“Look at me,” Curtis ordered, his voice low and firm. He gripped my chin roughly and leaned in until he was all I could see. “You go to the hospital. They’re takin’ the kids to Portland. Already called a helicopter for Dylan.”
“No,” I replied, the word coming out so low it didn’t even sound like my voice.
“Listen to me,” he said, his hand tightening on my face. “Are you with me?”
I nodded, even though I didn’t think I was. My body was there, but the rest of me, the parts deep inside that made me who I was? It was gone. In the back of an ambulance on its way to Portland. In the air above Eugene. Somewhere frightened and waiting for me to find it.
“You go to Portland. I’ll find Finn,” Curtis said, his gaze burning into mine.“I’ll find Finn.”
“He’s scared,” I told Curtis, the words torn from me. “If he saw what happened, he’s really scared.”
“I know that, baby,” Curt said softly, his thumb sliding along my jaw. “He won’t be once I get him, yeah?”
“David—” I stopped speaking when his index fingers came up to press against my lips, and he gave his head a small shake.
“You go with Jess and my boy,” Curtis said. “I’ll find yours.”
I jerked my head out of his grip, the words like a jolt of electricity scorching through me. How dare he say something like that?
“They’re both my boys,” I replied hoarsely. “They’re all mine.”
Curtis froze, and then his eyes fell closed as his hand lowered to his side. After a moment, he looked at me again and nodded.
“I need my keys,” I announced, looking around blankly. “Where are my keys?”
“You’re not drivin’,” Grease announced. I hadn’t even realized that he was in the room.
I turned to find the Aces had somehow held back the police and crime scene guys so that Curtis and I could have a moment. Everyone was watching, waiting for us to make a decision.
“I need to—” I couldn’t even say the words. I couldn’t acknowledge verbally that I was leaving one of my children behind.
“Brenna, Callie, and Farrah are waitin’ for you outside. They’ll drive you to Portland,” Grease said.
“But I—”
“Come on,” Curtis ordered, taking my hand.
The crowd parted as he led me out of the house, lining up along the walkway outside the front door.
My mind raced.
“Teddy,” Curtis’s dad called, jogging toward me. He met us at the sidewalk as we reached the SUV waiting at the curb. “Boys are talkin’ to the neighbors.”
“Anyone see anythin’?” Curtis asked.
“Not so far,” he answered his son. Then he looked at me. “We’ll find him.”
“I should call David,” I said quietly. “He—I don’t think he’d hurt Finn.”
“We’ll deal with David Granger,” Cam said darkly. “You just take care of my grandkids, yeah? We’ll handle everything else.”
He watched me for a moment, and then I found myself in his arms. His hand cupped the back of my head as he kissed my forehead.
When he passed me to Curtis and drifted away, I took a shaky breath.
“Go take care of our kids,” Curtis said, leaning down to brush his lips over mine. He opened the passenger door of the SUV. “I’ll call as soon as I can.”
“We’ve got her,” Farrah said from the driver’s seat. “Go. Do what you need to do.”
