by Marie Force
“That’s all I need to hear, babe. Those words will get me through whatever the next few weeks have in store for me.”
After that, both were quiet for a time, except for the occasional sniffle on both sides of the call.
“How’s Alex doing?” he asked.
“He’s much better. The fever broke, and he’s been sleeping a lot. He had a rough night.”
“You did too. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“You will be next time, right?”
“Yeah, I will.” After another long pause, he said, “I’m gonna go call Andy about the guardianship paperwork, but I’ll see you in the morning?”
“We’ll be there, Tommy. In the morning and for whatever comes next.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Christina ended the call and used a tissue to mop up her tears as she processed everything he’d said. She’d had no idea he was hooked on anything, but that certainly explained a lot.
She sent a text to Freddie.
Change of plans. No need to come here for Tommy’s stuff, but I need to talk to you when you get a minute. Please call me when you can.
Then she got up and went into the kitchen. She no longer needed a lawyer, but she still needed a very big drink.
* * *
ELIJAH BEAUCLAIR ARRIVED at five twenty, walking into a houseful of people who had gathered to help him break the terrible news to his younger brother and sister. Ms. Finklestein had returned after an earlier trip to drop off the stuffed animals and blankets the kids had requested. The faintest hint of smoke had clung to the items, but Sam had turned them right over to the kids, who’d been thrilled to have them.
Sam and Nick greeted Elijah at the door. “I’m Sam Holland, and this is my husband, Nick Cappuano.”
Tall, dark-haired and handsome, Elijah shook hands with both of them. “It’s nice to meet you both, although I wish it was under different circumstances.”
“We’re very sorry for your loss,” Nick said.
“Thank you. How are Aubrey and Alden? I can’t stop thinking about them. Cleo was such an amazing mom. And my dad, he adored them.”
“They’re doing okay,” Sam said. “They’re confused and asking for their parents. We’ve held them off until you could get here. Before we let them know you’re here, I wanted to tell you that I consulted with a therapist about how best to tell them, and he said being very clear is the best way to go. Using words like died and dead help them to better understand, even if they’re words that might be hard for them to hear.”
Elijah’s expression was grim, but he nodded in agreement. “I hate this,” he said softly. “I hate that we have to do this to them.”
“I know,” Nick said. “We do too.”
Elijah looked down at the floor. “I don’t know if I can say it.”
“I’ll do it,” Sam said, squeezing his arm. “There’s one thing. Alden hasn’t said a word since he’s been with us. I suspect he saw something, and if there’s an opportunity to get him to share what he saw, that would help tremendously. He might be more forthcoming with you than he would be with us.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“This is Ms. Finklestein from Child and Family Services,” Sam said. “She’s been helping out with the kids.”
Elijah shook her hand and accepted her condolences.
“Shall I let them know you’re here?”
Elijah took a deep breath and then nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
While Sam went to the kitchen where the kids were having dinner under Shelby’s supervision, Nick said to Elijah, “Can I get you anything?”
“No, sir,” Sam heard him say. “Thank you.” She went into the kitchen where the kids and Scotty were just finishing Scotty’s favorite dinner—spaghetti and meatballs. Shelby was wiping their hands and faces while Noah sat in a high chair taking it all in.
“Hey, guys,” Sam said to Aubrey and Alden. “I have a surprise for you. Can you come with me?”
“Is it Mommy?” Aubrey asked, her little face bright with hope.
Sam ached for her and hated herself for not choosing better words. “No, honey, but I think this surprise will make you happy.” She took Aubrey and Alden by the hands and led them into the living room where Elijah stood waiting for them.
Both kids let out happy cries when they saw him, and his face crumpled at the sight of them. He scooped them up and held them tight for a long time while Sam, Nick and Shelby, with Noah now in her arms, dabbed at their eyes.
Alden clung to Elijah, crying his little heart out.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Elijah said, rubbing his brother’s back while Aubrey leaned into them. “I’m here now.”
Alden cried for a long time, and Elijah held him through the storm as tears rolled down his own face.
“Where’s Mommy and Daddy?” Aubrey asked her older brother.
“Come sit over here with me, and we’ll talk about that,” Elijah said.
He’d been a typical college student until Hill called him, and Sam felt like she was watching him become a man before her eyes as he sat on the sofa with his siblings. With Alden on his lap and his arm wrapped around his sister, Elijah said, “You know there was a fire at home, right?”
Aubrey nodded while Alden whimpered.
Elijah looked to Sam, who sat on the coffee table between Nick and Shelby, who held Noah.
Scotty went around the sofa and sat next to Aubrey.
“I’m so sorry to have to tell you that your mom and dad died in the fire,” Sam said, her heart breaking into a million pieces as she watched her words register with the children, who knew what the word “died” meant.
She’d done this before. Too many times to count, but it had never hurt as much as it did this time.
Aubrey broke down while Alden buried his face in Elijah’s shoulder.
