CARA’S POV “He’s under federal investigation,” I said, my voice barely carrying across the room.
“He’s facing indictment for fraud, corruption.
Aunt Val, how can a judge even entertain a custody petition from him right now?” “Because he hasn’t been convicted yet,” she said, her voice flat.
“And he has a legal team eager to change the story.
If he claims he’s a father trying to rescue his son from an unsafe environment after a kidnapping, it diverts attention from his corrupt crimes.
It makes him look like a victim.” “A victim?” A dry laugh escaped my throat.
“He’s the reason Danny was taken in the first place.” “I know that, Cara.” She reached out, taking my cold hands in hers.
“My lawyer is already drafting an opposition.
But you need to understand how your father operates.
He doesn’t want Daniel because he cares.
So, we won’t let him take Danny no matter what.” My fingers tightened around hers.
“I just want Danny to be left alone.” “Me too.
He deserves that.” Aunt Val’s phone began vibrating on the table.
She glanced at the screen, then picked it up.
“It’s my lawyer.” She answered the call and listened for a moment, her expression becoming more focused with her eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Yes, I’m here,” she said.
“No, I understand.” She looked across the room toward the hallway.
“Come as soon as you can.
We’ll go through everything when you get here.” There was another pause.
“Yes.
I’ll text you the address.” She ended the call and placed the phone on the round table.
“He’s coming over in the morning,” she said.
“Tomorrow?” “Apparently, he wants to go over the opposition in person.” She reached for her phone again.
“I’ll send him the address now.” She unlocked the screen and began typing.
I watched her for a moment.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?
Having him come here?” “He already knows I’m involved.
There isn’t much point pretending otherwise.” She glanced up at me.
“Besides, I’d rather have him here where we can speak privately.” I nodded, though the knot in my stomach remained.
Before I could answer, a floorboard creaked in the dark hall behind us.
Aunt Val stopped talking.
My head snapped toward the shadow of the foyer.
Danny was standing three steps up on the staircase.
He looked shorter than I remembered, swallowed up by an oversized gray sweatshirt, his hands buried deep in the front pocket.
The purple bruise on his jaw stood out dark against his pale skin.
He had heard everything.
“Danny,” I started, pushing myself off the couch.
The second I moved, he turned and bolted up the stairs, his socked feet slapping against the wood.
“Go,” Aunt Val said softly, releasing my hands.
“Go to him.” I took the stairs two at a time, my hand sliding along the mahogany rail.
The upper hallway was dark, save for the garden lights casting long shadows through the window.
The door to his room was cracked open, a narrow band of light spilling onto the floorboards.
I pushed it open gently.
“Danny?” He was sitting in the middle of the bed, his back pressed tight against the headboard, his knees pulled up to his chest.
He had pulled his arms inside his sleeves, his chin resting flat on his knees.
He didn’t look up.
I closed the door, shutting out the rest of the house, and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
For a long time, neither of us said anything.
The room was quiet, filled only with the low hum of the radiator.
I watched his face, waiting.
“Dad doesn’t want me because he cares,” Danny whispered into his sweater.
“He just doesn’t want Aunt Val to have me.” My chest tightened.
I shifted closer, laying a hand flat on his knee.
“Danny…” “It’s true.” He turned his head slightly, looking at me through his bangs.
“When Mom was alive, he used to get mad at her and he even beat her in my room.
And after…” He swallowed hard, trembling visibly.
“After she…
after she…
she…” I pulled my legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged beside him.
“Listen to me,” I said quietly.
“That is his failing.
Not yours.
Never yours.” I reached out, gently lifting his chin.
Up close, his face was nothing but a clear reflection of the last twenty-four hours: the scrapes, the dark circles, the tremor in his chin.
“I’ve taken care of you since you were born,” I told him, keeping my voice steady.
“Dad can sign whatever papers he wants.
He can bring ten lawyers.
A thousand lawyers if he will.
But he isn’t taking you from me.
I won’t let him.
Aunt Val won’t let that happen.” Danny’s breath hitched.
He pressed his forearm hard against his eyes.
“And Dante, right?
When that man put me in the boat…
I thought I was never going to see you again.” The raw fear in his voice cut clean through me.
The mention of Dante’s name unraveled something I had desperately tried to suppress.
I didn’t try to answer.
I just pulled him into my arms.
Danny broke, sobbing into me.
He buried his face into my neck, his fingers digging frantically into my sweater.
He sobbed in violent, ragged shudders, the terror of the warehouse, the gunshots, and the blood on the pier finally coming out all at once.
That’s it, Danny.
Let it all out.
I held him tight, resting my cheek against his hair.
“You’re fine,” I whispered.
“You are safe.
Your life was endangered, I know.
But you’re here now.
You’re with me.” “I miss Mom,” he wept into my shoulder.
“I wanted Mom so bad.” “I know, baby.
Me too.” The door opened behind us with a soft click.
Aunt Val walked in quietly.
Her heels were gone, her posture relaxed, her eyes heavy as she looked down at us.
She didn’t say anything.
She just sat down on the other side of the mattress and wrapped her arms around both of us.
Danny reached out, his small hand gripping the fabric of her sleeve.
“Your mom loved you both more than anything,” Aunt Val whispered, burying her face against his hair, her voice thick with emotion.
“No one is taking you away from here, Daniel.
I won’t let them.” We stayed like that until Danny’s sobs quieted into slow, hitching breaths, his body growing heavy against mine as exhaustion took over.
The house had gone quiet again.
Somewhere on her body, Aunt Val’s phone buzzed, but she didn’t move to check it.
After a few minutes, Aunt Val eased back.
She used her sleeve to wipe the dampness from his cheek, her gaze sharpening as she looked at him.
“Danny,” she said softly, keeping her hand on his knee.
“I know you’re tired.
But I need to ask you something before the details start to get foggy.” Danny blinked up at her, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.
“What?” Aunt Val met his eyes, her voice low.
“The men who took you…
before Dante and Cara showed up.
What did you hear them say?” Danny sighed heavily, collecting his thoughts.