Fractured Sky (Tattered & Torn #5)(45)

Aidan nodded, but Elliott stayed right where he was.

“Did she tell you about the time she locked me in a closet during hide-and-seek?”

I couldn’t help the laugh that startled out of me. “Hayes…”

He arched a brow in my direction. “Am I lying?”

My cheeks heated. “It was an accident.”

Hayes scoffed. “You were mad that I ate the last chocolate donut that morning.”

“I might’ve been holding a bit of a grudge.”

Elliott straightened, looking up at me. “You locked him in a closet? He’s so much bigger than you.”

I grinned down at him. “Just because we’re smaller doesn’t mean we can’t be trickier.”

His lips curved a fraction. “How?”

Hayes chuckled. “She was the seeker, but I’m guessing she peeked when she was supposed to be counting. She knew I was in the closet under the stairs.”

“It had an old-fashioned key that always stayed in the lock. It needed to be in there to open it. I pocketed that key and told the rest of our siblings I had no idea where Hayes was,” I said.

Elliott’s mouth dropped open.

Hayes shook his head. “I was stuck in there until Mom came in to cook dinner and heard me yelling my head off.”

“What’d you do to get back at her?” Elliott asked in a hushed whisper.

“I covered her toilet in plastic wrap.”

Elliott burst out laughing. Even Aidan let out a small chuckle.

I glared at my brother. “That was not nice.”

“You cried, and Mom and Dad grounded me for a week. I’d say you got payback twice.”

“Maybe I need to have Mom ground you again.”

Hayes grinned. “Sorry, Shy. I’m free of your reign of terror now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.

Hayes shoved his hands into his pockets, looking at the two boys. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to, but I can promise you this… If you’re honest with me, I’ll do everything I can to keep you both safe. That’s all I want. I’m on your team and no one else’s.”

Aidan toed a piece of gravel with his boot. “Shiloh said you’d keep Elliott and me together.”

My brother sent me a sidelong glance.

“We’re not letting them get separated,” I told him.

He nodded. “I called a social worker friend of mine. She’ll be out here soon. But I already asked her only to pull foster placements that could accommodate two children. You have my word.”

Aidan looked up at Ramsey, an unspoken question in his eyes. Ramsey squeezed his shoulder. “I know it’s scary. But you can tell Hayes.”

Aidan’s eyes reddened, unshed tears filling them. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”

Ramsey moved in closer. “I didn’t either when it was happening to me. It’s one of the things I regret most. If I’d told someone sooner that my stepdad was hurting my mom and me, maybe things would’ve turned out differently. But you’re so much braver than I was.”

Aidan swallowed. “It happened to you, too?”

“So many times, I lost count. It says nothing about you and everything about him. The moment you tell someone, your dad loses some of that power. Especially when you tell someone who can stop him. That’s Hayes.”

Pressure built behind my eyes, tears yearning to get free. I knew that Hayes was likely the last person Ramsey wanted to say that in front of or be vulnerable with. But he was doing it for Aidan—to help him.

Aidan lifted his gaze to Hayes. “My dad. He hits me when he gets mad.”

The next hour passed in a blur of sickening stories about physical and emotional abuse. Of withholding food and proper clothing. By the time Aidan had finished talking, I was ready to hunt Kenny Chambers down and kill him myself—but not before a round of torture.

The social worker was a kind woman in her twenties, warm and reassuring. She opened the back door to her SUV for the boys to hop in. Elliott made a beeline for Ramsey, throwing his arms around his legs. “Will you come see us? Make sure we’re okay?”

My heart cracked. In the couple of weeks that they’d been coming here, Ramsey had come to mean safety to these boys.

Ramsey ruffled Elliott’s hair. “How about I bring burgers for lunch tomorrow?”

The social worker smiled. “I think that would be perfect. I’ll let the Millers know you’ll be by.”

“Just text me when I can be there.”

She nodded, motioning the boys to the SUV. Elliott jogged over and climbed in, but Aidan hovered by the door. He looked at Ramsey. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You have my number. Call me if you need anything.”

Aidan nodded and climbed into the vehicle with his brother. Ramsey, Hayes, and I watched as the SUV drove away. The lump in my throat made it hard to swallow.

Hayes turned in my direction. “You okay?”

“I’m just worried about them.”

A muscle in Hayes’ jaw ticked. “I’ve got officers picking up Kenny Chambers now. He’s not going to get away with this. Those kids will never be back in his custody.”

I nodded. It wasn’t enough, but it was a start. All I could think about was what they’d endured, and for years. Ramsey seemed to sense my turmoil because he moved in closer. His thumb reached out and swiped back and forth across my hand. Just that barest touch sent a flood of warmth through me that I couldn’t explain.