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He looked up at me. Tears swam in his eyes.
“I think your mommy would be very excited to see you.”
A fat tear trickled down his dirt-smudged cheek. “Daddy says I’m not allowed to talk to people.”
The hot lump in my throat turned to a hot ball of anger. “Does he know where you are?”
Bobby shook his head. “I got hungry, so I climbed out.”
“Out?”
“Of the house under the ground.”
Holy fuck. What was his father—
“Ronnie,” Lucas said, calm but oh so serious. “Get him to the cops straight away. Get him there now. I’m on my way.”
“Okay.” Mouth dry, I ended the call. I didn’t need to tell him where I was. I shared my phone’s location with Lucas 24/7.
Bobby looked up at me. More tears spilled from his eyes. He hugged Groot to his chest. “I want my mommy.”
I gave him a gentle smile and smoothed my hand over his back again. “Let’s get you to her then.”
It took me a few seconds to find the location of the closest police station. Google told me I could walk there in less than five minutes.
Five minutes of walking, during which Bobby’s father could find him. Find him. Try to take him away again.
Five exposed minutes.
It would take me almost that long to walk to where I’d parked my car. So, did I walk to my car where I’d left it away from the crowd, or did I walk with Bobby directly to the police station, on busy sidewalks, past shops and—hopefully—lots of people?
At that point in time, I really was wishing Groot was older. Or maybe that I’d brought Francis with me as well. And Fluffy. And that I’d woken Lucas before leaving and asked him to come with me…
My stomach rolled. I scanned the area around me. The crowd at the farmers’ market was beginning to thin out. No one was paying me and Bobby any attention.
“Do you want to hold Groot’s leash?” I offered it to Bobby. “While I hold your hand?”
He studied both—my hand and the leash—with a solemnity I’d never seen on a little kid, before nodding.
His fingers wrapped around mine and he squeezed tight.
I handed him Groot’s leash and he took it with his free hand. “If Daddy sees me,” he watched Groot bounce around at his feet, “he will hit…he will be mad.”
I swallowed. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
And I wouldn’t. I’d learned a thing or two since Lucas had revealed everything to me. If Bobby’s father found him, tried to take him back, well, let’s just say I know how to rupture a testicle with my elbow and leave it at that.
Leaving my purchases on the table (I needed my hands available, not holding bags), we began walking. Away from the markets, heading for the police station.
Three blocks in and I was a jumpy mess, doing my best not to flinch at every sound, at every person we saw, at every goddamn shadow. Thank God Bobby seemed to get lost in the joy of Groot.
By the time I saw the police station, Bobby was laughing and almost skipping. His grip on my hand didn’t lessen, however. And he stayed so close, his hip kept bumping against my leg.
Approaching the entry door of the police station, I squeezed Bobby’s fingers a little. “We’ll call your mommy from in here, okay?”
He nodded up at me.
“I bet she’s going to be excited to see—”
