Vow To Protect. Ann Voss Peterson

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СКАЧАТЬ dark and oppressive in the early-September heat.

      A cop approached Melanie and Ethan. In less than a second, he whisked them away from Cord and out of the line of fire.

      At least they wouldn’t be hurt. Cord could focus on that.

      “Keep your hands above your head and slowly turn around.”

      Hands high, Cord pivoted. He turned slowly, allowing them to see he had no bulges of weapons in the waistband of his jeans, no reason to believe he was dangerous. As much as he wanted to ask why they were doing this, he kept his mouth shut. He knew how cops thought. He was an ex-con. He had nothing coming. Not even an explanation. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to egg them on by demanding one.

      “Keep turning.”

      He turned another 180, until he was facing back toward Melanie.

      She crossed her arms around Ethan’s chest and held him tight, protecting him. The boy watched with wide eyes, as if he’d never seen a scene quite like this. No doubt he never had. It sure as hell wasn’t a scene from his world.

      It was a scene from Cord’s.

      “Put your hands on the top of your head,” the cop ordered.

      Cord did as he was told, lacing his fingers together the way he’d been taught.

      “Down on your knees. Take it slow.”

      Cord lowered himself. One knee and then the other hit the pavement. He didn’t have to wonder how Ethan saw him now. He just hoped it wouldn’t take the kid long to forget him.

      “Down on your belly. Arms away from your body. Palms facing up. Cross your ankles.”

      Cord had done this maneuver enough while in prison to perform it in his sleep. He flattened himself to the ground and crossed his legs. Cheek pressed against the hot driveway, he moved his arms wide, palms up.

      Boots scuffed the concrete around him. A hand grabbed his arm and bent it behind his back. A steel handcuff closed around his wrist. The cop grabbed his other arm, cuffing it to the first. The inflexible bands of steel bit into his wrists, bruising his flesh. Hands patted his sides and legs. Once satisfied he was clean, the cop rolled him to his side.

      “Rise to your knees.”

      Cord struggled into a kneeling position at the cop’s feet.

      “Cross your ankles.”

      Cord did what he was told. Why didn’t they take Melanie and Ethan away? Why didn’t they take them into the house where they didn’t have to watch, where the fact of what he was wasn’t in their faces? “What is this about?”

      “Shut up.”

      He should have known better than to ask. He had nothing coming. The old prison saying was just as true on this side of the razor wire.

      A dark green sedan crept up the drive and stopped behind the cruisers. The door opened and a dark-haired detective climbed out.

      The last time Cord had seen Reed McCaskey, the cop had been marrying Cord’s half sister Diana on the shores of Lake Mendota. Cord hadn’t been invited, not to the wedding and not to the small reception held on a boat afterward, but he’d stood in the shadow of the park shelter anyway and watched, though to this day, he didn’t really understand why.

      McCaskey made his way through the parked cruisers and stopped behind the cop who’d been shouting the orders. “This isn’t Kane.”

      The cop gave him a frown. “You sure?”

      “Yes. But bring him to the downtown district office. We need to have a talk with him anyway.”

      The patrol cop nodded. “Parole violation?”

      “Possibly. And helping his father escape.”

      Melanie didn’t move. In her embrace, Ethan scuffed the rubber sole of his shoe against the pavement. As if sensing Cord’s gaze, the boy raised his eyes.

      Then looked away.

      MELANIE HELD ON to Ethan’s shoulders, a tremor seizing her and questions spinning through her mind. Just an hour ago she’d had her life just the way she’d wanted. A great job at the lab. A secure home for her son. A sane and safe neighborhood in which he could grow up and thrive.

      And then Cord had walked back into her life and brought all her worst nightmares with him.

      She looked down at the top of her son’s head. Ethan had no idea Cord was his father, but that didn’t prevent him from watching Cord’s arrest with wide eyes, soaking in every detail. She had to get him out of here. She’d spent her life making sure he didn’t have to witness this kind of thing, that he didn’t have to grow up in the world she did. She turned to the police officer who had shunted them out of the line of fire.

      “Can I take my son inside?”

      “In just a moment, ma’am. Detective McCaskey will want to talk to you first.” He nodded his head in the direction of a tall, dark-haired man wearing a police department polo shirt.

      The detective wound his way through officers and cars and stopped in front of her. “Do you know this man?”

      “Yes. I mean, I did. A long time ago.”

      “Was he threatening you?”

      “No, of course not.”

      “You can answer honestly. We can keep you safe from him.”

      “No, he wasn’t threatening. He was warning me.”

      “Warning you? About what?”

      She glanced down at Ethan. “Can we talk about this another time?”

      The detective followed her gaze. His eyes narrowed on Ethan. Then, as almost a reflex, he glanced back at Cord. “I think I understand.”

      A tremor lodged in Melanie’s chest. She should have known he’d figure it out. Ethan looked so much like Cord, it was frightening. The resemblance had stolen her breath on more than one occasion. And now, seeing the two of them together, McCaskey would have to be blind not to see that they were father and son.

      And that that fact meant Ethan was Dryden Kane’s grandson.

      The thought squeezed the breath from her lungs. She couldn’t accept that Ethan shared that monster’s blood. She couldn’t even start to wrap her mind around it. She could only pray the detective wouldn’t comment. “We were just leaving when the police arrived.”

      “Why don’t you pack some things and we’ll see what we can do as far as protection is concerned? We can talk more after you’re settled.”

      She nodded. She could do that. She would pack some of their things and take Ethan away.

      She forced her feet to move up the sidewalk and steps to the front door of the house. She couldn’t stop shuddering. Gritting her teeth, she opened the storm door and held it wide for СКАЧАТЬ