Page 185 of Beat of Love
Breath exploded from his lungs. She was safe.
“Of course she’s safe,” he muttered.
He adjusted the bedding, tugging the cotton over her shoulders.
And couldn’t resist bending lower and placing a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’ll keep you safe, Nadiebird. Promise.”
A soft sniffle caught his attention. Rafferty frowned. It wasn’t from Sinead. He straightened and walked around the bed. Connor lay on the floor, curled into a small ball, a blanket covering his face. “Connor? What are you doing here, buddy?”
Another sniffle. “What’s wrong?” Rafferty crouched beside the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder.
The boy flinched. “Don’t be mad at me,” he whispered from under the blanket.
Rafferty’s concern deepened. “Why would I be mad at you?”
The shoulder beneath his hand shrugged.
He wracked his mind. A couple of hours ago he’d tucked the boy into his bed, and nothing had been amiss. “Did something happen? Maybe you spilled some water? Or—”
“Wet my bed,” Connor mumbled.
Oh.Oh. And yeah, therewasa slight smell of urine in the air.
Connor threw back the blanket and sat up. “Please don’t send me away,” he whimpered.
There was just enough illumination from the nightlight for him to see the stark fear in Connor’s tear-brightened eyes.
He gathered the trembling boy close. “I’llneversend you away, son.”
Connor burst into tears, mumbling incoherently. Concerned that his crying would wake Nadie, Rafferty stood, lifting the boy with him. He hurried out into the hallway, half closing her door. Back in his own bedroom, Rafferty sat on the edge of the bed and snapped the bedside lamp on, and gave his full attention to the weeping boy, desperate to alleviate Connor’s misery.
He might not know much about children, but the kid had been through so much in such a short period that bedwetting wasn’t a surprise.
He held Connor close and spoke in a soft but insistent voice. “I know life is very scary for you, Connor. Losing your mom, leaving your home, yourfriends, flying to a new place … those are a lot of huge changes. Big enough to scare even an adult. But Connor, there is one thing you must never fear” — he framed the boy’s face with his hands and waited for the teary gaze to meet his — “and that is that I will never send you away.Never. I promise. You’re mine now.Myson.”
Connor blinked a couple of times before he looked away. “But I’m not your son,” he whispered. “Not really.”
Rafferty jerked; the boy’s words a dose of icy water, chilling his body.
Connor continued, “Mom said my r-real father was a very, very b-bad man and if he ever f-found us, he’d t-take and h-hurt u-us—” He started crying in earnest again.
Rafferty’s heart shattered. Just simply shattered. “Oh, Connor. You’re safe here. I promise.” He tightened his hold on the trembling boy.
And he felt a spurt of anger toward Selena.
Why had the woman placed such an awful burden on her son?
Connor wrenched his body back and scrambled to the floor. “But what if he finds us?” he yelled. “What if he comes with big guns and shoots you and Nadie and Grandma and Grandpa and—”
Rafferty grabbed hold of Connor’s arms to stop them flailing about. “That’s not going to happen,” he stated.
“How do you know? Huh?”
Because I killed the man.“I just know. Okay?”
Connor shoved his head back and looked Rafferty square in the eyes, fear replaced by bravado. “Mom said I’m a big boy and can handle the truth.”
Ah, Selena. He’s onlysix. Just a little boy.
