Page 36 of Iron Cross

“He’s my son,” I said.

As if to back me up, my sweet Cillian nuzzled his face into my neck, whispering, “Mama.”

The police officer looked annoyed. Almost scared, especially when he looked around and saw all the phones that were out, pointing at us. I tried to shield my son, turning my backs against those vultures. I was shielding myself too.

“If no one can vouch for you, ma’am, I’ll have to bring you down to the station until we’re sure.” His shoulders slumped. “You understand, don’t you?”

No. I didn’t understand.

I didn’t understand at all.

If I went to the station, I’d have to send up a flare. I’d need to contact the emergency line, and feed them the code word.Trinity.

Then we’d all be truly fucked.

“If I accusedherkid of not being hers, would you bring her in too?” I asked, looking at Cunt-Face whose kid was one of the rugrats swinging near the sandpit, paying her no mind.

The look on the cops face was helpless. Downright helpless.

Because we both knew the answer and there was no justice in it.

I would get taken in, but she wouldn’t. Because her child looked like her. While mine looked like his pale, golden-haired father. Beautiful, but so different from me. A carbon copy of the devil of New York City. He wouldn’t need a DNA test to verify that.

“I can vouch for her!” A voice called, as a flannel came barreling up. He had a cigarette in his hand, and he put it out on the nearby trash can, before dumping it inside. “That’s her son.”

He’d put on a tight fleece jacket, that did nothing to hide his gorgeous body. Broad shoulders, slim waist, defined, square pecs, and abs that would make any woman weak in the knees.

I stared into the blue-flecked eyes of Aaron Jackson, striding in like a fucking hero. His crooked smile, emphasized by his crooked nose, gave him a devilish appearance as he gracefully gave me a wink, before he extended his open palm to the police officer.

“Come with me, officer…” He looked down at the man’s name badge, and smirked. “Doherty. Irish, yes?”

The officer nodded, lifting a single brow.

Again, I shivered. Irish. Irish. Irish like…

I wasn’t naive enough to think that every Irishman was related to the man I’d abandoned. But the threat was still there.What would you do if you found us? Would you take Cillian from me?

“Let’s have a chat.” Aaron Jackson passed me with a wink, placing his hand on the cop’s arm and turning him back towards his black and white cop car. “I’m sure we can resolve this.”

I watched helplessly, as my sweet boy tried to squirm out of my hold by turning himself into a stiff straight line, straightening his legs until I had to let him go. I ran after him, as he took interest in a nearby bush, its red berries catching his eye.

As I kept Cillian from eating the unidentified - and most likely poisonous to babies - berries, I kept a wary eye on Mr. Aaron Jackson and his uniformed conversation partners. Ash-Tiff-bitch-face and her friends had their phones out, still filming as if they had done nothing wrong.Shameless.

I wondered how long it would take before I could finally get the fuck out of here.

Aaron slipped something from his pocket, showing it to the cop, whose eyes widened, before he nodded. With a signal to the other cop that loitered by his car, the two left without a word.

Whatever Aaron had shown them was put back in his inner pocket, and Tiffanyhmmedwith dissatisfaction.

I overheard Aaron say, “Just a misunderstanding.”

With that, he seemed to dismiss the officer of the law, and returned to my side.

When Aaron turned to me, his face was calm. Serene, even. Or maybe that was me. Maybe I was projecting because I was so grateful. I could kiss the plump lower lip that smiled under the coppery beard. My heart leapt as his sparkling brown-green eyes looked at me, then dipped down to my lips. It was brief, but it was there. I bit my lower lip, looking down as my son came to wrap his hands around my thigh.

“Hey, little man,” Aaron’s eyes widened, his mouth gaping open.

“Monster!” Cillian said, pointing his fingers up to the man who I owed my life to.

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