Once More A Family Part 21

"I want to go home!"

"Shut your yap, kid, or I'll shut it for you."

Jimmy clamped on his cheek between his teeth but he couldn't stop crying. Thelittle man jerked around, then c.o.c.ked back his fist...

The scream was earsplitting, jerkingRia from the warm coc.o.o.n of deep sleep.Heart pounding at a frightening speed, she fumbled for the light, even as thehigh-pitched sound reverberated through the cottage.

Grady was already up and tugging on his shorts. An instant later, he wasgone, the weapon he'd taken from beneath his pillow in his hand.

"Oh, G.o.d,Jimmy!" she cried, even as she struggled to free herself from th.e.s.h.eet. In her haste, she tumbled to the floor, banging her elbow on thenightstand as she fell.

"Mama's coming," she called as she somehow scrambled to her feet.

Grady reached Jimmy first. He'd turned on the light and tossed his pistolonto the top bunk. Half lying, half sitting on the bed, he was holding theobviously terrified little boy who was kicking like a wild thing, his browneyes round with terror.

"Let me go-o-o-o-o!"Jimmy shouted, his voice little-boy shrill. "I want to gohome."

Grady wrapped his arms around Jimmy's lanky body and brought his face closeto his. "Jimmy, look at me, son," he commanded in a low, insistent tone thatsomehow pierced the shrill cries. "You are home, son. It was just a dream. Noone's ever going to take you away again."

"They put tape over my mouth and I c-couldn't breathe. And then ... and then they made me drink awful stuff and then that guy Nikolai, he said I'd neversee my m-mommy again."

Grady glanced her way, his eyes bleak, his jaw tight. "Jim, look. There'syour mom. Right there by the door."

Jimmy stopped struggling and jerked his head toward her.

"Here I am, baby," she said in a soothing tone as she approached one slowstep at a time. "Mom's here."

His face crumpled, and he jerked away from his father. "Mommy!"

Looking achingly like the baby he'd been once, he held out his arms. Shegathered him to her breast as he started to sob.

"It's all right, baby. It's all right." She stroked his hair, ran her handsover his shaking little body. Finally, after endless, miserable months, herbaby was home again.

"D-Daddy didn't come. I w-waited and waited."

Grady went white. "I would have come, Jim. I couldn't find you."

"Moira said you didn't want me 'cause I'm too dumb to learn to read andwrite."

"That's not true. I swear it's not true."

Grady looked destroyed.Ria's heart broke for him. Hehad found their son."Sweetheart, Daddy wouldn't lie to you. He did everything he could to findyou. Tomorrow I'll show you the folder with the flyers he sent out every sixmonths. Every day he called other police departments and talked to lots andlots of people."

She broke off to take a quick breath. "We were so sad when you weren't here.For years before you were born, Daddy and I prayed to have a little boy justlike you. And when we did, we were so happy we just kept smiling and smiling,so you see we'd never, ever do anything to hurt you. We certainly wouldn'tsend you away."

"But Moira said-"

"Jimmy, look at me," she ordered. His lashes were stuck together, and hisinnocent mouth trembled, but he looked. "Have we said anything since you'vebeen back with us that would make you think we don't want you?"

His shoulder aimed for his ear in his version of his father's quick,impatient shrug.Ria brushed back his hair and kissed his forehead. "Sweetie,your daddy has been getting up at four in the morning and going to work earlyso he can come home early. So he could teach you to play croquet or how tofish. Having you back was the most important thing in the world to him. Toboth of us."

She glanced at Grady's face and saw anguish beneath the stone. He needed tobe rea.s.sured as much as their son. Right now, though, the son they both adoredneeded her more. "Jimbo, if you could choose right now, would you really wantto go back to California and live with Lance and Moira?"

His lashes flickered as he looked from one of his parents to the other. She saw the conflicting loyalties, the terror that he would be tossed out if hewasn't good enough or nice enough or quiet enough, and her heart ached.

Suddenly she was six and her mother was screaming obscenities as a strangerdragged her away.Ria had screamed, too, and tried to fight off the armsholding her. Her mother had been crazy, yes, but she'd been the onlysecurityRia had ever known.

Terrified and lonely,Ria hadn't been able to stop crying. Her foster motherhad finally given up and called social services, who'd found her another home.By thenRia had figured out that people threw you away if you cried, so shestopped. She had nightmares too, screaming in the dark. Her foster parentstried, but they had a new baby, andRia's screaming made the baby scream, too.

