Page 45 of Bobby

I nod. I understand. “Hopefully, the neighbors gave you some candy at least. If not, I’m sure I can get you some to give to the girls so they don’t miss out on Halloween.” No one should miss out on free candy, especially a child.

At the mention of me wanting to do more, she moves. There’s determination in her stride as she gets closer.

She’s changed since I last saw her. When I brought the girls to her, she was surprised but happy to see them. Until she realized the time and questioned why they were out of school. I told her that the girls had something to tell her and that Mary would take them home. She was so focused on them that worry overtook questions about work. If she had voiced them, I would have told her to ignore the job and focus on her daughters instead.

But that was hours ago.

“I don’t need to know everything. I don’t even think I want to. I keep my head down enough to go unnoticed, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hear things. That I don’t know things.”

She’s a foot away from me, and I swallow the emotion that’s bubbling to the surface. If she’s saying what I think she is, I have feelings—very strong feelings—on what she’ll say next.

“I’m asking you, as a mother, to please take care of this. Please make this go away for my daughters, and for me.”

I scan her eyes. Ones she lays open for me to read at will. She’s not saying anything outright, but I know what she wants. What she needs. As a person, it’s hard to stomach the thought of anyone hurting a child. As a parent? I can only imagine so much of what she’s feeling. I’m sure it’s at least double what I am.

I might not have been there when Lily and Ivy took their first breaths or steps in this world. But I plan to make sure they keep going forward and don’t fall to any demons out there. Including a teacher who preys on the children at his school.

I would have done this for anyone.

But for her? Her girls?

I would burn the world for them.

“It’s already taken care of.”

I speak softly and wait for her next move. Either it was just talk and she didn’t mean to cause true harm, or she did. Only her next actions will tell me how she feels about me confirming the rumors she’s heard. The connections she’s put together about what my family, the House of Leone, can do will determine what will become of us going forward.

She takes a step forward, closing the gap, and wraps her arms around me, holding me close as she burrows into me.

Mine.

“Thank you.”

I wrap my arms around her with a silent promise: Always.

Chapter 17—Willow

I glance at my phone when the notification comes in and smile.

“Girls—delivery,” I sing and don’t hold back a laugh when I hear them scramble out of their room. They’re obsessed with deliveries after getting so many. Now that I get notifications from the lobby alerting me when one is sent up the elevator, I let the girls go wild. It helps that now that all the big pieces are already here and it’s just small deliveries like food, one of the staff from the lobby brings it up. And, like my girls do with just about everyone, they have the entire place smitten with them.

“What is it, Mommy?” they ask at the same time.

Not that they wait for me to answer before they’re opening the front door and waiting to see what comes off the elevator.

“Oh, I don’t know.” I come up behind them, also watching for the elevator. Only those with access can use it, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let the girls go without keeping an eye on them. I might not be a full helicopter mom, but I hover a bit. This is New York, after all. And anything can happen.

Something almost did.

I shudder at the reminder of everything I learned last night. I was so wrapped up in the kiss that it took me too long to realize the girls were out of school early. And then when I did, I saw Lily shut down, and that told me something was very wrong. We made it to the car before she told me everything.

I kept it together. I didn’t cry or throw anything, even though I wanted to. I only let the tears fall once the girls were asleep in the living room. We did our traditional Friday spa night, and I went overboard ordering the food. We had so many sweets that my girls passed out way earlier than usual. Which sucked, because when they were awake, I could push away the worry and just focus on them.

But when they were asleep, my mind was left to wander. To replay it all. I was scared. So scared. And the only thing that kept me from spiraling was Bobby. Remembering it was him who brought me the girls. His team that noticed things were off, according to Ivy, and that’s why they got out of school early.

That man embedded himself into our lives, and I knew so little about him. In my need to find control in something, I decided to get him a gift. Something to say thank you for everything. But not a thing came to mind, so I took to Google. It took some deep rabbit-hole digging to find anything about him and his family. Nothing about his hobbies or what he likes, but there were some random words associated with his family. Small write-ups that alluded to who he and his brothers are. Things I had heard at the office in passing but never thought much of. It wasn’t something I thought would ever affect me and mine. Until last night, when I noticed I was more tangled up with him than I ought to be.

But worry and fear weren’t what I felt when I came to realize who he is. Who his family are. Who is looking after us.