Page 83 of Broken
Tears filled Ethan’s eyes. “I want my mommy.”
“I know you do. I want her, too, buddy.”
Ethan started crying, giant tears sliding down his small cheeks. Prescott picked him up and stood. Then, he held him in his arms and hugged him. Life had dealt this child another horrific blow, but as he held him close, he silently vowed that he would be there for him, no matter what, for the rest of his life.
THAT EVENING,rather than put Ethan in his crib and leave him alone, Prescott set up a sleepover in the family room. He laid out two sleeping bags, a bunch of pillows, and several board games.
After Ethan had calmed down, he asked Prescott to read him the dinosaur book again, but he didn’t ask any questions. Prescott wasn’t hungry, but he wanted to make sure Ethan got something to eat.
Somehow, he’d managed to pull together a decent dinner. He breaded chicken breasts, cut them up, and told Ethan that they were homemade chicken nuggets. To his relief, Ethan ate them.
After Ethan had fallen asleep, he stood on his back deck, staring up at the stars. Going forward, Ethan would be his priority, all while finding the ALPHA killer, putting in the hours at Armstrong, and taking care of Jack’s sexual needs.
That last one made him chuckle. Without question, that would be the most frustrating of all. Being around her turned him into a beast. From the beginning, their physical connection had been intense. There was something about her, beyond her looks, that drew him to her.
Now, however, he had to help Ethan reacclimate to his new life, his new home, and most importantly, his new family.
Prescott had always been up for a challenge, so he’d confront these head on. Only this time, he wasn’t just responsible for himself. He had to ensure Ethan and Jack stayed safe. With a killer out there, he had to watch his six… and, more so, he had to watch theirs.
* * *
Jacqueline
By eight o’clock Monday morning,Jacqueline was ready to work, so she texted Prescott. “Where should we meet?”
No dots appeared.
Assuming he had his hands full with Ethan, she shouldered her laptop satchel, grabbed her handbag, and left the condo.
On the way to his house, she stopped at a grocery store, loaded up with some non-perishables, including bottled water for herself and Ethan. As she headed toward the front of the store, she walked down the pet isle.
Her thoughts drifted to the puppies. After grabbing a handful of dog toys, she spotted giant bounce balls near the registers. She fished out a large blue one, then proceeded to a cashier.
After loading her car, she texted her sister-in-law, Naomi.
“I’m back in the area and would love to see you guys… and get my puppy fix. What’s your after-work sched this week?”
Within seconds, dots appeared. “THAT IS THE BEST NEWS!!!” Naomi texted back. “Keith is out of town for a convention. How ‘bout girls’ night tonight? We can cook and play with the pups.”
“I love it,” Jacqueline replied. “Six-thirty?”
Naomi replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
Her phone rang. It was Prescott and her heart skipped a beat.Settle down, woman.
“Good morning,” she answered. “How’s it going?”
“We’ve gotta work at my place, but I’m not sure how much we’re gonna get done today.”
“I’m at the grocery store getting the water Ethan likes. Need anything?”
“The playlist you made for him.”
“You got it.”
She drove to Prescott’s palatial estate in McLean. After parking on his circular driveway, she knocked on the front door.
No answer.