The social worker she'd had before Alice had lectured her sternly aboutcontrolling her emotions. No one wanted a little girl who was out of control.Besides, look what had happened to her mother when she couldn't controlherself. By the time she'd started college, she'd gotten very good atcontrolling herself.

Oh, G.o.d, she thought. What have I done?

"I want to stay here with you," Jimmy said softly. "If it's okay."

"Very, very okay," she said through the tears that were suddenly blindingher. She hugged him tightly, feeling love flood her. Finally he'd had enoughand started to wiggle. A good sign, she thought, letting him go.

"Since we're all up, why don't we have a snack." She smiled at the glint thatappeared in Jimmy's eyes. "Cookies and milk okay with you?"

"I wouldn't mind." Jimmy dashed his hand over her face, then shot a hesitantglance at his father. "Is it okay?"

"Sure thing." Grady cleared his throat and smiled. "Okay if I give you a hugfirst?"

Jimmy shrugged, a young male uncomfortable showing emotion to the leader ofthe pack. "I guess, if you want."

Riasaw the flinch deep in Grady's eyes. But the look on his face was pureHardin bluff. "Hey, no problem," he said as he ruffled Jimmy's hair instead."We'll do it later."

Looking relieved, Jimmy scrambled to his feet. "I'll get the cookies," hesaid, before racing from the room, his hair standing on end and the nightmareforgotten.

"Looks like our son is back,"Ria said with a shaky laugh.

"Looks like." Careful to duck his head so he wouldn't bang the upper bunk,Grady stood up.Ria stood as well.

"He was only three, Grady. He didn't understand that daddies aren'tsuperhuman."

His mouth slanted into a bitter line she'd seen only once-on the day they'dfaced a judge in divorce court. "Especially his, right?"

"You did all you could. It's finished. Let it go." His gaze froze, then seemed to bore into her. She felt his tension, saw his mouth soften.

"I would die for you if that would prove how much I love you," he saidquietly.

"I don't want you to die."

His grin flashed, a little c.o.c.ky. "Works for me, honey," he drawled beforeretrieving the.45 that was such a part of him. "I'll just put this up."

He started to step past her, but stopped when she put out a hand to touch hisarm. "Are you all right?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be? Jimmy's back where he belongs. With his mom." Heleaned forward to brush his mouth across her cheek. "Best move those gorgeousbuns, honey. Your son's waiting."

"Fish not biting, little brother?"

Grady glanced up from the arrest report he'd been reading to see his brotheron the threshold, looking every inch the deputy chief in a conservative graysuit and tie. Shiny stockbroker shoes, too, he noted with a sardonic quirk ofone corner of his mouth. The only shoes he owned with laces were his sneakersand the ugly black brogans that went with the uniform hanging in the back ofhis closet. But then he was at the end of his climb. Kale was still heading up.

Word was Kale was a lock for chief when the present one retired in three orfour more years. Grady was proud of his brother, even if he was dreading theday when he had to salute him for real.

"You know how it is with us dedicated types," he tossed off with a grin thatwas only a little forced. "We'd rather push papers than sit on a shady bankand toss out a line."

Kale snorted as he stopped propping up the door frame and limped to the chairopposite Grady's cluttered desk. For the past week he'd been in San Franciscoattending a conference of senior law enforcement officials. Before that he'dspent a week in Florida visiting his teenage daughter who lived with hermother in Miami.

"You get tired of the fast lane on the left coast, Bro?" Grady asked, leaningback.

"Got tired of my b.u.t.t going numb is more like it. Never did like listening tobull, no matter how pretty it's packaged."

The chair suddenly seemed a lot smaller as his brother settled six feet fourinches of lean muscle and heavy bone into the seat. Kale's face tightened ashe stretched out his legs. Though big brother would never admit it, his b.u.mhip was obviously acting up.

It had been seven years since he'd taken a header from a second-story windowwhile trying to rescue a three-year-old hostage. In one of life's more painfulcoincidences, Grady had been at Home Hospital when they'd brought Kale in,darn near every bone in his body busted. While the rest of his family hadhuddled outside the OR praying for his big brother, Grady had been upstairs inthe birthing suite withRia , coaching her through thirty hours of hard labor as she struggled to deliver the child they'd been awaiting so eagerly.

