“It’s not kidnapping.” Rage rolled through me that these two imbeciles could not get it. I growled my next words out. “He’s my son. Mine. You can’t steal what already belongs to you.”
“I don’t think—” Charlie tried to speak again.
“Exactly, you don’t think.” I paced the small room, my plan starting to take shape. “We take Hayden. He’s going to Summer Camp next week. We snatch him right from under their noses. We take the time to see where they’re most vulnerable before we strike.” I smiled, the perfection of it all washing over me. “Then we call Maggie. We tell Maggie if she ever wants to see him again, she has to come to us. Alone. No cops. No Snow.”
“But, when?” Keith looked at my phone once more, he could see the bus route on the screen. “That camp is only for four days.”
“Yes.” I said and smiled at my brother. “But the last day of camp is also the day of the shipment transfer. If my hunch is correct, Snow will be distracted by that.”
CHAPTER 24
MAGGIE
The house was no longera sanctuary. Instead, it was a gilded cage. Oh, it was still home. The skateboard at the kitchen door and the pompoms that were almost permanently in the living room were a clear indication of that. Not to mention the pink glitter that managed to find its way into nearly every nook and cranny of the house. The only one who seemed to keep his shit together was Hayden. Even his bedroom looked like it was ready for a magazine photo shoot.
For three days after finding that polaroid we’d been on a full lock down. Even Zoe and Connor had been forced to stay home. The result was more kids in the house. Both teens had invited their friends around since they could not leave.
And even though the house was home, it still felt wrong. The blinds were drawn, giving each room that gloomy feel that affects your inner clock. Both the front and back door had keyless entry and each time my phone beeped with the code for the next twelve hours, it was a stark reminder of the world I now lived in. A world controlled by other people.
One where my children’s sperm donor was trying to terrorize me. I wasn’t sure what the point was. Surely, he couldn’t want me back. We could barely stand each other before he went toprison. All I knew was that I was terrified. I hadn’t seen Fred since he had been back in town. Yet, I could not deny his presence.
He was everywhere. He’d gotten to my friends. That bird on the doorstep of Forte Femme had only been the start, but it gave Tiffany nightmares for weeks. Not to mention what that polaroid had meant. Even with a zoom, it was still obvious he could get to my kids if he wanted to.
Each time I dared to look out of a window my body tensed. The security guard standing there reminded me why I needed to stay indoors. They changed shifts regularly and while I understood the need, it was still frustrating having to learn new names and faces each day.
The “new normal” we had established weeks ago had vanished. It was the middle of summer and the kids couldn’t sit and play at the pool or even go for a swim without an armed guard following us. Theo had worked from home more often than not. It seemed that the whole point behind the original reason for moving in had evaporated.
I walked toward the kitchen, the sound of subtle movement sounded more and more ominous. My steps halted at the entrance. Flour and food coloring touched every surface. It wasn't a happy chaos of a kid enjoying their summer vacation. Rather, the mess was a result of cabin fever.
With Hayden at summer camp, Jaycee was bored and missing her brother. Originally, Theo wouldn’t allow Hayden to go. I understood the reasoning but I convinced him, eventually. A bored four-year-old girl was a lot easier to manage than a seven-year-old boy who needed constant mental stimulation. That was another beast entirely. The result was that we all looked forward to Hayden getting home in the evening. It also helped that Zoe was a volunteer camp councillor.
“Mama, why can’t I also go to summer camp?” Jaycee sat with her arms crossed. “I don’t get to do fun things. Only Hayden and Zoe. I also want?—”
“Enough.” My voice was louder than intended.
Connor walked in and picked up a crying Jaycee. “Come on, munchkin.”
“Connor.” I stepped fully into the kitchen and gave him a small smile. “I know you’ve seen it about a hundred times in the last few days but can you put K-Pop Demon Hunters on, please?”
“Sure.” The teenager threw his head back and I was so grateful for his patience.
I took a deep breath and headed upstairs. Theo had suspiciously disappeared earlier and I wanted to see him, but more than that I needed to hold on to him.
My flip-flops slapped against my feet as I walked down the hallway. As I stepped into the bedroom I stopped. Theo wasn’t on a call. He wasn’t on his laptop either. He was staring down at the bed, as if studying it. But it wasn’t the way he was standing that bothered me. It was what he was staring at.
On the bed was a black Kevlar vest and a handgun that looked heavy and scary against the white duvet. He was shirtless, wearing only a black tactical pants that had more pockets than I had in my entire wardrobe.
He looked up as I entered. The shift in his eyes was immediate. The cold calculating look of an operator had vanished, replaced by something softer. The edge was still there, no doubt about it, but he couldn’t be that person with me. That was why he stared at those items. He was trying to get into the right headspace. Too bad, I needed him for a little longer.
“Hey.” He walked up to me and held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Everything okay downstairs?”
“Not at all.” My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. I stepped away and walked over to the bed. “What time do you have to leave?”
He let out a sigh. “Nick wants us on site in an hour.” Something about the way I was looking at the array of weapons on the bed must’ve bothered him. “Look, Mags. All this is just standard precaution. We may not even need it.”
That lie fell from his mouth far too smoothly.
“Don’t.” I held my forefinger up. “Don’t try to sanitize this. I know what is happening. This is a war, and you mean to win.”
