Page 56 of Off Limits Daddy

Duncan looked horrified.

"He had a gun?" If that was true, why didn't he force Aiden to go with him?

Aiden then pointed to his desk. I looked but didn't see anything.

An idea came. "Your drawings?"

He nodded.

"Was he in your drawing?"

He shook his head.

"Is he why the people are on the ground and there's blood?" I asked.

He nodded.

"He was in the car?" Again, my neck tingled.

He nodded.

"Was he alone?"

Aiden shook his head.

"Aiden, was he with Wally?"

Aiden curled into himself again. He was afraid of Wally, and for good reason.

"Can we give this a break?" Duncan asked.

I nodded. I wanted to pull together photos of all of Wally's crew—maybe even Jonny, too—and see if Aiden could ID him as the man in the car and at school today.

"I'm going up to my office."

Duncan held Aiden tighter. "Find this fucker, Veronica."

"I will." God, I hoped I could.

16

Duncan

Iwas rarely a man stuck on what needed to be done. But in this situation, I felt confused and useless. How would I ever make Aiden feel safe? Especially now?

He fell asleep in my arms. For a long time, I held him and prayed for the strength to protect him and help him develop into a well-adjusted person. Would I have that chance? Would Wally Creighton or whoever was after him take him from me? Would Social Services deem me unfit? I had half a mind to pack Aiden up and fly us somewhere on the other side of the world where we could live safely and freely. I wondered if Veronica would come with us. No. No, her life was her work and her work was here. And I was glad for that. Glad that she was up on the third floor working to take these fuckers who threatened my son down.

I couldn't sit here forever holding Aiden, no matter how much I wanted to. I needed to take action. Maybe we could booby-trap the house like the kid inHome Alone. I blew out a breath, hating my ineptitude. Maybe I couldn't be a superhero, but I could transform this house into a fortress, a sanctuarywhere no harm could touch Aiden. I'd look into our security and make sure it was up to date. Veronica said she couldn't be our bodyguard, so maybe I could hire one.

But first, I needed to consider Aiden's mental health. I needed a routine for him that suggested all was well and normal, especially since I wasn't sending him back to school. Homeschooling was the only option that made sense—keep him close, keep him safe. It would be tough being a dad, businessman, and teacher, but it had to be done.

I pulled out my phone and started researching homeschooling regulations and curriculums for first grade. Information flooded the screen. It was overwhelming. How did I know what was best for Aiden?

Aiden stirred in my lap.

"Hey, buddy." I smiled, hoping it was reassuring to him. "We're going to be spending some more time at home together."

"Because of the bad man?"

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