Page 37 of A Little Christmas Wish

“What did she say?” Had she told them why she’d left?

“All it said was that she had to leave. She really wished she didn’t have to, but that we needed to take care of you for her.”

“Take care of me? Why would she say that?”

“Because she loves you, Ma,” Royal said, his voice quieter. He was likely driving. Of the two of them, he was the control freak.

Loved her?

She didn’t know about that. If Zippy loved her, why would she have run away?

“You guys shouldn’t be driving in the middle of the night,” she told them.

“Like we could stay at college while Zippy is out there on her own,” Baron told her.

“No sign of that asshole, Leon?” Royal asked.

“No, so far nothing,” she said. “Ink’s got everyone he can out looking. The Iron Shadows are looking as well as his guys. They’ll find her.”

“No, we’re going to find her,” Royal said.

“You just stay in the house and keep calm, Ma,” Baron added. “We have this.”

Right.

Sit at home. Do nothing. It should be easy, right?

But it really, really wasn’t.

What could she do? She felt like she needed to do something to help but had no idea what.

You could pray.

Moving out of the office, she walked downstairs to where the Christmas tree was. She thought she might hedge her bets.

If God couldn’t hear her prayers, then maybe Santa would.

If she could make only one Christmas wish, this would be it.

Please let Zippy come home safely.

11

Where the hell was she?

Ink had been in a lot of intense, high-stress situations. But nothing compared to being out in the deep of night, searching for his kid.

Why hadn’t he put a fucking tracker on her?

He’d been out here three hours now. He was going to have to call the police. They weren’t going to be happy that he’d taken so long to call them. But he knew as soon as he called the police that Child Protection Services would be called.

And they’d take Zippy away from them.

Of course, maybe that was what Zippy wanted. Perhaps she didn’t like living with them.

It was freezing cold, dark, and somewhere out there was a seven-year-old girl that he should have protected better.

As he drove down the street something caught his gaze. Was that her backpack by that bush? Pulling over, he jumped out of his truck and rushed over.

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