Page 56 of Act of Passion

Boomer gave Malik a shove. “She can’t hear your thoughts, Tut. If you don’t open your mouth and say it all, even if she rejects it, then you have no one to blame when she goes away and you never see her again and you never even get to meet yourdaughter.”

Read histhoughts?

Brooke was about to ask about the statement when the front door of the safe house opened. Edee stepped out, holding Bethany in her arms. The four-year-old looked exhausted and was clutching her stuffed lion that she never slept without. She rubbed her large dark brown eyes, her long black, curly hair hanging to her mid-back.

“See, sweetie, I told you Mommy was fine. The bad men didn’t get her. Look, she’s safe and with Uncle Gram.” Edee nodded toBrooke.

Bethany perked slightly and dropped her stuffed lion on the porch. “Mommy?”

Brooke hesitated, afraid Gram might attack Malik in his current state. She didn’t want her daughter seeing that. “Gram, are youokay?”

“No,” he said. “But I willnae do what yer thinking. I’d never scare the child. Unlike some, I loveher.”

Brooke stepped away from Gram and went in the direction of the porch. She hurried up the stairs and put her arms out wide. Bethany leapt into them and hugged her tight. Brooke kissed the top of her head. Reaching out towards Edee, Brooke mouthed the words “thankyou”.

Her best friend took her hand and stepped in, hugging them both. She then rubbed Bethany’s back. “Mommy’s fine, sweetie. And you’re so tired. How about I take you up and lay with you tonight? I’m guessing Mommy will come in and sleep with ustoo.”

Bethany clung to Brooke and began to cry softly. “Mommy, I’m scared. Aunt Edee put me in the secret space in my room and then I heard shouting. I peeked out and saw a man hit Aunt Edee. He was a bad man, Mommy. Aunt Edee threw him out thewindow!”

Edee sucked in a big breath. “I didn’t know she saw that,Brooke.”

Brooke lifted Bethany’s head and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “Sweetie, it’s okaynow.”

“Is Aunt Edee a superhero?” Bethanyasked.

Brooke laughed softly. “No. But she is special. Just like you are. You know how your eyes change colors sometimes? And how sometimes when you’re really angry your nails getlong?”

She nodded. “Like Uncle Gram can do. He says we’re special. He says it’s a big gift I have that I can do that. He said most little girls like me can’t do that.” Her eyes widened. “Did you know he can turn into adog?”

“Och, lass, ’tis nae a dog,” said Gram with a slight laugh. “A wolf. Nae a dog. We’ve been overthis.”

Bethany smiled wide. “Mommy, can I turn into adog?”

“No, precious,” said Brooke, happy to see her daughter could still find happiness even with the night she’d had. “From what I’m told, the very fact you can do what you can do is something very big for girls like you. Not many can make their nails long or have their eyes change colors. Let alone doboth.”

Bethany put her hand up by her mouth and leaned in to her mother, whispering in her ear. “Mommy, would you be mad at me if I told you something bad I didtonight?”

“Sweetie?” askedBrooke.

Bethany eased back in her arms as her bottom lip jutted out. “I know it was bad, Mommy. But when the other man was choking Aunt Edee, it justhappened.”

Brooke tensed. “Whathappened?”

Edee rubbed her throat. “Brooke, I don’t know. I blacked out for a second. When I came to, Gram was there and had Bethany in his arms. Armand was theretoo.”

Bethany wiggled to get down and Brooke let her. When her tiny feet touched the porch, she rocked back and forth, playing with her curls with one hand. “You’re gonna make me take a really long time-out because you said it’s bad to hit and be mean. You said I have to not give in and be mean when I want tobe.”

Brooke bent and touched her daughter’s round cheek. “Sweetie, whathappened?”

“I didn’t stop the mean inside. And it did not like seeing Aunt Edee be hurt,” said Bethany. She bent her head and when she lifted it again, her eyes were amber, her nails were long, and when she opened her mouth, Brooke saw that her incisors had lengthened. She shook her head and it all went away. “I ran out and bit the bad man’s leg. He tried to get me off his leg but I held on, Mommy, and I bit him again. Then I scratched him. Then he tried to scratch me back but he was slow, Mommy. Really slow. He couldn’t get me. Then I got so mad at him for being a big bully that I pointed at him.” She took a deep breath. “And the room got real cold. Then he just flew out the window! I tell you, Mommy, that window had a lot of bad guys go out it. But I didn’t break it. Aunt Edee broke it first. Notme.”

Edee bent too. “Brooke, she can do what you can do? Did you see her teeth? That’snew.”

Brooke touched her daughter’s stomach, hating that she’d been put through that. “Sweetie, you didn’t let anyone hurt Aunt Edee or you. I’d never make you take a time-out forthat.”

Bethany touched her teeth. “But I let the mean out, Mommy. You told me that isn’t nice todo.”

Brooke kissed Bethany’s cheeks again. “Sometimes, you have to let the mean out. But not all thetime.”

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