“We’re so, so sorry,” Sam said. “Everyone has told us how much they loved you and how proud of you they were. And they’d be so proud of how strong you’ve been.”
“I want to go home,” Aubrey said, her chin wobbling.
“I know, honey,” Sam said. “But that’s not possible right now.”
“Wh-where will we live, Lijah?” she asked.
“We’re still figuring that out, sweetheart,” he said. “But you will always be safe and loved. I promise you that.”
“My mom and grandpa died when I was about your age,” Scotty said. “It was really hard at first, but you get used to it. You never forget them, but it does get a little easier. Eventually.”
Sam sent him a grateful smile. “We’ll give you guys a little time alone,” she said, standing as Nick did the same.
Aubrey climbed into Scotty’s lap, and he put his arms around her.
Sam followed Nick into the kitchen and stepped straight into his outstretched arms. He held on as tightly to her as she did to him. Everyone had warned her about getting overly attached to two children who weren’t theirs, but Sam would dare anyone not to fall hard for those two angels.
“That was brutal,” he said after a long period of silence.
“Totally.”
Nick took a deep breath and released it in stages. “Tell me you’re going to get whoever did this to them.”
“We’ll get them. I haven’t wanted justice for anyone this badly since my dad was shot.”
“We weren’t supposed to get attached.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Knock, knock,” Shelby said as she stuck her head into the kitchen. “Is it safe to come in.”
“Yeah, come join our group hug,” Nick said.
With Noah in her arms, Shelby came in and walked right over to them. “That was the worst thing I’ve ever been a part of,�
� she said with tears in her eyes as they hugged her and Noah into their circle. “I don’t know how you do that as often as you do.”
“That’s as bad as it gets. I just wish I knew what’s going to become of them.”
“Ms. Finklestein wants to speak to you.”
Sam had nearly forgotten about the social worker, who’d done as Sam asked and stayed off to the sidelines while they talked to the kids. “Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like this?” Sam said as she drew back from Nick, wiped her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. On the inside, she felt like she’d been kicked by a horse. “Will you ask her to come in here, Shelby?”
“Sure thing.”
“Then come join us. Whatever she has to say involves you too.”
While Shelby went to get Ms. Finklestein, Sam glanced at Nick, noted his grimace and reached for his hand, holding on tight to him for whatever came next.
Ms. Finklestein came into the kitchen. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I know how difficult that had to be.”
“Have a seat,” Nick said, always the gracious host. “Can I get you anything?”
“Some water would be excellent.”
“Coming right up.”
Nick poured tall glasses of ice water for Sam, Shelby and their guest, and then joined them at the table.
“I’ve been in touch with Mrs. Beauclair’s sister Monique. While she has concerns about the safety of the children and her own family in light of the threat posed by someone in Mr. Beauclair’s past, she can’t bear the thought of her niece and nephew being raised by strangers. She and her husband are discussing whether they might be able to take them in.”
The feeling of being kicked only intensified when Sam heard that news. In her heart of hearts, she’d hoped that no one would come forward and they’d get to keep the kids. Foolish, maybe, but the hope had taken root anyway.
“The man who threatened them has been taken into custody by the FBI,” Sam said, feeling dead inside. That information would make it possible for Aubrey and Alden to go home to Cleo’s family.
“I’ll pass that on to their aunt. I’m sure it’ll be a great relief to her and expedite their decision-making process.”
“That’d be for the best, I suppose,” Sam said, despite the ache that overtook her when she thought of saying goodbye to Alden and Aubrey.
“Would it be possible for them to remain here with you while I wait to hear back from Mrs. Beauclair’s sister?” Ms. Finklestein asked.
“Yes, of course,” Sam said. “However, my husband and I need to return to work tomorrow, and I don’t feel comfortable sending the children back to school while their parents’ killer may still be on the loose.”
“Agreed,” Ms. Finklestein said.
“Their brother and Shelby will be here with them,” Sam said. “Shelby is licensed, which was required when we first had custody of Scotty.”
“Then that’s fine.”
“I’ll take very good care of them,” Shelby said. “And having their brother here will help.”
“Yes, it will.” Ms. Finklestein gathered her belongings and stood. “I appreciate you opening your home to the children. I hope we can resolve their situation sooner rather than later so you all can get back to normal and they can be settled in their new home.”
Normal, Sam thought, was such a relative state. What would the new normal look like for Aubrey and Alden? Would they be with a family who truly loved and wanted them, or would they end up with people who were taking them out of obligation and would make them feel like a burden? She shook off those unpleasant thoughts to focus on the present, resolving to double down on the case tomorrow.
If she couldn’t do anything else for them, she could find the person or persons who’d murdered their parents.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WITH ELIJAH’S HELP, they got the kids settled, but the children were reluctant to let him out of their sight. He crawled in between them and held one of them in each arm, the three of them like survivors of their own personal apocalypse.
