Page 1 of Hush Darling
Prologue
BOYS AND MONSTERS
James disguised his fear as the police car drove them further away from the only place they had ever called home. Rail thin and hungry, he watched the uniformed officer with a mixture of skepticism and frail trust. He’d seen too much evil in his thirteen years to hold any space for hope. Now that their mother was out of the picture, he presumed they were among the hopeless.
The dilapidated city warehouses that lined the fringe of London’s lowest districts gave way to wide-open highways and foreign bridges he’d never crossed. Sitting beside James, Peter fidgeted, his slight body unable to see past the window as their grey, familiar world faded away.
James reached for his little brother’s small hand, offering silent support as they waited to see where they were taken next—two aimless ships left to float without a rudder or a sail in a rather dark night.
The fresh bruises on Peter’s arms tinged his fair skin a yellowish green. Fresh anger stabbed through James’ gut like a steel blade. He should have done something sooner. He should have protected Peter better. He had a duty to protect his brother that went beyond protecting himself.
James had welts, too, but, at the moment, he felt nothing beyond his fury toward the men who hurt Peter. That, and his worry over what would become of them now.
Turning away from the proof of abuse they survived, James glared out the window. His dark eyes reflected in the glass like two fathomless holes leading them into the unknown future. They could only move forward now because they were never going back there again. Their mother was going away for something called neglect, and the men that hurt Peter, well, James could only hope they eventually got what they deserved.
The radio of the squad car chirped as a static voice squawked from the speakers. According to the faceless voice on the other end, they were heading to Saint Mercy’s Home for Orphaned Boys.
The officer driving the car had not been the one to rescue them. It was a female who found them. She smelled like roses, and her hair was soft like cotton. She told them they were safe. Then the house was swarming with men in uniforms, each wearing a copper badge and carrying a gun.
James had already forgotten the female agent’s face, but he held onto her promise that they would be safe. She said there would be food and clothing and plenty of warm beds for him and Peter. There was a gentleness about her, something the male cops lacked, something James and Peter knew little about but both innately craved.
Peter was too young to understand what was happening but not too old to sense the finality of the day’s events. Even at four, he knew enough to fear the unknown. He’d been hysterical when they pulled Mother away and put her in cuffs. Too young to fully understand, he assumed the men in blue uniforms and copper badges were a threat, so he kicked and screamed when they loaded them into the back of the squad car.
James shut his eyes as the vision replayed. He’d wanted to kick and scream, too, but at thirteen, he was old enough to know that sort of behavior would change nothing. At least now, they would have regular meals, baths, and maybe even stories to help them sleep.
A soft sniffle caught his ear, and he glanced at Peter. His pale blond hair hadn’t been washed in weeks, and there was still blood crusted around his nose.
“Hey.” James reached across the sprawling bench seat and grabbed his little hand. “We’re gonna be okay.”
Peter wiped his nose on his threadbare sleeve. “Will Mother be able to find us?”
A cold fist tightened around James’ heart. Their mother was the forgetful sort. So forgetful, that she often needed reminding that she had two sons. “Mother’s going somewhere else.”
“Will we see her again?”
Peter couldn’t grasp that their mother had invited those men into the house, that she knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it. James didn’t know if that information mattered now. “I don’t know.”
Peter stretched his dirty neck to peek out the window at the trees rushing by. “Where are they taking us?”
“An orphanage.”
He looked up at him, dark circles rimming his big green eyes. “What’s an orphanage?”
“It’s a place where lost boys live.”
That was what they were—lost boys. Lost. James wished he had a compass for their future, but he only had his instincts.
“When we get there, try not to say too much. Just hold my hand and follow my lead.”
Peter nodded, but fear was plain to see on his elfin face. “What if they separate us?”
“I won’t let them.”
“But…”
“Peter,” he squeezed his hand. “They won’t separate us. I promise. It’s me and you—brothers forever. Understand?” When Peter nodded, James avowed, “Just keep hold of my hand.”
He nodded and sniffled. “What if the bad men come?”
