6
“We have to go,” Kitty said to Jeremiah as she hastily packed what little they owned.
“With that man?”he hissed in disbelief.
She stopped what she was doing to glare at her brother.Thatman was close enough to hear every word they said.
And that man was not one to be trifled with.
Jeremiah took a step closer.“Maloney will kill us all if we run.”
Panic clawed at her chest as she remembered the way Maloney’s lackey had laughed when she told him she had the money they owed.It had been so clear then.
It wasn’t about the money.Or, not just the money.Maloney hated them, the whole family.And he wouldn’t stop making them pay even after their debts were cleared.
She swallowed hard as she met Jeremiah’s gaze.“He’ll kill us if we stay.”
Jeremiah opened his mouth like he might argue, but he cast a quick look at King instead.Whatever he saw on King’s face had him clamping his mouth shut, hurrying to help Kitty to pack up the twins’ meager belongings while she swaddled Little Leo and held him to her chest.
“Hush, it’ll be all right now,” she whispered to the babe.
He squirmed and fussed.She cast a quick, worried glance at Jeremiah, but he nodded, “The wet nurse fed him,” he murmured.
She nodded.He was old enough for some proper food but there was hardly enough to go around as it was so one of the neighborhood mothers had taken pity on them.
“Let’s go,” King growled, his gaze narrowed on the twins like they were suspicious.
Or maybe he was just not used to children’s stares.And theyweregaping.Molly and Tad had that owlish look they got whenever a stranger was about.
They were terrified of all strange men, thanks to Maloney.
She hurried over to reassure them, squatting a bit with Leo on her hip.“It’ll be all right now,” she said with the best smile she could manage.“This nice man is going to help us.”
She risked a peek in King’s direction.It was a bold claim.She wasn’t entirely certain what he had planned for them.But from what she’d learned while working for him, and then what she’d seen of him earlier tonight…
Well, she’d far rather take her chances with this man.
Despite her reassuring words, Molly and Tad clung to her legs which had her shuffling awkwardly toward the door, Leo on her hip and poor, battered Jeremiah bringing up the rear.
Her lumbering progress came to an abrupt halt when Beast showed up in the doorway.
Molly burst out crying at the sight of King’s burly enforcer—no doubt she mistook him for one of Maloney’s men, and Tad dug in his heels so well that Kitty couldn’t take another step.
She was quite literally stuck, weighed down by three little ones as two of the largest, scariest men she’d ever met glared at her from the doorway.
Oh Daphne, I wish you were here with us now.
It was her sister who’d angered Maloney so.Her sister who’d left little Leo to Kitty’s care.
But Daphne was long gone, and Kitty had given up on useless wishes a long time ago.
“Hush,” she said to Molly.To Tad, she added, “These are nice men.”
“He’s gonna hurt Jeremiah again,” Tad wailed.
Before she could respond, Beast startled them all by going down on one knee and facing Tad squarely.“You have my word.No one will lay a finger on your brother.”
All of them stared in silence for a long moment, the only sound was Molly's crying.But then King reached a hand out to Molly, and in his usual gruff, blunt style, he said, “Come along.You’ll be safe soon enough.”