Once Jimmy had been safely delivered, Grady had rushed to the nearest payphone to call his folks, only to get word from the sympathetic nurse that thebrother he worshiped was downstairs battling for his life.

The doctors hadn't given him odds worth spit, and it had taken him a fullyear before he was steady on his feet, but Kale being Kale had muscled his wayback to health.

"I d.a.m.n near shouted down the roof when I heard the message you'd left on mymachine." Kale cleared his throat and glanced at the bulletin board where thelast of a series of flyers was still pinned. Grady intended to leave it thereas a reminder never to lose sight of his priorities again. "You done good,Bro."

Grady frowned. "I did diddly and you know it."

Kale lifted an eyebrow. "I know a man who needs a reason to keep beating upon himself will always find one. The question is why the need."

Grady shifted and told himself he wasn't squirming. "You always did have awild imagination."

Kale was silent for a moment. Beyond the gla.s.s part.i.tion the usual Mondaymorning circus had taken on a fourth ring. Already Grady had made a couple ofjudgment calls that hadn't sat well with a couple of his detectives. A "no" onasking a judge for a search warrant that was too shaky, a "no way" on anelaborate sting that wasn't ready to be put in place. His In basket was buriedunder a stack of stuff his a.s.sistant had flagged as priority, meaning, he'd belucky to get out from behind his desk before noon.

Ria'svacation officially ended in three days, but she was planning to do alot of her work from the cottage. On the days she had to be in town, Gradywould stay with Jim at the lake.

Neither had talked much about the future. By tacit agreement, they werewaiting to talk with McCurry one week from today before making any changes.

"So ... how's my nephew, besides being bigger and older?"

"A h.e.l.l of a kid." He glanced at the photo on his desk. He needed to takesome new ones. "He's dyslexic. Can't read more than a few words. The b.i.t.c.hkeeping him couldn't be bothered to get him help."

Kale's comment was savagely raw. "Does DEA have a positive ID yet?"

Grady lifted an eyebrow. "Did some checking, did you?"

"You think I wouldn't?"

"Nope." Grady wanted to be p.i.s.sed. Instead he was touched. Kale had the sameinstinct to take care of those he loved as he did. "Got a call from Mendoza last Friday. Said the guy was a Canadian national with a long list of priorsfor larceny and fraud. Seems there's a nice fat warrant waiting to be servedin Toronto. Mendoza was walking the extradition through channels himself."

Kale nodded. "And the woman?"

"A former hooker from New Orleans. She's wanted for killing a john."

Needing to move, he got to his feet and pulled down the blinds screening hisoffice from the bullpen. "Riadoesn't know that. It would kill her to know whatkind of woman had been raising her child."

"Jimmy's your child, too."

"Yeah, well it's doing a number on me, too. I just have more experiencehandling it."

Kale's gaze followed him as he paced off a few laps. When he'd worked off enough of the tension that had him wanting to climb walls, he sat again.

"Better now?" Kale asked, amus.e.m.e.nt lurking in his eyes.

"Some, yeah."

Kale shifted awkwardly, his face tightening. "So are you two working on a second chance or just sleeping together?"

"There are no second chances, Kale."

"That sounds heavy. Wanna talk about it?"

"Not much to talk about. She needed a shoulder for a while, now she doesn't."

Kale adjusted the knife pleat in his trousers. "The way you were after the divorce, we all pretty much figured you were still in love with her."

"Was and am."

"So what's the problem?"

"It takes two. Bottom line, I can't make her love me again."

"You gonna keep trying?"

"Nope."

His big brother pinned him with a look that never failed to peel away a few layers of protective camouflage. "In that case, how about a drink?"

"You buying?"

"Guess I am, yeah."

Grady glanced at his watch. He andRia were scheduled to take Jimmy to the amus.e.m.e.nt park at Indiana Beach for a picnic lunch. "What the h.e.l.l, they won't miss me," he muttered, getting to his feet. "Hope your wallet is fat, brother, 'cause I feel a long afternoon coming on."

Monk Benteen parked the stolen van behind a storage shed to the rear of theproperty. During the week he'd spent watching the house, he hadn't seen anyonebut the woman who'd turned Brenda against him and the blond guy she wa.s.shacking up with. d.a.m.n woman must have left a half dozen messages on hismachine, the last one just yesterday, begging Brenda to call her.