Page 4 of Blood
The Cromwells taught me what it is to be a family. Helen and Samantha Cromwell taught me how to love and be loved. My brothers showed me what true loyalty looks like, and Dad . . . he proved that fists and fear aren’t needed to run a household.
Taking the porch steps two at a time, I hurry to the door. The blade of my knife catches the light streaming through the glass of the front door. Lace covers the small window, blocking my view inside, but heavy footsteps sound out. Someone just walked from the kitchen to the living room, where the front door will open.
Time for quiet and sneaky is gone. My family is in this house. The knife spins in my hand, nerves ruling me. Anyone who gets between me and them fucking dies.
Tossing the knife a hundred and eighty degrees, I catch it in my fist, the back of my hand closer to the blade.
With one last deep breath, I turn off my brain and get ready to react on instinct. I clench my right fist tightly, and with a flick of my left hand, I shove the front door open.
CHAPTER THREE
Samantha
“Baby, go to bed.”
Blinking sleepily, I smile over at my mom. “I’m okay,” I whisper, tugging my blanket higher.
“You can hardly keep your eyes open, Sammy.” She tuts from the chair next to my sofa.
I smile at the nickname. My family rarely uses it. “I know, but Kaleb will be here soon, and I want to be down here when he gets here.”
“He never texted me back, sweetheart. He was probably already sleeping and won’t see it until he wakes later,” my dad adds from the kitchen.
“He’ll be here. Pauline said if he was on schedule, he should have been parked up and around four hours away from home, remember? He’ll be here,” I repeat. “Besides, I don’t want to leave Shelby on her own.” I nod at my best friend curled up on the sofa opposite the one I’m stretched out on.
“She’s hardly alone, baby. Your mom and I will be down here, and we’re definitely not sleeping.” Dad chuckles, walking intothe living room and over to my mom. Joining her, he sits on the arm of her chair, passing her a bowl of chopped strawberries. “My love.” He smiles down at her, and it makes me melt.
I want that. I want a man to look at me like I’m his whole world. Glancing down at my watch, I check the time again.
“Mom?”
I chuckle at Michael’s voice floating out of the cell on my mom’s quilt-covered lap. The sound of voices and movement coming from the phone has become a part of our night, with my mom and Michael refusing to end the call.
“Oh shoot.” Mom jumps, grappling to pick up the phone. “How’s Charlie? Any progress? How’s the baby?” she rushes, bombarding my older brother with questions.
His deep sigh rings out over the loudspeaker. “The baby’s heart rate has dropped a bit more. They’re getting Charlie ready for a C-section now. We’re heading down in a minute.”
“We? They’re letting you go in with Daniel?” Dad asks.
“Err, yeah.” Without seeing him, I know Michael is cringing.
“Let’s just say after the panic attack Daniel had when the heart monitor started beeping loudly, the hospital staff isn’t willing to separate him and Michael anytime soon,” my brother’s wife, Lara, explains.
“Daniel freaked out, and Michael calmed him down?” my mom asks.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lara confirms.
“And then, you calmed Michael?”
The sound of a kiss comes out of the phone before Michael confirms, “She always calms me.” We hear him kissing his wife again.
“Gross,” I call out, earning a chuckle from everyone on the call.
“I’m going to tell Kaleb not to give you any sugar while you’re with him,” Michael taunts me.
“Oh please, like I need that man’s permission. I’m a grown woman. In fact, he does as I tell him,” I lie.
Michael’s laughter is loud and contagious, and everyone else joins in.
