she wanted to make him feel better was beyond her. How many hours had she lain awake thinking about her mentor, Hank, who had been cut down coming out of his granddaughter’s ballet recital? How many times had she railed at the heavens for placing a judge on the bench who didn’t care that he was releasing a monster back into the world?
And yet…she felt something for him. Her traitorous heart kept wondering if maybe she had things skewed. Maybe she didn’t know all the facts about that case.
“I know,” Nick finally said. “She’s just had it so rough for so long—and now this.”
A loud thump sounded from upstairs, and Carly started, her hand on her gun. Mason took up guard next to Nick.
“It’s just Christopher,” Nick said, holding up a hand to stop her progress.
She paused. “What do you mean?”
A guilty flush started appeared on his face. “Um…he likes to jump on the bed, and I let him…sometimes.”
“That was a pretty loud thump.”
“Yeah, he likes to put his beanbags on the floor and…” Another thump sounded, and Carly flinched.
“…jump from the bed to the beanbags,” she finished for him.
He shrugged. “Yep.”
“Okay. That’s good information to have. However—” she looked at Mason “—why don’t you go check to make sure?” He nodded and left. Carly paced to the kitchen and back then shot a glance at Nick. “That’s sweet of you to let him do something most parents would yell about.”
Another guilty flush appeared, and he looked away. Inspiration hit her. “You do it, too, don’t you?”
He raised a brow, going for the innocent look. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, no, you don’t, Nicholas Floyd, you don’t fool me.” She shook a finger at him. “Not only do you do it, too, I bet you taught him!”
Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, and Carly swore he was hiding a grin. “Well, I…”
Carly crossed her arms and put on her stern look. “Come on, Judge, how do you plead?”
He let out a sigh and the little-boy look on his face tugged at her heartstrings. “Guilty as charged, ma’am.”
Carly felt her heart thaw about ten degrees. She sobered and looked into his eyes, thought about asking him about the murderer he’d let go. No not now, she decided.
Nicholas placed a hand on her arm, and she felt the touch clear to her toes. She turned a questioning look at him, as he said, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For everything. For not giving me a hard time about not hiding out and leaving the bad guys to you.”
Crossing her arms over her middle, Carly zeroed in on his eyes. “Yeah, about that. We’re going to have to have a little heart-to-heart about some of those rules we kind of skipped over earlier.”
FOUR
Nick raised a brow. “Let me check on the kids, and then we can talk.” He didn’t really need to check on them. He knew Debbie would take good care of them; however, their frightened faces wouldn’t leave his mind, and he needed to spend a little time reassuring them.
Carly nodded, and he headed upstairs to find Debbie sitting on the bed with Christopher in her lap. “I’ll take it from here.”
Debbie smiled and kissed the top of the boy’s head then scooted out from under him. “’Night, Chris.”
“’Night, Debbie.”
Nick placed a hand on her arm and said, “I appreciate your help. But I think it might be best if you went home until all of this is resolved.”
“But Nick…”
“I mean it, Debbie. I don’t want you in danger. Tonight just proved that these guys don’t care who’s around when they come after me. It’s not safe.”
She chewed her bottom lip, and her brows dipped in a hesitant frown. She glanced at Christopher then back at Nick. “All right, maybe you’re right. I guess—”
“No! No, she can’t leave!”
The cry came from the bed as Christopher shot straight up in protest.
Running feet sounded on the steps from outside the room. Nick stepped out of the bedroom and saw Carly at the landing, gun drawn. He waved her down and turned back to Christopher.
Grabbing the little boy up in his arms, he hugged him. Christopher snagged him around the neck and squeezed. “Please don’t make her leave, Uncle Nick, please.”
Nick’s heart nearly ruptured with a love so intense he had to close his eyes to gain control of his voice. Finally he said, “It’s okay, Christopher. I’ve got you.”
Still keeping his arms looped around his uncle’s neck, Christopher pulled back to look into Nick’s eyes. “I want Miss Debbie to stay. I need her. She makes me not be so scared.”
“Nick…” Debbie laid a hand on his shoulder, and he glanced up into her beseeching eyes. She licked her lips and said, “Let me stay. The kids have had enough.” She looked at Carly standing in the door and taking in the scene. “We’ve got protection. The kids need me….”
Nick pulled in a deep breath and shot a glance at Carly. She lifted a brow and gave a shrug as though to say it was up to him.
Debbie said, “And anyway, if they knew enough to find the generator, they probably know that I’m the nanny. They probably know a lot more than we think. What if they’ve been watching…” She paused and drew in a deep breath, her eyes cutting to the children. “If I leave, will they come after me even though I wouldn’t technically be employed here anymore?”
Carly rubbed her nose and looked at Nick. He blinked. “That’s a good question. What do you think, Carly?”
“I think she’s probably right. Her safest place might just be right here.”
Christopher relaxed against him. “Then she’s staying, right?”
Nick kissed the freckled cheek. “Yeah, little man, it looks like she’s staying.”
“Good. I can go to sleep now.”
Nicholas tucked the child in and escorted the two ladies from the room. Once back downstairs, he looked at Carly and said, “The only way to stop these people is not to give in to them. If I hand this case over to Debbie’s father, I’m just going to be passing the danger on to him. Or anyone else who takes it.”
“But it would take the danger off the kids, Nick. My dad isn’t afraid. He’d do it for your kids.” Debbie’s soft voice penetrated his muddled thoughts.
“They’re not after the kids. They’re after me.”
“What if the kids get caught in the crossfire?” Debbie persisted. Carly stayed quiet, and he couldn’t tell what she thought.
Maybe Debbie was right. Even though the children hadn’t been openly threatened, who knew if that would change?
“What if I sent them away? Somewhere safe?”
Carly frowned at him. “Where would you send them?”
Before he could answer, a low voice said, “No. I don’t want to be sent anywhere.”
Nick closed his eyes then opened them and turned to see Lindsey standing on the top stair, staring down at them. Her attitude was gone. In its place was a scared little girl. Lower lip trembling, she begged, “Don’t send us away, Uncle Nick. We’ll be safe with you.”
Nick bit back a groan and resisted the urge