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“We can’t climb out the window,” Ollie said in a hushed tone, when I leaned out the window with Sean in my arms. “You’ll drop him. And I’m scared.”

“It’s okay,” I bit out, knowing there was no safe way to get three small boys out of a two-story window without killing them. “We’ll figure something else out.”

“How are we going to get out?” Tadhg asked, sounding panicked. “Are we stuck?”

“We are stuck,” Ollie wept. “Daddy’s downstairs and he’s going to kill us if he sees you.” Sniffling, he added, “He said we were all supposed to go to sleep, and we’re not asleep!”

“Something’s wrong, Johnny,” Tadhg choked out. “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”

“No, no, we’re not,” I assured him, heart racing. “I promise I’ll get you guys out of here. Your da’s not going to see us. Everything’s going to be fine.” Searching the tiny bedroom with my eyes, I said, “We just need to find Shannon’s house keys.”

“She keeps them in her coat,” Ollie choked out, visibly shaking now. “She always hangs it on the banister downstairs.”

Nodding, I desperately tried to rein in my emotions as I shifted Sean onto my other hip and held a hand out for Ollie. He came willingly, wrapping his arms around my waist with a death grip. “Don’t be scared,” I whispered, trying to console him. “We’re going to creep downstairs as quiet as we can, okay?” Looking to Tadhg, I said, “Hold Ollie’s hand and stay right behind me.”

“What if he sees us?” they both asked.

“He won’t,” I whispered, making yet another promise I wasn’t sure I could keep as I moved for the staircase with Sean clinging to me like a baby monkey. “Don’t make a sound,” I whispered. Barefoot and in their pajamas, Tadhg and Ollie both nodded and trailed after me without a word.

As I crept down the wooden staircase that was slippery and wet, I felt the worst pang of remorse in my heart for the way these kids had to live. When I was nine, I’d been playing with Pokémon and building forts. When I was twelve, my biggest concern was scoring a try. I couldn’t comprehend what these boys must be feeling.

“Good job,” I whispered into Sean’s ear. The farther we descended down the stairs, the harder he shook in my arms. “We’re nearly there.” Never in my life had I been so glad to see a khaki coat as I was when my eyes locked on Shannon’s resting on the banister. Slipping off the wet bottom step, I managed to right myself before toppling over. Regaining my balance, I slid my hand into the pocket of Shannon’s coat and almost wept in relief when my fingers closed around her key chain. Glancing back to Tadhg and Ollie who were standing on the bottom step, I gave them what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Both boys sagged in relief when I waved the keys in front of them.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I heard Shannon’s mother weep and I froze, heart jackknifing in my chest. Swinging my gaze to Tadhg and Ollie’s terrorized faces, I held a finger to my lips. “You know I love you,” she continued, voice low and hushed. “We can sort this out, Teddy, but not if you—”

“Marie, Marie, Marie,” their father slurred. “It’s the only way.”

A small whimper tore from Sean’s throat and I tucked his face into my chest, praying to all that was holy to help me get these kids out. “Shh,” I mouthed, rocking him in my arms. “Shh.”

“Not for them,” their mother sobbed. “For us maybe, but not them, Teddy.”

“They are us,” he replied in an eerie tone of voice. “They’re all us.”

“Please,” she continued to sob quietly. “I love you, Teddy. Don’t do this. I love you.”

“This is the only way,” he replied calmly. “Now have a drink with me. It’ll take the edge off it.”

Holding a hand up when Tadhg started to move toward me, I glanced around the hallway, wondering how in the hell I was going to get these kids to the door without their parents seeing us. The kitchen door was wide open and they would have a perfect view of the front door.

Forcing myself to breathe slowly, I kept my back to the wall behind me and edged closer to the door, gesturing for Ollie and Tadhg to follow me slowly. That bleeding staircase was like a death trap. Ollie slid clean off the bottom step and lunged for me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he clung to me tighter than Sean was. “Shh,” I whispered when he hiccupped a tiny sob. “Shh, buddy.”

Trembling from head to toe, Tadhg skated across the floor to my other side, burying his face in my side, and my heart cracked clean open. I knew this kid was prideful. He was badass for twelve. To see him fall apart like this was sobering.

Smoothing a hand over his blond head, I carefully moved for the door with the three of them literally hanging off me, wary of the liquid on the floor and never once taking my eyes off the kitchen doorway as I moved.

When I reached the front door, my eyes landed on their father slumped in a chair at the kitchen table, with his back to the door. Several empty bottles of whiskey and vodka were lined out on the table in front of him, and I knew if he turned around right now, I was going to kill him. I’d made the decision the minute I heard his creepy voice and I was oddly at peace with it. If he put a hand on these children, I was going to bury the man.

Focusing on keeping my hand steady, I slid the lone key into the lock and slowly turned it back, wincing when it clicked.

A loud cough from the kitchen muffled the noise, and I jerked my head back to see Shannon’s mother staring right back at me.

Holy shit.

My heart stopped in my chest and for a few terrifying moments I waited to see what she would do.

She nodded ever so slightly.

I hesitated.

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