She gave a small nod, lips trembling. “For now. I should have known better. He was lying to me as usual. I’m such a fool.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” Finn replied. His gaze shifted to the boy, now sitting cross-legged on the mattress. His shirt was too small. He looked too weary and old for his age.
“You ready?”
The woman bit her lip. “I want to go. But he said he’d find me. Take Joshie away.”
Finn’s jaw tightened. “He won’t.”
A thud echoed down the hall.
Then another. Heavy footsteps stopped outside the door.
The woman froze. The boy flinched but got up to stand near his mother, silent, shaking.
Ford moved toward the door just as a fist slammed against it.
“Back up,” Finn said quietly.
“The bitch isn’t going anywhere,” a voice snarled. The man kicked the door open. “Who the hell are you?”
“No one you want to mess with,” Finn replied, standing in the doorway.
The guy was scrawny, mid-thirties, strung out, his irises blown. “What are you going to do about it, pretty boy?”
The guy had to be out of it. No way could he ever mistake Finn for a pretty boy or someone who couldn’t easily take him on.
Finn stood there, just stared.
The man stepped closer.
Finn didn’t move except to reach behind his back. He kept his hand there, although he didn’t need a gun to take this guy down.
The stare-down lasted longer than Finn hoped, but finally the guy dropped his gaze. He peered around Finn. “Bitch, I’ll find you. The next time, I won’t go easy on you.”
“Get the hell out of here,” Finn growled.
The man spat on the ground, turned, muttering curses to himself down the stairwell.
Finn waited until he couldn’t hear him anymore and turned to the woman and kid. The boy was still watching him. His little hands were in fists to protect his mother.
“You okay, little man?”
The boy nodded slowly.
“Good. You’re brave to protect your mom.”
He looked at the woman. “Ready?”
She stepped over to the corner and picked up a small suitcase and the trash bag. “Yes.”
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Finn said. “I go first. You follow. If I sense any danger, run back up here and lock the door. I’ll come and get you. Okay?”
The woman nodded.
The threesome made it down the stairs. Finn hoped the asswipe would decide to do something so he could end it and the little family wouldn’t have to be afraid. But the guy was gone. He got them to his truck, put their sparse belongings in the back seat, and made sure they had their seat belts on.
No one said a word on the way back. Finn kept one eye on the rearview mirror, watching the boy drift off to sleep against the window while his mother wrung her hands in her lap.
