Cowboy In The Crossfire(38)

"I like spicy," Ethan said, staring at the floor.

Blake raised a brow. "Really? How hot?"

"He downed a box of Red Hots at two years old. He pops jalapenos like they're candy."

"Whew. Hot it is." Blake headed to the kitchen and pulled down a pot.

"Mommy doesn't like spicy," Ethan said, his voice worried.

He gripped Amanda's hand as they followed Blake. Her heart cracked at the loss of laughter she'd witnessed less than an hour before. Why was this happening? Why couldn't the fear just go away?

"Don't worry, Ethan. I'll take care of your mom." Blake pulled some ground meat from the freezer, popped it into the microwave and grabbed some seasonings from the cupboard. "She gets a special bowl." Blake turned toward Ethan. "Do you see any jalapenos?"

He glanced up at Amanda, and she nodded, easing Ethan forward with a gentle push. "I bet they have some."

Ethan examined the cupboard. He took out a can and handed it to Blake.

"Thanks." He tossed the peppers into a small pan. "You want to help me make the chili?"

Ethan nodded and bit his lip.

Blake picked him up and set him on the counter. "You know, buddy, my little boy, Joey, used to make chili with me."

Ethan didn't respond, just poured in a teaspoon of the spice Blake gave him.

"It's pretty scary right now, isn't it?"

The boy nodded and looked over at his mother. Her tremulous smile hurt Blake's heart. He wanted to comfort both of them, but while he'd told Amanda the truth about other investigative possibilities, they were slim. Cops knew better than most how to cover their tracks. He had to believe Vince had sent them here with enough information to save their lives. Every instinct within Blake told him Vince had given Ethan the key to the evidence. He just had to help the boy remember. He hated having to push Ethan, but he had no choice. Not with Vince's house a pile of ashes. They couldn't hide here forever. Eventually someone would track them down.

"Your uncle Vince saved you, didn't he?" Blake said as he showed Ethan how to stir the simmering peppers and spices.

"Blake--" Amanda warned. "I want him to forget."

Blake met her defensive gaze. "Ethan's brave. He can do this."

"Uncle Vince said be brave." Ethan stuck his thumb in his mouth, his legs dangling from the kitchen counter.

Blake grabbed the defrosted meat from the microwave and dumped it into the large pot. "You know what? I forgot to wash my hands. Can you go into the bathroom and wash yours before we get any more germs in our dinner?"

Ethan nodded and Blake set the boy down. As soon as he left earshot, Blake turned on Amanda. "I know you want to protect him, but he saw Vince die. All we can do now is give him the knowledge that justice exists. That the murderers will be punished. He knows who did it, and I think Ethan wants to tell me but he's scared. We have to find out why."

She sucked in a deep breath, and Blake crossed the room and clasped her hands in his. "I won't hurt him, Amanda, but I need him to remember. For his future. And yours."

Her sad eyes broke his heart, but she gave him a slight nod. He let out a slow breath at the small show of faith.

The meat sizzled as Ethan came into the room. He walked straight to Blake. "It's cooking. I can hear it. I want to help."

He lifted the boy on to the counter. "How can I make chili without my number one assistant?"

He smiled, and for several minutes Blake just let the boy stir. "You were very brave the night your uncle was hurt. I need you to be brave again. Can you do that? Can you help us?"

Ethan shook his head violently side to side, his eyes filled with tears. Amanda started across the kitchen, but Blake held up his hand, stopping her. He faced Ethan. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your mom. If that means we go live far away from here, then we'll do it."

Ethan stared at Blake. "You won't let them hurt Mommy?"

"Who said they'd hurt your mommy?"

"The man with the boots." Ethan sucked in a shuddering breath and looked around the room. He pulled Blake's head down close. "He told Uncle Vince if anyone talked, they'd die."

Ethan buried his face into Blake's arms. Ethan's shaking body tore at Blake's soul.

"When you talk, you die," Ethan whispered.

Amanda choked down a sob. Blake fought to control the anger boiling deep inside. He held Ethan just far enough away so he could see every expression playing on the boy's face.

"Do you believe I can protect you?" he asked, praying he'd gained the little boy's trust.

Ethan thought for a moment, biting his lip. "You saved me from the tractor," he said solemnly. "You saved me and mommy from the bad men. You took us away from the police."

Finally, he nodded his head.

"Then, I need you to tell me the truth. No matter how scared you are." Blake placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Do you know who hurt your uncle?"

Ethan looked away. "A man with funny boots. Uncle Vince said he was a policeman."

"Did Vince say the man's name?"

Ethan shook his head. "I snuck out after the man left. Uncle Vince was hurt. He told me to go to Blake." Ethan looked up. "That's you."