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Lexie ducked under it and knelt in front of Eric. “You’re okay.” She brushed his hair back from his forehead.
“Yeah. Can I get out now?”
“Yes.” She shook her head as if to clear it and unblocked the door. “Yes, you can.”
I muscled between Cal and Lexie, lifting Eric to his feet.
He threw his arms around me. “You saved me.”
I held him tight. It was my fault he’d been through this hell. I didn’t deserve his praise.
“Glad you’re all right.” I patted his back.
Once he let me go, he went straight to Lexie. She hugged him long and hard, sniffling.
“I want to go home,” he said.
She scrubbed his hair. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lexie
I hadn’t letmy brother out of my sight since his return last night.
My irrational fear that he’d be taken again consumed me.
He didn’t appear to be physically hurt, but mentally? I couldn’t think about what our parents had said to him. Or done to him. He’d often been crying when they’d pushed him into the cupboard when he was small. But how did they get him onto the roof? What did they threaten him with to get him there?
I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t left him alone. Muffy and Millie had been glued to him, and I was grateful for them. They’d given my brother some comfort.
He held Millie now as he slept.
It was time to get our day started, but we weren’t delivering our dog food today. We needed a break, though I’d considered keeping our routine so Eric would feel normal.
“A hearing is set for Monday. I’ll testify when the time comes.”
I jumped.
Lincoln spoke softly so as not to disturb Eric. He motioned toward the door with his head. Reluctantly, I followed him, but he stopped just in the hallway. I stood where I could see my brother.
“I spoke to Zegas. He made sure none of the attorneys he knows will take your parents’ case. He’s very familiar with the judge who was assigned and feels she’ll sentence to the fullest extent of the law. Which will be life.”
That was the most he’d spoken to me since we’d found Eric. What little I’d slept, I’d done in his office on the floor by Eric.
Lincoln was already dressed in a suit, looking like he’d been up for hours even though it was only a little after seven.
“How were they caught so quickly?” In the heat of the moment, I hadn’t cared about them. Getting Eric back had been the most important thing.
“I sent Daniel a text about our plan to meet them. He has some contacts with the authorities and they were stationed nearby. When your parents left, I alerted him to have the police move in.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We didn’t have Eric at that point, and I’d hoped if they were caught, they’d be forced to tell us where he was.”
“But they didn’t.”
“They interrogated them the entire time we searched, but no, they wouldn’t talk. Not even for promises they could keep the money.”
He was back to the emotionless façade, strictly stating the facts. But I heard something in his tone that sounded like regret.
“You gave them the money?” I’d been so focused on finding Eric, I didn’t know how or why they’d left. Only that after I’d searched the old apartment in the dark, they were gone. I hadn’t thought of the money.
