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“I’ll take a shower now.” I excused myself to the bathroom.
I cried silently under the hot shower, lamenting my life. I tried not to be full of self-pity, but I couldn’t help it. Just when everything had started to look bright for me and my son. I had a well-paid job, a cosy apartment, and I had been able to put my son in a decent school. I’d met Declan and he was pretty much crazy about me. And then this had happened. The past had finally caught up with me. I wondered when life was ever going to give me a break.
Declan heard from Braden when I was packing my things. A surge of relief washed over me to hear that Bobby was in Braden’s custody. I talked to my son. He seemed calm and unaffected by the incident. Probably because he had seen worse. Bobby and Braden were heading to Alpine. They would be there when we returned to New York.
The rest was a blur.
As soon as the airline opened, I booked the earliest flight home. Twenty-five hours later, we touched down in John F Kennedy Airport. Braden picked us up at the arrival gate. I was antsy to see my son.
I almost broke down in tears when I saw Bobby. He protested when I hugged him too hard. He tried to be cool and mature by not acting like a normal eight-year-old would.
“Did you bring a souvenir for me?” Bobby asked.
I slapped my forehead. I’d been so worried I’d forgotten to pick up a little present for him. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I was in a hurry to get home to see you. I didn’t think to buy anything.”
“That’s okay, Mom. Maybe next time?”
“Yes, next time.” A fat tear almost rolled down my cheek. I looked away and rubbed my eyes.
Declan put down his luggage and patted Bobby on the back. “Lucky for you, I didn’t forget.” He reached into his pocket and took out a gift-wrapped box.
Bobby’s eyes brightened. “Wow. What is this?”
“Why don’t you open it and find out?”
Bobby tore open the box. “A Nintendo DS! Is this really for me?”
“Yes. It’s for you, for being a brave boy.”
Bobby laughed happily. “Thank you, Mr Cairne.”
“Call me Declan.”
“Mommy said it’s not polite.”
Declan gave me a sidelong glance. “Mommy won’t mind.”
“Where did you get a Nintendo DS?” I asked Declan when Bobby was out of earshot.
“Duty free shop in the airport.” Declan tugged my hand and
herded me into another room in the house. “Come on. I know you’re tired, but we need to talk.”
The room turned out to be some kind of home office. Dark mahogany panelling covered the walls. It was filled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, lined with fat tomes with gilded edges. I sat on a burgundy leather sofa. I felt much better knowing that Bobby was fine and he was with me. Scary Joe wouldn’t hurt Bobby physically. But Lorenzo was a different story. During the four years we’d lived together, fortunately, my ex had never laid a hand on Bobby. But he had threatened to teach Bobby a lesson whenever I’d displeased him. He’d called it moulding the boy into a real man. And that included ‘hard love’.
I had always distracted Lorenzo and shielded Bobby so that Lorenzo wouldn’t have the opportunity to show Bobby what his hard love was. Bobby, who had always been on the small side, had avoided his father like the plague. I didn’t think they’d ever exchanged more than two words together. He was frightened of Lorenzo. Each sudden movement from Lorenzo had made him flinch. He’d never looked happy, either. His eyes had been burdened with fear and worry for my sake each time he looked at me. A child his age should never have had to endure that. I’d known then that I had to get him out of Lorenzo’s clutches. My relationship with Lorenzo had been dysfunctional. If I couldn’t give my son everything he deserved, I should, at least, provide a healthy, abuse-free environment for him to grow up in. It was my duty as his mother.
Declan sat next to me. “Tell me what you know about Lorenzo.”
“Well, he’s the biggest son of a bitch I’ve ever known.”
Declan gave me a look.
“He’s the Don’s son and he’s taking over the family business. He’s involved in prostitution rings, illegal gambling, drugs, money-laundering—you name it. The Feds have been trying to nab him and his father for years, but they’ve had no success. He has a lot of important friends. But he also has plenty of enemies.”
Declan frowned slightly. “I read about him when we did a background check on you. I know of him, but I didn’t know the extent of his”—he made a tiny gesture—“obsessions. I presume it’s because Bobby is his heir and you’re the mother of his child that he wants you back so badly?”
I sighed. “Lorenzo is the only son in the family. He needs his heir.” I shifted my leg. “You must have wondered why I consorted with a man like Lorenzo. It was a one-night stand and, trust me, he was charming back then. Lorenzo didn’t want anything to do with me when I told him I was pregnant. So I raised Bobby by myself. I was surprised when he came looking for me and wanted to start over.”
