Page 126 of Sins of Innocence

Does she think they should know who he is? Should they? He works for the Shaughnessys. He's not one of them, but he's some kind of management in the organization, or Ellie wouldn't work for him. I need to ask her what that means exactly.

"Am I to take it that Mr. Veseli is the man who insisted on giving some of Mr. Wrye's students and their parents a lesson in vocabulary last week?" JoAnn asks with a spark of amusement in her eyes.

"You heard about that?" I ask.

"Oh, we all heard about it. I have no doubt that after the upcoming emergency board meeting St. Patrick's Preparatory will be instituting a more aggressive antibullying campaign and training just like the elementary school."

She's probably right.

"He won't be the only one demanding change." He wasn't when it came to Neeve's school either.

But he was the one with the connections that made those demands a reality.

"No, he won't," JoAnn says with firm conviction.

So, she's not happy with the way bullying is handled here either.

JoAnn gives Sadie a worried look and I assure her quickly, "None of our children will be with us."

Sadie doesn't need to hear what will be said, nor will I allow her to be put on the spot, having to go back over what happened to her for the edification of an administration and school board that should never have allowed it to happen in the first place.

"Good." JoAnn glances toward the still closed door to Mark Bentley's office. "Adults failed in this situation and it is our job to make sure it never happens again."

The tension in Sadie's shoulders I didn't realize was there releases. I realize for the first time this morning how absolutely on edge my daughter has been. Mom guilt assails me because I didn't see it. She did such a good job hiding her stress, I was worried she was taking things too well.

She needs to know that it's not her job to pretend everything is okay when it's not.

I turn to her and regardless of everyone else in the office, cup my daughter's face. "You never have to pretend to be okay when you're not. It's my job to make things okay. I will always do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

"Kieran too, now, right?"

"Yes." God help him if he lets my girls down. "But you need to tell me right away when things happen. I'll pull you from school on a moment's notice if you ever feel unsafe."

The secretary starts to sputter something, but JoAnn hushes her.

Sadie rolls her eyes. "Thanks mom, but you can stop the whole mama bear routine now. Everything is okay now. Fitz is going to meet me and walk me to classes today."

That eyeroll is a victory I savor. I'll take preteen sarcasm over stress any day.

"If that's what it takes for you to feel safe that's great. But Kieran would assign a bodyguard for you if you wanted that too."

"I don't think that's nece––"

It's my turn to cut off the secretary. "Whatever I deem necessary for my daughter's safety is what will happen."

"Thanks mom," Sadie says with a forgivably smug look toward the school secretary. "But I'm happy to walk to classes with Fitz. He's a good friend."

The way she talks about him has a lot of hero worship, but she doesn't blush and stammer like a girl with a crush so I hope that the twelve-year-olds' friendship remains just that for a long time. Friendship. I'm not ready for my daughter to grow up and start having boyfriends. Not that I have a feeling Kieran is going to be keen on her dating before she's thirty.

You'll be the reasonable one, my inner snark queen quips. You'll only expect her to wait until she's twenty-five.

Fitz is waiting for us outside the office when we exit and after hugging me and promising she's really okay, Sadie leaves with him. I don't know what his homeroom teacher thinks about him being so late, but neither do I care. The school and its staff can make some accommodations where my daughter is concerned after how badly they let her down.

I'm walking past the entrance to the bathrooms in the now empty corridor, when a hand grabs my wrist and yanks. I react without thought, sliding into the moves Ellie drummed into me during self-defense training. Anchoring my weight on my back right foot I twist my wrist so my thumb is pointing to the spot between my assailant's thumb and forefinger. I yank as hard as I can, breaking his hold as I kick his shin with my sandal clad foot.

Boots would have done more damage, but Kenneth Shaughnessy makes a satisfying sound of pain as I'm turning to run, my mouth open to yell. He's too fast though, grabbing my hair and yanking me back toward him, his meaty hand clamping over my mouth. I bite down hard on the fleshy part and he does my yelling for me.

But he doesn't let go. "Settle down, Áine," he snarls. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you."