Page 24 of A Burning Rage

“I’ll hold down the fort, while you handle this,” Cooper says, patting my shoulder before he backs out of the bathroom. “Please get her up off the floor.”

After turning off the water, I crouch down in front of Beth and lift her face. Seeing her like this hurts like a knife to the heart. She reminds me of that scared, anxious young woman I first met five years ago.

I brush Beth’s hair back from her hot face and grab a tissue off the vanity to wipe her tears. “Come with me.” I stand and scoop her up in my arms and carry her to our bedroom.

I head for the sofa across the room and sit, placing her on my lap. I slip off her shoes and tuck her feet up on the cushions.

She’s clearly not in the mood to talk at the moment, so I wrap my arms around her and hold her against my chest.

I run my hand slowly up and down Beth’s back, and I’m relieved when she relaxes in my arms, resting her weight against me. I press my lips to her temple. “I’m sure seeing Andrew again dredged up a lot of painful memories.”

She nods. “He kept looking at me, Shane. There was no expression on his face. None. It was like he was dead inside. You’d think he’d feel something.”

“I think what you’re experiencing is akin to PTSD, don’t you think?”

She wraps her arms around my waist. “Yes.”

“Maybe the panel will reject Andrew’s request.”

She pulls back to look me in the eye. “And if they don’t?”

“I won’t let him hurt you, Beth. You have my word.”

She wipes her eyes and cheeks and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Okay, enough of this. I need to get my act together.” She stands and straightens her clothing.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

She nods. “I don’t really have a choice, do I? The kids need me to be strong, at least for them.”

Together, we walk into the kitchen. Ava is seated in her highchair, and it looks like Ingrid is feeding her some yogurt and berries. Cooper’s handing a cup of coffee to Sam.

When Luke spots Beth, he comes running to her, crashing into her legs with the force of a pint-sized locomotive. “Mama! Are you okay?”

Beth picks him up and kisses the side of his head. “I’m fine, sweetie.”

“Are you sad?” he asks, his features etched in concern. “You look sad.”

Beth pastes on a smile. “I’m a bit tired, that’s all.”

“If you want to take a nap, I’ll read you a story. Do you like sharks?”

Her fake smile quickly morphs into a genuine one, and she hugs Luke tightly. “My sweet boy.”

After lunch, Ingrid kisses the kids—and her daughter—goodbye and heads across the street to her house. I took the day off so I could stay home with my family. Sam and Cooper join us.

We do our best to act as if nothing’s wrong because we don’t want to worry the kids. It’s going to be a bit of a wait until we hear the panel’s decision, which won’t come until sometime next week at the earliest. In the meantime, we have to carry on as normally as possible.

* * *

That night, as we’re lying in bed, Beth’s anxiety surfaces, and I hold her in my arms as she cries herself to sleep. I lie awake for a long time considering my options in the event Andrew is released.

Of course, I will increase security around the family compound, as well as for Beth when—if—she leaves the shelter of our private housing development. If Andrew is released, I hope Beth will agree to stay at home until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with.

An alternative I haven’t ruled out is relocating my family far away from Chicago. That would be a drastic step, as it would mean we’d be leaving our extended family. I’d also have to turn over the day-to-day running of McIntyre Security to someone else, most likely my brother Jake. I know Cooper’s not interested in a desk job. Besides, I’d bet Cooper and Sam would want to come with us.

I haven’t decided where we’d move, but a few possibilities have crossed my mind—namely New York City, Boston, or Montreal. I have large offices in those cities. And there, we’d be beyond the reach of a small-minded prick like Andrew Morton.

My mind races as I sort through all our options. I know it’s a bit premature because we don’t know how the panel will rule. But what kind of husband and father would I be if I didn’t plan for every possible contingency?