“Yes, ma’am.”
Emmaheeheaded eased out of the house with the infant. “It’s all right, Gino. It’s your grandfather coming to pick you up. I’m going to leave you right here, and he’s going to drive up.” In a louder voice, she spoke to Hayden. “Go on and get in the house. It’s going to be all right now, Hayden.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll be fine. Just go so I’ll know you’ll be safe.” She turned her back on the approaching car long enough to see Merrick pull Hayden into the house.
Giovanni had ordered the car stopped and had gotten out so as not to scare the boy in Emma’s arms.
“I’m not real sure why you moved up the timeline for this, but thank you for returning my son.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Put him down, and my man will come and get him, so tell your dogs to keep their cool.”
The boy was scooped up off the front lawn as soon as Emma put him down, but Giovanni wasn’t in the mood for sentimental reunions and waved his man toward the open door. When he and the baby were safely back in the car, he turned his attention back to Emma. “Where are my sons?”
“Give me your word you’ll leave my family in peace, and I’ll make a phone call and have them released.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll let Cain decide what to do with them.”
Giovanni swiped the white cloth in his hand across his mouth before he answered. If he despised Cain, this little woman was quickly gaining on her. “The bitch’s in a coma.” He saw Emma flinch.
“Then think of how long you’ll have to wait.”
Behind Emma, Merrick was warring between cheering the woman on or running out and slapping her. “Emma, what in the hell are you doing? We got the kid back. Let the rest go.”
“I give you my word, I’ll leave you all alone to lick your wounds. Just release my family and stay out of my business.”
The car door slammed so hard Emma thought the window would shatter. With a squeal of wheels audible for blocks in the quiet neighborhood, the car took off toward the river.
The heavy oak door shut the world out when Emma closed it, and she had to take a minute to lean against it. Her heart felt like someone had electrified it, so she closed her eyes to get it to calm down. When she opened them again she saw something missing from her life for too long—her son, looking fragile and in need of his mother.
She moved slowly toward him, wrapped her arms around him, and waited. Hayden stiffened at first but finally gave in to the tears that had threatened all day. The staff disappeared into the house as mother and son sank to the floor. No matter the difference in their sizes, Emma never lost her grip and Hayden cried into her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” cried Hayden, saying it over and over.
“No, Hayden, you have nothing to be sorry about. I should’ve waited until both Cain and I could tell you about Hannah. But you have to know I love you both. I left here because I was a fool. Please don’t make your sister pay for my mistakes.”
“I’m sorry I ran away.”
“Just promise me you’ll think things through next time. I’m so glad you’re home.” Emma tried to push his hair out of his eyes. “I sure have missed you, and there’s someone here dying to meet you. Think you’re up for that?”
Hayden nodded and leaned more into his mother’s body. “I thought about her when I was sitting in that room.”
“What’d you think about?”
“What it would be like to have a little sister, nothing big. Does she look like you?”
“Honey, if you look at the million baby pictures we have of you, you’ve seen Hannah. Let’s go in the den, and I’ll run and get her.”
With a strong hold, Hayden kept Emma from getting up. “He’s coming back, he said.”
“Who, Hayden?”
“Mr. Bracato. He said he wants to hurt all of us. He’s the one who had Mom shot.”
“He won’t touch you again, I promise. I know what he did to Cain, but I’m going to do the one thing I should’ve done four years ago.”
“What?”
“Trust her to fix it. She’ll take care of us, and I have every faith she isn’t going to fail. After all, these are her children we’re talking about.”
“But she’s—” said Hayden.
“She’s awake, son, and doing great.”
Hayden pulled away a little and looked at Emma in shock. “She’s awake?” His mother’s nod made one thought pop into the boy’s head.
Chapter Thirty-Four
