Page 40 of Shared By Her Brother's Best Friends

“Hold that thought,” Emma says planting a kiss on my lips before turning to answer the phone.

“It’s Max’s school,” she says worriedly looking at me before answering. “Hello, Emma speaking.”

She listens for a moment, her expression growing more concerned as whoever is on the other end of the phone relays their information to her.

“But Max is okay, yes?” she says frantically before sagging a little with relief at the presumably positive reply.

“Alright, I’ll get there as soon as I can. Please don’t let him out of your sight and don’t let anyone else collect him other than me, not even Jessica. Do not let him leave,” she orders.

The person on the other line responds and Emma thanks them before hanging up the phone.

She pulls her shirt back on while relaying the conversation to me. “Some people showed up at the school just now and tried to take Max.”

“What? Who?”

“They claim to be from Child Protective Services but after the scare the other week the school is understandably on high alert when it comes to Max. Normally, they would let the CPS people speak to a child without informing the parent in case the parent influences the child’s response, luckily the teacher who overheard them talking to the receptionist knew about our situation and called me. They’re going to try to delay them to keep them there while they determine if the IDs they showed are real or not—if they’re fake, they’ll call the cops. If they’re real, they’ll be forced to let them take Max.”

“Shit,” I hiss, heading for the door, “Come on, I’ll drive,” I say, annoyed that we can’t take my bike which would be faster but there’s no way we’re taking Max home on it.

“What if they really are from CPS? Do you think Kane might have called it in so they’d take Max out of school, and it would make him easier for them to kidnap him from their custody?” she asks, her eyes wide with fear.

“It’s possible,” I reply, not wanting to lie to her, my mouth pressed in a thin line.

“Drive fast,” Emma says as we buckle in as if I need telling.

“Call the others, let them know what’s happening,” I say as we pull off.

Emma does as she’s told, and I drive as fast as I can without getting pulled over. I just hope we get there in time. If they get Max out of school, whether they’re real CPS officers or not, getting him back will be ten times harder.

Chapter 21

Emma

“What do you mean you let them take him?” I wail, halfway between terror and anger.

“I’m sorry Ms. Miller, but it’s school policy. Once the CPS officers were verified, we had no choice but to let them take Max out of school. These kinds of allegations are taken very seriously, and they have to investigate them properly,” the stiff school principal replies rigidly.

“I have never and would never hurt my son,” I reply through clenched teeth.

“Then I’m sure the investigation will reveal that, and Max will be returned to you safe and sound in due course,” he replies unsympathetically, his tone more than a little judgmental as his eyes flit between me and Mason.

“I am not leaving him in fucking care!” I yell, unable to control my rising hysteria.

“Please, calm down Ms. Miller, there’s no need for profanity,” the principal replies condescendingly.

“I’d say if there’s ever a time for profanity it’s when your child has been taken from you against your will and knowledge for no reason, and the school allowed it to happen, despite knowing that said child was at risk of having been previously the victim of an attempted kidnapping on your premises,” Mason interjects icily. “I’m sure potential parents considering youresteemed school wouldn’t look favorably on it if they were to find out.”

“Do not threaten me in my own school, sir. Now, I’m going to have to ask you both to leave. If you have any issues with how the school has handled this you can submit a complaint to the school board, but I assure you, they will tell you the same as I have. The matter is with Child Protective Services now, I suggest you speak to them should you wish to get your son back, Ms. Miller,” he says before standing and opening the door to his office, dismissing us.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” I say breathing rapidly and tugging at my hair as we leave the school, “I can’t believe this is happening. What do we do?” I ask Mason, helplessly seeking answers.

“We go to the CPS office where they’ve taken him and try to straighten this out, any idiot can see you’re a great mom and whatever has been said is a lie.”

“But what if Kane’s men have already got to him? What if we’re too late? My poor baby!” I wail, tears springing to my eyes as my mind goes to the worst-case scenario.

“Shh, we don’t know that. It’s alright, we’ll figure this out,” he soothes me, pulling me into a warm embrace as I sob on his shoulder.

I take several great heaving gulps of air trying to regain my composure. “Alright, let’s go get my baby back. If Kane has got there first then we’ll come for him, he’s messed with the wrong mother,” I say with determination, ready to kill anyone who stands in the way of me and my son, like a lioness and her cub.

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