Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
She looked at me through tear-filled eyes. “You promise?”
“I swear it,” I replied, meaning it with every fiber of my being. I would tear down whatever barriers stood between this child and her mother, legal or otherwise. “Can you be brave for your mom?”
Lily nodded solemnly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I can try.”
“That’s my girl,” I said, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “Mr. Flopsy will help you be brave too.”
Officer Martinez stood, giving me a slight nod of acknowledgment. “Time to go, kiddo,” he said to Lily, his voice gentle but firm.
Eliza rushed forward, dropping to her knees to embrace her daughter one last time. “I love you so much,” she whispered fiercely. “This is only for a little while.”
Ms. Winters checked her watch pointedly. “Ms. Jans, please don’t make this more difficult than necessary.”
Officer Martinez shot Ms. Winters a disapproving look before guiding Lily toward the door. “Come on, little one,” he said kindly. “We’ll get this all worked out soon.”
Lily looked back over her shoulder as they walked away, her small face streaked with tears. “Bye, Mommy,” she called, her voice breaking. “Bye, Cash.”
I stood rooted to the spot, watching helplessly as Officer Martinez led her through the security doors. Ms. Winters followed, her briefcase swinging at her side with businesslike efficiency, not sparing us another glance.
Through the glass doors, we watched as they crossed the parking lot to the waiting police cruiser. Officer Martinez carefully helped Lily into the back seat, making sure Mr. Flopsy was secure in her arms before closing the door. She immediately pressed her face against the window, her small hand splayed against the glass in a goodbye that tore my heart to shreds.
As the cruiser pulled away, I caught a glimpse of Officer Martinez saying something to Ms. Winters, his expression hard as he gestured toward Haven. Whatever he said, she dismissed it with a wave of her hand before sliding into her own government sedan.
Eliza stood frozen by the door, one hand still pressed against the glass as if she could reach through it and pull her daughter back. Nobody spoke. The silence felt physical, pressing against my ears like the moment after an explosion.
I watched Eliza carefully, recognizing the signs of someone holding themselves together by will alone. Her shoulders remained rigid, her spine straight, until the moment the car vanished from sight.
Eliza’s shoulders slumped and her knees gave way. I moved without thinking, closing the scant distance between, wrapping my arms around her waist. She sagged against me, clutching my cut and T-shirt in her small fists.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured against her hair as I gathered her against my chest. “I’ve got you, Eliza.”
Her first sob sounded like it physically hurt, raw and primal in its intensity. She clutched at my cut, her fingers digging into the leather with desperate strength as wave after wave of grief shook her small frame. I tightened my hold, one hand cradling the back of her head as I guided us both to the floor, my back against the wall for support.
“Why? Why c-can’t I c-catch a b-break? I did everything they asked!” She sucked in a sobbing breath. “They keep m-moving the b-bar!”
Each word felt like a knife in my chest. I had no comfort to offer, no reassurances to offer in the face of her devastation. She didn’t need my words. Instead, I held her, letting her cry while my own rage burned cold and steady beneath the surface.
The other women and children had been directed away from the common room, likely to the courtyard or one of the recreation rooms. Hannah appeared with a blanket, draping it gently over Eliza’s shoulders before retreating again. Eliza turned her face into my chest to muffle the worst of her cries.
“This is my fault,” Ash’s voice came from nearby, rough with emotion. I looked up to see him slumped against the opposite wall, face buried in his hands. “If I hadn’t lost it, given the bitch exactly what she wanted…”
“You certainly didn’t help, but she was going to take Lily regardless,” Knuckles stated flatly, standing in the center of the lobby with his arms crossed. “She came prepared. Had the paperwork ready. Your little display just made her job easier. She tell you she was coming?”
Ash nodded. “Yeah. Called when she pulled into the parking lot. Said she was required to notify me, just like they did when they first told me about Lily.”
“That’s what I thought,” Knuckles said with a growl. “She set you up.”
Ash raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed and hollow. “I played right into her hands.”
“We all did,” I admitted, still holding Eliza as her sobs gradually quieted to shuddering breaths. “She knew exactly which buttons to push.”
Knuckles nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Winters has been gunning for Eliza from the beginning. This isn’t about Lily’s safety. It’s about covering her own ass.”