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A Beck sister did what she had to do.
Jilly Silly’s grinning face stared up at her now. “You take Jilly Silly, ok. She’ll take care of you, too. I promise. No matter what.”
“My want my Oakie.”
“I know.” Sydney couldn’t help it, she kissed him on his little cheek. She lifted him. Hugged him close one more time. “I’ll get her, baby. You just go to Jilly Silly now. She’ll take care of you, I promise.”
So small, so precious.
So worth any sacrifice.
She handed him to the other girl. “Go. No matter what you do, get this baby away from this hell. No matter what. You get him out of here, and you keep him safe. You’re all he has right now. Go.”
115
Crispin knewsomething significant was happening right now. She was just a bit clueless what it was. She could smell the smoke; it burned her eyes and her nose. She slipped the bracelet around her wrist and latched it. A tracking device.
She hoped it was working.
She took the little boy in her arms and held him close.
His arms slipped around her neck; his head rested on her shoulder as he sniffled. Crispin held him like she would one of her nieces or nephews and looked at the other woman. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find Pen. And anyone else.” The redheaded woman just looked at her. She was only a few years or so older than Crispin. Crispin hadn’t realized that before. She probably wasn’t any older than Cashlyn or Cara. "There will be a sheriff in Value. His name is Clay and my sister is married to his cousin. He will help you. Just keep going. And tell my family that I loved them."
Crispin held the little boy as closely as she could. She wanted to help Sydney. But the little boy in her arms was so little. He deserved someone to take care of him, too. Like Crispin’s mom and sisters of the heart had always taken care ofher.
She just started walking.
She ignored the pain in her feet as she walked over the hard Texas ground. She had no idea what had happened to her shoes. Where or when she had lost them.
She had hated shoes as a little girl. Her mom had had to force her to wear them, for years.
She could walk without shoes, if it meant this little boy was safe from the monsters now.
Loved. That woman had saidloved. Not love.
Crispin knew what it meant.
Sydney didn't think she was going to be alive to tell her family herself. But she'd run back inside for her friends, anyway.
Crispin had never had a friend like that.
But her family—she would do that for her family, too, if she ever had to. In an instant.
Like this little boy in her arms. He was her family, too.
She just knew it.
Nothingwas going to happen to him. Crispin wasn’t going to let it.
Crispin's cheeks were wet as she walked. As she sang him the theme song toScraggle Poppsher nieces and nephews loved so much.
And she just kept walking.
116
Vaughn had onlya few minutes to get to his precious angel and get her out of the old carriage house before it turned into the five fires of hell. Just like his mama used to tell him about.
