Page 80 of Unseen Danger
But she’d turned out all right without a mom and dad. Thanks to grandparents who filled the gap. Who did these kids have to fill the gap?
She swallowed the lump that stuck in her throat. “I didn’t see my dad or my mom much growing up.” She gave Sam’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “But I made it. And I helped my kid brothers and sister make it. You can do that, too.”
A little hand slipped into hers.
Bear. He didn’t look at her as he did it, just took her hand as naturally as if he’d known her for years instead of one afternoon. Poor desperate kid.
“You guys want to know how to make Al walk when you want him to?”
Three pairs of dark eyes looked up at her. Samson and Destiny nodded.
“You say his name and then ‘with me.’ Sam, you want to try?”
“Sure.” He glanced up at Nevaeh before looking at Alvarez.
“Wait a second. Stand next to him first, and then walk with him when he walks.”
Samson stepped to Al’s opposite side. “Al, with me.”
Nevaeh started forward to prompt Alvarez to listen to the boy.
Samson shot her a grin as the K-9 walked alongside him.
She returned the smile. The trick worked to happily move the kids all the way to Darren at the back door.
“Stay between Nevaeh and me, got it?” Darren repeated the direction he’d given them when they’d arrived at Fun Land. “And if anything happens?”
“Do exactly what you say,” Destiny and Samson repeated together.
“You got it.” Darren looked at Nevaeh from a safe distance away. The guy seemed professional enough, but he was almost as big as Branson. His size and muscular build didn’t help her frayed nerves.
The ride here in the limo had been touch and go. Lucky it was a very big limo or having to sit in there with the massive man would’ve prompted a full-blown PTSD episode for the kids to see. The idea of getting in the limo with him again was making her sweat.
“I cleared the lot a minute ago.” He spoke to Nevaeh over the kids’ heads. “No press.”
“Great.” What a weird life these kids had, having to enter and leave places the back way to avoid reporters and cameras.
“I want to go first with Al.” Destiny pushed between Samson and Alvarez, earning a shove from her brother.
“Hey, that’s enough of that. Al and I will go first, and if you both behave, you can follow us and sit by Al in the limo. All right?”
Darren stepped away from the door to move behind the nanny who hung back, staring at her phone again.
Nevaeh gave Darren a glance, and he nodded. She pulled open the door and started to step through with Alvarez, but Samson and Destiny squeezed past and darted ahead.
She walked into the chilly air. “Hey, stay with—”
Alvarez snarled.
Shots exploded beside her.
Twenty-Four
Nevaeh whirled to see the nanny dart into the building as Darren crashed to the blacktop. Shot.
Two men in ski masks rushed out from behind garbage bins, carrying guns. Kidnappers?
Alvarez barked and snarled.