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How could I leave him and still keep him safe?

Grant had promised officers would bring both boys to me once I reached the motel. I had to trust him because I had no other way to get them out.

The reassurance became less convincing every time I repeated it.

What if Richard found out about the plan?

He would kill me, and then my boys would be left alone with him, trapped in his brutal world with no one left to protect them. The fear clawed at me. I pushed the thought down, swallowing hard against the burn rising in my throat. Tears threatened to spill over, but I choked them back and forced my breathing to remain even.

The fear couldn’t erase the deeper ache in my chest. I loved Seth with an intensity that terrified me almost as much as Richard did. I remembered how much my father had loved me and how safe his affection had made me feel before everything shattered.

I wanted to save Seth from his father’s darkness before it consumed him. I had brought him into this world without truly knowing who Richard was, and the guilt weighed on me. I refused to let his father claim his future.

I reached across the table to brush his hair from his forehead with trembling fingers. “I love you more than anything. You know that?”

He nodded, and a small smile touched his lips, softening the serious lines of his face for a moment. “I know, Mom. I love you.”

Before we left, the server brought out the Batman ice cream cake I had arranged when I made the reservation. Candles flickered across the top. I sang happy birthday to him at the table, my voice warm and joyful despite the storm inside me. We ate our slices until our stomachs ached from the sweet, rich frosting. I loved seeing the happiness on his little face and the way his tongue turned bright blue from the icing. After I paid and got him settled back into the car, we headed home.

Every mile marker felt like a countdown.

When we pulled into the driveway, Seth jumped out with his new model car clutched proudly against his chest. He ran inside, calling for Luke before I had even shut my door, eager to show his little brother his newest treasure.

The rest of the day unfolded as usual.

The boys spent the afternoon playing downstairs while I moved through the house pretending everything was normal. I tucked folded clothes into the back of the closet where Richard wouldn’t notice them. My toiletries waited beneath the bathroom sink, and I slipped the envelope of emergency cash into my purse.

Hours later, Richard came home, and we sat down to dinner. Near the end of the meal, he glanced at his phone and sighed.

“I have to go back to the office tonight,” he said. “Something came up with the account I closed.”

“How long will you be gone?” I asked.

“A few hours. Don’t wait up.”

We tucked Seth and Luke into bed and kissed them goodnight. Before leaving, Richard changed his shirt and grabbed his keys from the dresser.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, kissing my forehead.

I listened to his car pull out of the driveway. Once the sound of the engine disappeared, I locked myself inside the bathroom and called Grant.

“Richard just left for work,” I whispered. “What should I do?”

“Leave while you have the opportunity,” Grant said. “The boys need to stay there for now. Officers are already nearby, and they’ll retrieve them once you reach the motel.”

My stomach tightened. “What if Richard comes home before they get here?”

“We’ll move as soon as you’re safely away. If he sees you taking the boys, he could stop you before we can intervene.”

“You promise they’ll be safe?”

“Yes. Drive directly to the motel and call me when you’re inside your room. We’ll bring the boys to you.”

I ended the call and stood there for a moment, fighting the urge to ignore him and take Seth and Luke myself. Grant was a detective. He understood the danger better than I did, and officers were supposed to be waiting nearby.

I had to trust him.

The suitcase was already waiting beneath the bed. I pulled it into the hallway and carried it downstairs one careful step at a time. I had almost reached the front door when the lock turned.