“Can you ask Jamie and Nicole if they’ll talk to me?”
“He can hear you, silly,” Matty said as he shook his head. “But Nicole can’t so he can ask her for you, okay?”
Seth smiled and nodded and then directed his question to Jamie. “Jamie, do you think you and Nicole can talk to me?”
Jamie glanced at his sister and then leaned forward to whisper something in Matty’s ear.
“They can’t,” Matty announced. “They can’t talk to grown-ups. Willow said so.”
“Okay,” Seth said as he looked at Jamie again. “But how come you didn’t talk to the kids at the home?”
Matty obediently put his ear to Jamie’s mouth and nodded. “Because they were mean to Nicole,” he said solemnly. “Papa, they should get a talking to,” Matty added as he looked at me.
“Yeah, buddy, they should,” I agreed.
“Jamie, can you and Nicole tell Matty things and then maybe he can tell us?” Seth asked the little boy.
Jamie turned to Nicole and signed something. She nodded and then Jamie was whispering in Matty’s ear again.
“He says yes…but he’s hungry.”
Seth chuckled and then looked at me.
“Okay, let’s move this to the kitchen,” I suggested. Matty took Jamie’s hand and Jamie took Nicole’s and the little human chain filed past us and towards the kitchen.
Chapter 11
Ronan
As soon asthe girl startled awake, I was ready and I grabbed her gently by the shoulders to hold her down when she tried to jerk upright. “It’s okay, you’re safe,” I said as I maintained my grip on her. It took very little effort because she was still weak. Her shoulders felt bony beneath my hands and I instantly gentled my hold even further just to make sure I wouldn’t inadvertently leave any bruises on her.
“Nicole! Jamie!” she cried out, though the words came out as a hoarse whisper.
“They’re safe,” I assured her. “They’re with my husband and our friends.”
She settled slightly, but her wary eyes were clouded with distrust. When I was sure she wouldn’t try to get out of bed, I grabbed the cup of water from the side table and held the straw to her mouth. Instead of drinking, she took the entire cup from me and despite her weak muscles, she held it close to her body as she began drinking.
“Just a few sips at a time,” I warned her. She shot me a dark look, but she removed the straw from her lips and waited several long moments before taking another sip.
“I need to see them,” she said as her hand went to her bruised throat.
I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Seth. I turned the phone so she could see the message and then sent it. “It will probably take him about half an hour or so to get here with the traffic.”
Willow nodded and then glanced out the window. “What time is it?” she asked as she took in the overcast sky.
“Four o’ clock.”
Her hand went back to her throat. “Uncle Gene…is he…”
“He’s in jail,” I said. “Your aunt isn’t in custody, but she’s been ordered by a judge to stay away from you and your brother and sister. You have a lawyer named Zane Devereaux who is now your advocate. That means he will work with the courts and CPS to do what’s best for you, Jamie and Nicole.”
“So I don’t have to talk to you,” she responded.
“No, you don’t.”
“Am I going to jail?” she asked and I saw some of her hardness dissolve.
“No, but you’re still facing charges for what happened this morning. Since you’re a minor, you’ll likely get probation. Zane will find you a good criminal attorney and if he can’t, I’ll find you one.”
