Page 71 of Shield and Savior

“Me too,” Ian says.

They try to demonstrate a battle, which is basically a lot of improvising and swinging around until they both fall on the ground. Drew says, “Oh no, her fighting skills are too strong and I cannot defeat her. Now I must walk home, with no horses.”

“Me too,” Ian says as he pops his head up from the floor.

They get a big laugh. And a few minutes later, the show is over.

More chaos erupts as the parents and families all try to leave the auditorium at the same time. The jeebies are driving me nuts with constant panic that something terrible is about to happen. Scanning the room, the hallway, every space, I watch for whatever might be off. There’s movement by the wings of the stage. It could be a teacher cleaning up. But my gut tells me it’s not. A flash of light brown and black catches my eye. A Mongolian hat. And it’s too tall and moving too fast.

Drew.

ChapterThirty-Five

Lance

I push through the crowd in a diagonal line to get to where I saw the colors. Suits, people, jewelry flashing in the light—too many things to focus on. As I make my way toward the stage, I subconsciously touch the gun holstered at my back. The jeebies did a number on me this morning, and I over prepared.

I jump onto the stage and rush behind the curtain. It’s mostly cleared out by now. The props are everywhere, scattered around. The backstage opens to the main hallway next to a back door that leads out to the forest side of the school. It’s the worst point of entry in the entire building. I hated it the second I saw it in the blueprints.Got to findmy kid.

Maybe I’m overreacting. But the jeebies have never been wrong before. Who the hell would take Drew? Rage simmers in me, threatening to erupt with each step I take. I need to keep my cool, do what I’m trained to do. But I’m failing him. I’m supposed to keep him safe. He’s my principal, he’s my kid.And he’s not backstage.

I rush out to the main hallway and also trip over something. As soon as my brain registers my heart sinks. There’s one Mongolian boot on the floor.

No.

“LANCE!” My name slices through the noise like a sword. Drew stands with his mom. Instant relief. He’s safe. But there’s something wrong. The crowd clears slightly, and I see it. He’s wearing two boots.

Ian.

I push the door open with my arm, half expecting alarms to go off, and the silence breaks my heart. Shit. Once outside, the tree line with orange and brown leaves is only a few feet away. The leaves are already disturbed, and I follow the path into the woods. My gun drawn, I make my way through the branches, and Ian bellows to send me in the right direction.

There’s a figure, a man in a black coat, holding a squirming, crying kid. Is Ian the target? Does he notice Ian is screaming in Russian? “Stop!”

Former Russian mob trying to settle a score?

An enemy of the Four Families trying to make a point?

A rival crime family?

A kidnapping with the intent to hold him for ransom?

The figure turns around, shouting, “He’s mine!”

I recognized him from surveillance footage. Izzy’s ex, Mike Bringsea. And he has a gun to Ian’s head.

“Put down the gun and give me the kid.” I try to keep my voice even, but I haven’t seen Ian this scared since we rescued him in Russia. Tears stream down his red face. “It’s going to be okay.” I try to reassure him, but Ian knows exactly how this can end.

“He’s my son, and I’m taking him. The Four Families will have to negotiate with me if they want him back.”

No, he’s not. I know for a fact who Ian’s father is, and it sure as hell isn’t that guy. Ian freezes for a second and starts thrashing around crying.

Holy shit, this mother fucking asshole has the wrong kid and doesn’t even know it.

He didn’t even recognize his own son.

He had a fifty-fifty shot of getting it right, and he still fucked it up. “Give me the boy.”I yell.

“You’ll have to shoot me first.”

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