“I’ll stay with them until I’m sure they’re really asleep, if that’s okay,” he whispered to Sam when she checked on them an hour after they went to bed.
“You can stay right there all night if you want to. You’ve had a long day, and there’s no need for you to leave. I can set you up with a bed of your own if you’d like.”
“I’m fine right here with them,” he said. “Thank you. For everything. I really appreciate it.”
“I wish we could do more.”
“I hate this for them,” he said, his eyes filling. “They’re so little.”
“I hate it for all of you,” she said, a lump forming in her own throat. “I’ll let you get some sleep. We’re right across the hall if you need anything.”
“Thanks again.”
“No problem.” Sam closed the door to give them some privacy from the Secret Service agent in the hallway. She looked in on Scotty, shut off the television as well as the bedside lamp that were still on after he’d fallen asleep. Pulling his comforter up and over him, she kissed his forehead, lingering for a moment to breathe in the fresh clean scent of his hair, which smelled a lot like Nick’s.
At some point, he’d started using the same shampoo as the dad he worshipped, and for some reason, that simple detail brought tears to her eyes. She was a freaking emotional disaster area the last few days. Tomorrow she would get back on track, even if she was quite certain she’d remember this time with Aubrey and Alden for the rest of her life.
Sam left Scotty’s room, avoiding the gaze of the agent on duty. She didn’t have it in her to make small talk tonight, so she skipped the usual end-of-the-day pleasantries.
Stepping into her own room to the sound of the shower running, she closed the door, leaned her head back against it and closed her eyes, fighting the emotions that threatened to take her under. This day... Scotty’s inference that his foster life before the state home had been less than great, having to tell Alden and Aubrey the awful news about their parents, learning more about the details of Jameson and Cleo Beauclairs’ lives and how they’d died, her worries about Gonzo.
Bending at the waist, she propped her hands on her knees and breathed through the tidal wave of emotion. She was known for her ability to soldier through the worst of times, but sometimes it was just too much for even her to handle. What would become of Aubrey and Alden now that their lives had been shattered by violence? How would she know if they were being well cared for by the aunt and uncle who had to think about whether or not they wanted to take them in?
And Scotty, Gonzo, Christina, Nick’s trip...
Sam shook her head and stood upright, swiping at tears and taking a series of deep breaths. She was still propped against the door when Nick emerged from the shower, a towel slung around his hips, wet hair pushed back from his face, splendid chest on full display. All he had to do to make her feel better was walk into the room.
He stopped short at the sight of her propped against the door. “Babe? Are you okay?”
“I’m better now.” She forced a small smile for his benefit, pushed herself off the door and went to him, sighing with relief when he wrapped his arms around her.
“Did something happen?”
“Only what you predicted would happen. I let myself get invested and now...”
“It’s not just you. We’re all invested in them.”
“I’m probably going to hear about it at work tomorrow. Farnsworth wants to see me at eight. I assume it’s not a social call.”
“You did what you thought was right. You can’t be faulted for that.”
“Maybe so, but taking them in was technically a conflict of interest, and he’s going to remind me of that.”
“Your heart was in the right place.”
“My hea
rt is broken at the thought of them leaving, possibly as soon as tomorrow.”
He tightened his hold on her.
“It’s okay if you want to say I told you so.”
“Not going to say that. Asking you not to feel for those babies would be like asking you not to breathe.”
“Thank you for always understanding. I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve that from you, but whatever it was, I’m incredibly thankful.”
He drew back to look down at her, his heart in his eyes. “You love me. That’s all you ever have to do.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you just as much. Nice how that works out, huh?”
She smiled when she wouldn’t have thought she could.
“You want to go upstairs for a little getaway?”
“I don’t feel like trooping past the agent.”
“I’ll take care of that.” He kissed her forehead. “Give me five minutes.”
“I need a quick shower.”
“Come up when you’re ready.”
She’d had a long, exhausting day and another loomed on tomorrow’s horizon, but she needed the comfort only he could provide before she could sleep.
Nick put on pajama pants and a T-shirt before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Sam rushed through a quick shower and smoothed on the lavender-and-vanilla-scented lotion that Nick loved before donning the robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door. Sticking her head out the bedroom door, she found the coast clear of prying Secret Service eyes and darted through the hallway and up the stairs to the loft where Nick waited for her.
He’d lit the coconut-scented candles and was reclined on the double lounger he’d bought as part of his effort to re-create the scene of their memorable trips to Bora Bora for their honeymoon and first anniversary.
He held out his hand to her.
She dropped the robe on the floor and joined her hand to his, holding on to the one thing that always made sense to her.
Nick drew her into his embrace and pulled a blanket over them.
Safe in his arms, Sam felt the tight knot in her chest begin to ease ever so slightly. No matter how awful life could be outside this room, they could always find their way back to each other within these four walls. Usually they had the hottest sex of their lives up here, but that wasn’t what she needed tonight.
