case, he suspected Emma needed the older woman more than anything he could offer so he sat and waited.
When Emma settled down, her grandmother pulled a chair in front of Emma and took her hands into her own.
“What’s his name?”
“Ja-ake,” Emma hiccupped.
“Where is he?”
“They to-ok him.”
“Who took him?” Her grandmother looked at Will.
When Emma had begun crying, he knew her grandmother would want answers and he wrestled with what to tell her. But she obviously loved Emma and they needed an ally. They might get more answers from her if she knew what they were up against.
Will looked her square in the eyes. “A group called the Cavallo. They’ve been after Emma and Jake for three years.”
She clutched her hand to her chest in horror. “Why on earth would people be after them?”
“Because Jake has something they wanted.”
“What could a small child possibly have that they would want?”
Will paused, still unsure if he should continue, but Emma needed her grandmother and he suspected her grandmother needed her too. “Power.”
She turned to Emma. “What’s he talking about, Emmanuella?”
“Jake can see the future. And now he can do even more since Will found us.”
Her grandmother shook her head in confusion. “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”
Between the two of them, they told her everything. They started with when Jake first saw things when he was two and when the Bad Men, as Jake called them, showed up to take him.
Will watched in amazement as Emma told her grandmother things she’d never told him. Such as when the Cavallo had first shown up at her door one night, asking to see Jake. She had called the police, who refused to take the threat seriously. And how they narrowly escaped that first time, and how, after that, she listened whenever Jake told her the Bad Men were coming.
She told her grandmother how they progressed farther and farther down the socioeconomic ladder as Emma resorted to low-end jobs that paid little, didn’t ask for references and let her bring Jake to work. How their possessions dwindled from a house full of furniture, a minivan and a salaried job as an accountant to living in a pay-by-the-week motel, a suitcase and a beat-up Honda.
And as he listened, his need to take care of her grew until it became a mass of conviction burning in his chest. She’d gone through far more than anyone deserved and she’d done it alone. He’d be damned if she faced this alone again.
Emma explained how Will showed up a few weeks earlier when the Bad Men found them in Texas, and when Will offered to help Jake insisted she needed to trust him. She told her how Will protected them from the gunmen in a rest stop in Kansas, but that they’d taken Jake and made his truck explode in Colorado.
“How is it you happened to have a truck full of weapons, young man?” her grandmother asked in a stern voice.
Emma locked eyes with Will. He nodded, giving her permission to tell her everything, but her answer surprised him. “He was in the Marines.”
Her grandmother looked confused. “But that doesn’t—”
Emma paused and grabbed her hands, staring intently into her eyes. “Grandma, we can trust him. He’s protected me and helped me escape from the other group—”
“ Escape? What other group?”
“…and nursed me back to health after I was shot in the leg.”
“ You were shot? ”
“Yes, and I almost died. But Will took care of me and protected me from both groups while I recovered.”
“The other group is still after you even though they have Jake?”
Emma hesitated. “Yes, they’re trying to kill me.”
“Oh my stars.” Her grandmother leaned back in her seat, both hands clutched at her chest.
“Has anyone been here asking for her?” Will asked. “Her mother said men had been there, telling her Emma was in trouble and needed their help.”
She shook her head. “No, no one.” Her thumb rubbed the tissue in her hand while she stared
When Emma settled down, her grandmother pulled a chair in front of Emma and took her hands into her own.
“What’s his name?”
“Ja-ake,” Emma hiccupped.
“Where is he?”
“They to-ok him.”
“Who took him?” Her grandmother looked at Will.
When Emma had begun crying, he knew her grandmother would want answers and he wrestled with what to tell her. But she obviously loved Emma and they needed an ally. They might get more answers from her if she knew what they were up against.
Will looked her square in the eyes. “A group called the Cavallo. They’ve been after Emma and Jake for three years.”
She clutched her hand to her chest in horror. “Why on earth would people be after them?”
“Because Jake has something they wanted.”
“What could a small child possibly have that they would want?”
Will paused, still unsure if he should continue, but Emma needed her grandmother and he suspected her grandmother needed her too. “Power.”
She turned to Emma. “What’s he talking about, Emmanuella?”
“Jake can see the future. And now he can do even more since Will found us.”
Her grandmother shook her head in confusion. “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”
Between the two of them, they told her everything. They started with when Jake first saw things when he was two and when the Bad Men, as Jake called them, showed up to take him.
Will watched in amazement as Emma told her grandmother things she’d never told him. Such as when the Cavallo had first shown up at her door one night, asking to see Jake. She had called the police, who refused to take the threat seriously. And how they narrowly escaped that first time, and how, after that, she listened whenever Jake told her the Bad Men were coming.
She told her grandmother how they progressed farther and farther down the socioeconomic ladder as Emma resorted to low-end jobs that paid little, didn’t ask for references and let her bring Jake to work. How their possessions dwindled from a house full of furniture, a minivan and a salaried job as an accountant to living in a pay-by-the-week motel, a suitcase and a beat-up Honda.
And as he listened, his need to take care of her grew until it became a mass of conviction burning in his chest. She’d gone through far more than anyone deserved and she’d done it alone. He’d be damned if she faced this alone again.
Emma explained how Will showed up a few weeks earlier when the Bad Men found them in Texas, and when Will offered to help Jake insisted she needed to trust him. She told her how Will protected them from the gunmen in a rest stop in Kansas, but that they’d taken Jake and made his truck explode in Colorado.
“How is it you happened to have a truck full of weapons, young man?” her grandmother asked in a stern voice.
Emma locked eyes with Will. He nodded, giving her permission to tell her everything, but her answer surprised him. “He was in the Marines.”
Her grandmother looked confused. “But that doesn’t—”
Emma paused and grabbed her hands, staring intently into her eyes. “Grandma, we can trust him. He’s protected me and helped me escape from the other group—”
“ Escape? What other group?”
“…and nursed me back to health after I was shot in the leg.”
“ You were shot? ”
“Yes, and I almost died. But Will took care of me and protected me from both groups while I recovered.”
“The other group is still after you even though they have Jake?”
Emma hesitated. “Yes, they’re trying to kill me.”
“Oh my stars.” Her grandmother leaned back in her seat, both hands clutched at her chest.
“Has anyone been here asking for her?” Will asked. “Her mother said men had been there, telling her Emma was in trouble and needed their help.”
She shook her head. “No, no one.” Her thumb rubbed the tissue in her hand while she stared
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