“What the hell is he doing here?” Todd said as Jamie pulled to a stop.
ChapterTen
Todd jumpedout of the car and strode to where Charlie sat on Jamie’s front porch like he owned the fucking place. “You need to leave right now.” Charlie’s eyes were wide as saucers. He looked like he was on something and seemed stoned out of his mind. Todd recoiled as he got closer. The sweet, stomach-roiling scent of illness or infection pushing him back. “Go,” Todd said. “I’m calling the police.” He waved his phone.
“Not without my son,” Charlie said. “Not without my Kenny. You can’t take him away from me.” He sounded pathetic, almost pleading. Fear spiked in Todd’s belly, because at that moment, he knew Charlie had lost touch with reality. He had always used parental references regarding Kenny, but they had been vague, like he was trying to exert some sort of influence, but this was so different.
“Kenny is my son. Not yours, and whatever delusion you’re under is meaningless,” he snapped, and then started shaking a little as Charlie finally got up and slowly descended the two steps to the walk. Head down, he shuffled along the front walk as Kenny came around the car. Charlie looked broken and sad, and maybe that was what delayed Todd’s reaction.
Suddenly, Charlie ran, grabbed Kenny, and took off down the sidewalk. Where he got the energy or the ability to move so quickly, Todd didn’t know, and it took his mind a few precious seconds to process what was happening.
“Daddy!’ Kenny screamed as Charlie ran toward the corner. Todd took off after him, closing the distance between them as Charlie turned at the intersection. Kenny cried out over and over, his terror building, struggling to get away as Todd poured every ounce of energy he had into reaching Kenny. Toddwondered what he was going to do when he caught him. He couldn’t just tackle Charlie because Kenny might get hurt.
Sirens grew closer fast, louder and louder until cars drew closer, speeding toward Charlie and Kenny. They stopped, and officers raced from the other direction, getting in front of Charlie.
“Let him go!” one of the officers yelled. “Stop and let the boy go!”
Charlie stopped and looked around, probably searching for a way out, but the police fanned out and had him surrounded. “He’s my son.”
“Let him go,” the police said again.
Charlie held Kenny against him as the police drew nearer. Kenny stood still, and Todd willed him to be okay. Suddenly, Kenny kicked back as hard as he could, catching Charlie in the leg. He howled, and Kenny stomped on his foot, kicking more, until Charlie fell to the ground. Then Kenny stepped away, and Todd put out his arms as his son raced to him.
Todd held Kenny tightly, rocking him in his arms as Kenny cried against him. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” He held him as the officers took Charlie into custody.
“I thought guys took him away a few days ago,” Jamie said as he caught up to them.
“There was no real reason to hold him on a simple trespassing charge,” one of the officers said. “But we’ll have plenty of hold him on this time.”
“You better,” Jamie said, hands on his hips, eyes glaring and flashing as though they were on fire. “If we see him again….” He let his meaning hang in the air. The officer puffed out his chest, but Jamie was having none of it. “I will protect my home and my family. It’s my right.”
They put Charlie in the back of one of the cars. “We’re going to need both of you to make a statement.”
“Yes. I understand that. I’ll contact Carter and arrange to do that.” Jamie agreed, his tone still clipped. “Come on. Let’s go back to the house and get Kenny inside.”
Todd lifted Kenny into his arms, carrying him back toward the house. Jamie walked next to him, holding his arm. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“What if he comes back?” Kenny mumbled.
“He’s done. We have plenty of witnesses, and he’s going to be put in jail for a long time. The bad man is finally gone,” Todd said, more determined than ever to get his life back on track and to make sure that Kenny was always safe. Kenny rested his head on Todd’s shoulder as Jamie unlocked the door, and they went inside.
Cindy greeted all of them as soon as they closed the door, jumping around their legs. Todd put Kenny down, and he sat on the floor, holding Cindy, who sat in his lap, licking his face. That dog always seemed to know when someone needed comfort.
“He’s probably going to have nightmares for a week,” Todd told Jamie as Cindy did her best to calm Kenny, even making him laugh a little.
“Yeah, I know. But he’s okay. Charlie isn’t going to be anywhere near him again.”
“But what do we do?” Todd asked.
“We make him feel safe. He needs to know that he’s secure and that we’re not going to let anything happen to him. Kenny needs to know that his daddy will always be there for him and do everything he can for him. That will take some time after this, but it will happen. Kids are resilient, and you ran after him like the hounds of hell were at your feet. Kenny saw that, and he knows you love him.”
Todd wondered if that was true.
“Daddy, is the bad man going to get me again?” Kenny asked as he hurried to where Todd stood. Cindy raced after him.
“No, he’s not. He’s going to go to jail for what he did, and that is going to help keep you safe.”
“But he said I washisson,” Kenny countered.
