ace’s favorite flavor by heart.
“That’s right.” Aiden snapped his fingers and turned to me after we passed through the door of the ice cream parlor.
Another benefit of living in Texas was that, even though it was nearing mid-December, ice cream shops were still open and serving. That was not the case back in Philadelphia.
“I want to try the chocolate with the fudge swirls, too. On a cone,” Aiden added.
With a roll of my eyes, I laughed. Aiden typically went for mint chocolate chip. “How did I know you’d want the same flavor as Ace?” I asked as we entered the ice cream shop.
Aiden shrugged and turned to get a glimpse of the tubs of ice cream in the freezer bins behind the glass counter.
“What flavor are you getting, little guy?”
The male voice chilled me to the bone. I looked up from my purse in which I'd been fumbling around, searching for my wallet, to see Vincent Reyes standing right next to Aiden.
To my horror, he cut his gaze in my direction, and his lips parted in a devious smirk. He stooped down low.
“My favorite type of ice cream is strawberry. What’s yours?”
“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” Aiden said before looking up at me. He moved closer to me. “Right, Mama?”
I grabbed Aiden by the arm and pulled him behind me. “Right.”
“It’s all right, little man,” Reyes said, rising to his full height. He stared me in the eye. “Your mom knows who I am. Don’t you, Savannah?”
With my hand still partially in my purse, I discreetly dug around for the cell phone I’d carelessly tossed inside. Just my luck, it somehow managed to weasel its way to the bottom of my damn bag.
“What are you doing here?” I swung my gaze side to side, trying to see if I could capture the attention of anyone around us. There were about five other customers and two employees behind the counter.
“Uh-uh,” Reyes warned with a stern shake of his head. “Don’t try any funny shit,” he said in a low, gravelly voice.
He stepped closer and grabbed hold of my arm. With his free hand, he partially opened the side of his jacket, revealing the butt of a gun that stood out from his waistband.
I knew as soon as I heard his voice that Aiden and I were in trouble, but seeing the gun nearly caused my heart to stop beating.
I couldn’t fall apart. I had to keep my head on straight to get us out of this.
“Mama, it’s our turn in line,” Aiden said, trying to push ahead toward the counter.
“Change of plans, little guy,” Reyes said.
“Don’t talk to him,” I hissed.
His hold on my arm tightened to the point of pain. “You want to be careful how you speak to me. We’re leaving, and I would advise you to keep the kid quiet. I have no problem killing both of you right here and now.”
