Page 73 of Shield and Savior

She stumbles forward slightly as she’s pushed out of the way. Nonna emerges behind her, hikes her purse on her shoulder, and stomps forward. Izzy reaches for her, to keep her stable, warning, “Watch the stairs.”

“I’ve been going up and down stairs my whole life.” She yanks away from her granddaughter and heads toward the woods. Her gait is slow, steady and menacing.

Izzy and I follow behind. By the time we reach the tree line, the ex has his arms and feet tied behind his back. The old woman lifts his bleeding chin. He cries out, his jaw out of alignment, and his eyes already swollen. She digs her nails in deeper. “Thus far you have survived solely out of the mercy of the matriarchs of this family. That ends now.” She spits in his face and turns away to the field. “Call my grandson over here,” she says to Izzy.

A few seconds later, Drew runs over. “What’s up, Grandma?”

“You will never see this man again. Anything you need to say to him, do it now.”

Drew turns his head between his mom, his grandma, and me. He bites the inside of his lips like when he’s nervous. He’s been doing that all day. I bend closer to him to make sure he hears me loud and clear. “Nothing that happened today was your fault. You and Ian did nothing wrong. As kids go, you’re in my top five.”

He snorts, “You only know five kids.”

I lean in and whisper, “Don’t tell the others, but you’re my favorite.”

He sniffles and takes a deep breath before squaring his shoulders and walking toward the broken and tied man. “Today sucked. I had to talk in public, wear a stupid hat, and you hurt my best friend.” Drew calls over his shoulder to Ian, who walks over. “He’s on shaky ground, though, considering he’s been lying to me for the last few months.” Drew shoots Ian a knowing smirk before taking another step toward his sperm donor. “My family might be full of criminals and murderers, but at least they aren’t assholes.”

Dimitri calls, “Ian, do you have anything to say?”

Ian swallows and steps forward. “We do not look alike.” He pulls his arm back and starts to launch forward, when Drew grabs his hand.

“No. Fix your thumb.” He takes Ian’s thumb and moves it further down on his knuckles.

Ian smiles and pulls his arm back, letting it fly with a force I never would have imagined a kid that size could pack. The impact makes the man howl. I’ve never seen Dimitri more proud.

But Nonna frowns at the violence and clicks her tongue. “The men use their fists, the women use words. One will always do more damage. How did your mother raise you?”

Drew takes a second to think it over before he says, “I don’t know what my uncles will do to you. I’m going to live a long and happy life, and me and my family will never think about you again. Because you’re that worthless.”

Thiago pinches his lips tight the way he does when he’s trying not to laugh at Maria. But Duncan lets out a low whistle and says, “I’d rather get hit than have a ten-year-old say that to me.”

As the two men lift up the body and walk off into the woods, Nonna turns back to the building and says, “It’s too hot out here. Let’s go back inside.” She reaches for her daughter’s arm, and that’s that.

Ian pets one of the dogs behind the ears. “Bye.”

Drew shoulder checks him. “I’m still pissed at you.”

Izzy looks up at me. “What?”

“Um, Ian speaks English.”

Izzy laughs. “Oh, baby, you got Four Grandma’d.”

ChapterThirty-Six

Lance

As we go back to the building, I say, “Gotta swing by the office after this and fill out some paperwork.”

Drew freezes. “Wait, does this mean you’re going away?”

Izzy stiffens next to me, “Um, well, Lance’s job is over…”

“I’m not going anywhere.” The relief coming from both of them is palpable.

And while I know Izzy and Drew are safe and things are solid between us, the jeebies are still there. I should be able to enjoy this moment, to start a new life and be ready to move on. But I can’t.

Something isn’t right.

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