Page 40 of Dark Embers

“You’re shitting me.”

“No. If you say the security word she’ll know I picked up the alarm and sent you.”

“What is with you people and these fucking codes?” I grumble searching for the lever.

“You’ve clearly never raised kids,” he mutters. “These days they all have pass codes.”

I find the lever keeping the phone pressed to my ear. I click it and the false wall shifts. I step in front of it.

“You won’t take us!” a voice yells.

Something hits me square in the face. A… pacifier. Then a vicious little blonde hellcat dressed in fuzzy pink pajamas with red hearts saying ‘I heart my sleep’ flies out the closet at me. I reach out with my free hand and clamped around her arm holding her kicking and hitting out of me at arms length.

“Sabrina,” my voice startles her as her eyes meet mine.

“You!” Sabrina’s voice roars, and she starts trying to punch and kick me but I have a long wingspan that keeps her at a safe distance. “Fucking vindictive bastard.” My head moves past her but she moves to block my view and I realize she’s protecting her baby perched in a rocker just behind her. “I knew it was you! I warned you what would happen if you came near us!”

“Say the fucking code word,” Sam barks from the phone still glued to my ear.

I almost forgot he was on the line. I’m too stunned by the tiny, furious mama bear in front of me. Hair wild, eyes blazing, and chest heaving. She’s trembling, but not from fear. From sheer rage as she protects her daughter.

My heart damn near caves in.

“Sabrina, wait—”

Elena starts crying.

“Now look what you’ve done, you big ass,” she hisses, pulling her arm from my grasp she turns and scoops her daughter up, cooing, “It’s okay, sweetheart. That big brute tried to steal your pacifier. Now it's got his icky germs all over it so we’ll have to get you another one.”

But her eyes flick to the side and I know Sabrina is not going for a pacifier—she’s about to bolt.

“Sabrina, wait—”

“For God’s sake, say the damn word!” Sam yells still in my ear.

“Purple… pop tart,” I mutter.

“Oh for fuck sakes, put me on speaker, “ Sam groans and I do what he asks.

Sabrina’s eyes flash. “Is that Sam?”

I nod, still stunned by her and my reaction. “Yes.”

Her hand shoots out, grabbing the phone. “Here can you hold Elena for a while.” She hands me her daughter, never taking her eyes off me. She speaks to the phone. “Sam?”

“Sabrina! Thank God. Are you both alright?” Sam’s voice echoes through the speaker phone. “Oh and purple porcupine.”

“So you sent him?” Sabrina’s voice drops with accusation.

“I had no choice. I'm still in New York, little ballerina,” Sam’s endearment sparks a lick of jealousy in me. “Were you and Elena hurt?”

“We're okay.” She watches me intently.

I place the wailing Elena on my shoulder, gently rocking her. To my shock—and Sabrina’s—she calms almost instantly, curling into my neck.

“Take me off speaker, we need to talk,” Sam tells her.

She does and lifts the phone to her ear. “What is it?”

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