“It’s okay to feel that way.” Running her hand over Hayden’s thick hair brought back memories of the few times she had gotten to hold Cain this way.
“She promised she’d come back, and she didn’t. I don’t want to be alone.”
As she tried to pull him closer, Hayden put up the first sign of resistance by rolling away from her. “You aren’t alone, Hayden. You have me, and there’s someone else.” She had wanted to wait and tell him about Hannah with Cain, but she figured it would take his mind off Cain’s condition.
“There isn’t anyone else, and you already left me. Because Mom’s hurt, I’m not just supposed to go with you. You didn’t want us, remember?” Hayden sat up and pulled away from his mother. Without meaning to, she had distracted him from his worry about Cain by replacing it with his anger toward her.
“You have a sister, Hayden, who loves you very much.”
The words had barely left her mouth when Hayden jumped up and twirled around to face her with clenched fists. “No!” he roared, loud enough to wake most of the house, and she heard the running footsteps headed for his room. “You’ll say anything, won’t you? I don’t have any sister.”
She spoke fast. “I’m not lying. Her name is Hannah, and she’s going to be four in a couple of weeks. When I left I had just found out I was pregnant. I planned to keep that baby safe.”
“How, by sacrificing me?”
“No, by coming back for you.”
“I wish Mom had just ordered me to stay away from you. You not only left me, you love some other kid better? When Mom finds out—”
The door opened, and Merrick and Mook slammed in without an invitation.
“Go back to bed, this is between me and her.” Hayden pointed to Emma, expecting to be obeyed.
“What’s all the yelling about?” asked Merrick.
“I said this is private. Leave.” Hayden never took his eyes off her as he shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. When they had gotten back from the hospital he had just collapsed on the bed, not feeling like undressing. “When Mom finds out, you won’t be able to find a pit deep enough to hide in,” he said, once the door clicked closed.
“Cain already knows about Hannah. I told her tonight, but she already knew.”
“Liar. She would’ve told me. She tells me everything.”
Emma stood and moved closer to him. She wanted to comfort him, but if she had to let him verbally attack her, so be it. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell you, Hayden. Maybe she was waiting for all this to be over.”
When Hayden added betrayal to the list of things he felt, something in him snapped. “Get out. Go back to your room. You and Mom deserve each other.”
“Let’s finish this, son.”
“I’m not your son, I’m not anyone’s son. You’ve replaced me. Now, get out.”
*
“Mrs. Casey.” Carmen shook her shoulder lightly, waking her to a very bright room.
Emma blinked in confusion until the previous night rushed back like some bad B-movie. If her original plan had been to alienate Hayden from Cain, she had succeeded. Only now, he totally despised her as an added bonus.
“Is something wrong? Did something happen to Cain?”
“No, ma’am, the hospital called and said Ms. Casey’s doing better. I just thought you’d like to join young Hayden for some breakfast before you both head back to the hospital.”
Merrick banged on the door. “Carmen, where’s Hayden?” Merrick felt truly panicked as she asked the question. His dismissal of them the night before had caught both her and Mook off guard, but they had tried to give him some room. So much space that now they couldn’t find him.
“I thought he was in his room.”
Emma threw back the blankets, walked up to Merrick, and grabbed her. “What do you mean, where’s Hayden?”
“I can’t find him anywhere in the house, but he knows better than to be out alone. He didn’t tell you anything?”
Emma tightened her grip on Merrick’s arms. Hayden was probably just out blowing off steam like any normal eleven-year-old who had gotten into an argument with his mother. However, most young boys weren’t the son of Cain and Emma Casey. They weren’t walking, enticing targets for those who would use them as payment for the sins of their family. If he had let his anger override his good sense, then he could be in big trouble, now compounded by the fact that Cain wasn’t there to fix any problems.
Mook ran in and had to take a second to catch his breath before he could talk. “We found his bike about a block from here, but no sign of him.”
It was Merrick’s turn to hold on to Emma, as she almost collapsed at the news. “Come on, Emma. Now isn’t the time for you to fall apart. As much as I don’t like it, we’re in this together, and we have to get him back before Cain wakes up. She trusted all of us to take care of him, and let me tell you, folks, we aren’t exactly doing a bang- up job here.”
“Maybe he just went for a walk.” Mook tried to think positively, but even he couldn’t even imagine having to tell Cain they’d lost her kid.
“Mook, I love you, God knows, but if he left here on his bike he didn’t go for a walk. We need to find out who exactly has him.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Emma took a deep breath and only for an instant leaned against Merrick for support. “Shouldn’t we ask the feds outside if they saw anything?”
