Page 30 of Protecting Christina

“No?”

“How did you even know I had guests over?”

“Sal across the street called me about a car parked in front of my house.”

Will stared at me with his eyebrows raised. I shrugged. I guess my car wasn’t very subtle, either.

“Should we do something? Should we go in there?”

Will didn’t answer. He rubbed the back of his neck and paced the room. “What are her options if she leaves now?”

“It could make her case more difficult if she leaves the house taking her kids without his permission. It could be considered kidnapping.”

“Shit.”

“I know.”

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving her here tonight.”

Just then, Faye shrieked, and both Will and I raced into the kitchen.

Faye’s husband loomed over her with his hand raised just above her cheek. Although I’d worked on so many of these cases before, the scene still caught me off guard. “Son of a bitch.”

Will, however, moved quickly and reached for the man’s hand. He cried out in pain. “What the fuck? I didn’t touch her. Get your hands off of me.” He pushed Will in the chest, but Will hardly budged.

He pushed him again, but the same thing happened. Will turned to me. “Are you saying we can’t get her out of here?”

My fist clenched as I thought about all possible scenarios. He hadn’t assaulted her, but there was no way we were leaving her behind tonight. “Fuck it. I’ll figure something out.”

He nodded with a faint smile. “Get the kids and get out of here.”

“What? You’re not touching my kids.” He lunged for the staircase, but Will caught him.

“Don’t worry, buddy. They’re just coming to our house for a sleepover. Faye forgot to mention it, but it’s all good.”

I smiled at Will. It may not hold up in court, but that was quick thinking. I would worry about making an argument for Faye later. Right now, we had to get her and the kids someplace safe.

She raced upstairs, and I followed her. Turning over my shoulder once, I noticed Will had pushed the man’s arm behind his back and held him in place as he shouted profanities to his wife.

I followed Faye into one of the bedrooms where two children, probably around three and five, sat up in their beds. “Mommy?”

“Hello, darling. Mommy forgot to tell you about a sleepover we’re having tonight. This is my friend Christina, and she’s going to walk with you to the car. Isn’t this a fun surprise?” Her voice was shaky, but I hoped the kids were too sleepy to notice.

The kids blinked up at me at first and I tried my hardest to smile lovingly while also wishing I could just drag them out of bed and down the stairs as quickly as I could.

Fortunately, the prospect of a surprise sleepover induced them enough to climb out of bed. “Can I take Teddy?” asked the three-year-old.

“Yes, my darling. Grab him, and let’s go.”

The children followed their mother to the next room where she picked up a sleeping infant from the crib.

“Sabrina is coming to the sleepover, too?” asked the five-year-old.

“Yes. Mommy will be there, too.”

“And daddy?”

“No. Not daddy.”

---