Page 271 of Keeping 13

“I know, buddy,” I bit out. “But I won’t do that to you.”

“Daddy ow,” he whispered. “Ow, ow, Daddy.”

Keep the head, Kav.

Don’t lose it while you’re holding a toddler.

“You like Bob the Builder?” I asked, distracting us both from the very real fact that I was about to commit kidnapping.Again. “Me, too. I love Bob. Bob’s the bleeding best—”

“Fuck off!” a familiar voice spat from behind the locked door at the end of the hallway when I tried the handle. “I’ve got a knife.”

“Tadhg,” I whispered. “It’s okay. Open the door.”

“Who’s there?”

“Johnny,” I told them. “Don’t be scared, lads. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“I want to go,” Ollie said from behind the door.

“Shut up, Ollie,” Tadhg hissed. “We don’t know for sure if it’s him.”

“Itishim,” Ollie choked out. “He’s got the funny voice, Tadhg.”

“It is me,” I coaxed, striving for patience when all I wanted to do was kick down the door and drag them out of here. “I’m here to get you out, boys, but I need you to be as quiet as you can. Can you do that? Just whisper and don’t make any noise.”

I waited a solid minute and a half before a click sounded and the bedroom door cracked open just enough for two blond heads to pop out. “How come you’re here?” Tadhg whispered, watching me with mistrustful eyes.

“Shannon called me,” I replied calmly. “I know he’s down in the kitchen with your ma, and I’m here to get you guys out.”

“Can I come?” Ollie asked, looking at me with a hopeful expression.

“Of course,” I choked out, voice thick with emotion. “I’m here for all of you.”

“Ollie!” Tadhg whisper-hissed. “What about Mam?”

“I don’t care,” Ollie cried as he pushed back the door and slipped into the landing. “I don’t want to be here.”

“What about my mam?” Tadhg asked, eyeing me warily as if he was weighing up his options. “Can she come, too?”

“If she wants,” I forced myself to say. “But I have to get you out without your da seeing us first, okay? Then I’ll come back for her,” I added, trying to find a way to sway him out of that room. “I’ll take you to my place and then I promise I’ll come back and get your ma.”

His nostrils flared. “Really?”

I nodded. “Really.”

He studied me carefully for a moment. “Will your mam be there?”

“Yes,” I replied evenly, sagging in relief as he loosened his grip on the door.

“Will she give us ice cream again?”

“Definitely.”

He glanced back to his room and released a sigh before turning back to face me. “Okay.”

“Okay.” I sighed in relief and gestured for them to follow me into Shannon’s room. “Listen, the door’s locked downstairs, so we’re going to have to climb out the window.”

My heart was racing so hard, I was afraid the toddler in my arms could feel it. In fact, I was sure he could because Sean pressed his small hand to my chest and whispered, “Bang, bang.”

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