Chapter 30

Jake

It’s eight-thirty in the evening before I make it back to the Kenilworth estate. I couldn’t get home fast enough. When I pull up to the front of the house, everyone is standing out on the steps waiting for me. Annie, Aiden, Charlie, Elly, George. God, seeing them standing there, looking worried as they wait for me, makes my chest ache.

I pull the Tahoe up to the front steps and get out, walking toward them. Aiden breaks free from the group and races down the steps to meet me, throwing himself into my arms and practically strangling me.

“I missed you all day, Jake,” he says, kissing my cheek, and then he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

His little body shakes as I straighten, holding him in my arms. He’s wearing PJs and holding both Stevie and Paul.

Annie joins us, putting her arms around both of us, and the three of us stand there for a good while, just holding each other. “Is everything okay?” she asks me.

“Yes. The charges were dropped. I’m in the clear.”

Annie sighs heavily, closing her eyes in relief. “You’ll have to tell me everything. Later,” she says, eyeing Aiden.

I nod, then lean in to kiss her. Then, to lighten the mood, I look at Aiden. “Hey, buddy, shouldn’t you be in bed by now?”

“I couldn’t go to bed without you being home. Mommy said I could wait up for you.”

I hug him, overwhelmed by how much this kid means to me already. The fact that he cared about my whereabouts kills me. “Well, I’m home now, pal. How about I put you to bed tonight?”

“Yeah.” He yawns, then lays his head on my shoulder, his arms going around my neck as I carry him up the stairs and into the house. “Mommy, you come too,” Aiden says.

Charlie’s there, and she gives me a nod and holds out her hand for a fist bump as I walk past her. “It’s about time you got back, bruh. I was about ready to send out a search-and-rescue team.”

* * *

Upstairs, Aiden goes potty and brushes his teeth. While he’s in the bathroom, I hold Annie in my arms, just gently rocking her. She clings to me, not saying much. Her death grip says it all. She was scared, and I feel bad about that.

“The charges against you have been dropped?” she says.

I guess she just needs some reassurance. “Yes, they were dropped. And Patterson was charged with illegal possession of a handgun, violating the restraining order against you, and also violating a restraining order on behalf of the school. I’m out, and he’s locked up right now. Although I don’t know for how long.”

“I’m just so glad you’re home.”

Aiden comes racing out of the bathroom. “I’m ready!” he says, throwing himself onto the bed.

It takes some doing, but I finally get him to settle down long enough to cover him up. I lie beside him to read his favorite story books. Annie lies on my other side, her head on my shoulder and her arm around my waist. I could easily get used to this.

Aiden falls asleep halfway through his second bedtime story. We switch off the lights and lie there quietly with him, in no rush to leave. There’s something very satisfying about the three of us being together. I think back to yesterday, when Annie and I forgot to use a condom. I’m sure the odds are low that she’ll end up pregnant, but if she does, I won’t be upset. We have plenty of room in our lives for more kids. More family.

Finally, hunger drives me to climb carefully out of Aiden’s bed. Annie comes down to the kitchen with me and helps me heat up a plate of leftovers that Elly left for me in the fridge. I sit at the little table in the kitchen, and Annie sips a cup of decaf tea while I eat.

By now, it’s after ten, and we’re both exhausted. I don’t think either one of us slept last night. We clean up after our late-night snack, then head upstairs to my room—our room. I take a quick shower and join her in bed, where she’s struggling to keep her eyes open.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” I tell her, pulling her into my arms. “But I’m not sorry I beat the shit out of your ex. I meant what I said. If he comes near you or Aiden again, I’m going to kill him.”

“Please don’t say that. You spent a night in jail for beating him up. I can’t imagine what would happen if you killed him.”

“You let me worry about that, okay? Trust me, I’m not going to go off half-cocked and get myself convicted of murder, or even manslaughter.”

She raises up on her elbow and leans over my chest. “We’re a family now. You can’t go off half-cocked. You have to think about us.”

“I am thinking about you, both of you. I don’t want your ex hanging over you like a dark cloud for the rest of your lives. If I have the chance to take him out, I’m going to take it. But please, don’t worry. I’ll be careful. I know what’s permissible and what’s not. Chances are, he’ll make the first move, which is perfect. I can claim self-defense.”