Page 57 of Hidden Heir

“You gotta stop swearing around my kid,” I mutter though I’m just as guilty. I lead the way out of the room.

“You do it,” Ant remarks like some petulant child.

“Whatever. Look, all you need to know is that we have to leave,” I say, panting as we rush down the hallway toward the stairs leading to the kitchen. “I’ll explain later.”

“Is it Leon?” He presses. “Is he really an asshole after all?”

At the bottom of the stairs, I turn and glare at him. “Just keep moving, alright?”

Ant finally falls silent and together, with Tiffany determined to win the game, we hurry through the kitchen and out onto the patio.

“We’re hiding outside?” Tiffany asks, clinging to my shoulders. “But it’s dark.”

“I know, baby. But this is a really important game and I really want to win, okay?” I say breathlessly. “When we win, we get to eat cake and ice cream, and those little jellies you love so much.”

“Ooh!” Tiffany yells, then quickly hushes herself. “You’re right, we have to hide Mommy. Come on, run faster!”

I run as fast as I can, jostling her in my arms as we sprint together across the garden. I try to keep it exciting for Tiffany but it soon becomes a terrifying journey as we dodge patrols walking around the garden. We creep over gravel paths and slip between trees until we reach the stone wall at the back of the garden.

“I can’t climb that fucking thing,” Ant gasps, panting as he looks up at it.

“We don’t have a choice,” I snap, thrusting Tiff into his arms. “Just trust me, okay?”

With my hands empty, I’m free to climb the trellis lining the wall. Using a protruding tree branch for leverage, I hoist myself over the top and stare down the other side. It’s a long way down, but it’s my only chance.

“Ant, get Tiffany started on the trellis.” As he lifts her onto it, I reach down for her and meet her eyes. They slowly begin to fill with tears. The magic of the game is wearing off.

“Mommy,” she whimpers uncertainly as Ant begins to climb the trellis.

“It’s okay, I’m right here. It’s just like being in the park with the jungle gym. Come on, we’re going to win and it will be amazing!” I cheer her on. As soon as she’s within arm’s reach, I haul her up against my body and cradle her close, leaving Ant to work out the next part for himself. I kiss Tiffany’s damp cheeks and pet her hair, soothing her until Ant is up on the wall beside me.

“You first,” I say. “And if you don’t catch her, I will kill you.”

Ant rolls his eyes then hops down. My heart is racing from adrenaline but it begins to pound like a fist at the prospect of lowering Tiffany down to Ant.

What a time to realize that I don’t trust him.

But I have no choice. He holds his arms open expectantly and I kiss Tiffany hard on the forehead. “Okay, you have to climb down now and jump into Uncle Ant’s arms, okay?”

“No, Mommy. I don’t want to.”

“It’s just like jumping off of Hannah’s swing, remember? With the sand pit at the bottom?”

She looks at me, clearly unwilling, but there’s no time to waste. I begin to lower her down. She claws at my hand and begins to cry. Letting her go consumes me in cold terror for the second she’s falling through the air. When she lands in Ant’s outstretched arms, my heart nearly escapes from my mouth.

“Fuck,” I hiss sharply, sniffling as I climb down the wall and drop down onto the other side. “Ant, you need to find us a car.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know,” I snap, snatching my daughter out of his arms. “Probably the same way you found a car when you drove all your shit to my apartment!”

Ant rolls his eyes and sighs as if I’ve just asked him to cut off his own limb. He then hurries away and melts into the darkness of the street. Tiff begins to wail and I know there’s nothing I can do to calm her down. She knows the game wasn’t real, and it’s pure luck that she believed me the entire time. I cradle her close, rocking back and forth while trying to soothe her with humming and kisses. She cries quietly against my neck.

It seems like Ant has been gone for a ridiculously long time. Minutes tick by at a snail's pace, my heart pounding so hard that my vision blurs from the rampant blood flow. Just as panic begins to take over, a set of headlights flash, and Ant pulls up beside me in a stolen car.

“Good enough?”

“Hold her,”I say, thrusting Tiff into Ant’s arms as he drops onto the chair in my living room.

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