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“Wes,” Tuck says, with just enough stop in his tone to freeze everyone. “It’s fine. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to escort your SUV.”

He turns his back on all of them and goes to the boys, kneels in front of them to hug them, and whispers in their ears before kissing their unruly curls.

“What precinct are you taking him to?” I ask, to distract everyone enough that Tucker and the boys have some semblance of privacy.

“Nineteenth,” the woman answers.

Then Tucker is pulling on my wrist and handing me his phone—unlocked to a note with four numbers. His password? Underneath the numbers it says “call Baron Alton,” and under that, “text Eli, he’ll know what to do.”

I’m sure Eli will.

My lungs give up their grip on the little air I had left, but I let it all out slowly.

I don’t know what the detectives want, but I’m not going to give anyone a reaction.

I nod at Tucker, memorize the four digits—seventeen thirteen—then put the phone in my back pocket.

“Let’s go into the kitchen, boys. Tuck has to go out for a bit, so we’re going to test dinner, make sure it’s good enough for him when he gets back.”

The boys are subdued, obviously, and skeptical of my distraction tactics, and who could blame them, but they take my hands and follow me out of the room.

We can hear them leave of course, and talk to Norma⁠—

Fuck, Norma.

I sigh and brace myself for whatever she’s about to say.

“I’m taking them to temporary placement,” she declares as soon as she steps in.

Johnny stands from his seat next to Mason and stands between them and Norma very deliberately. He doesn’t have to say anything. She narrows her eyes at him, but he doesn’t flinch.

He’s a wall and no one is going to get through him.

“You’re not,” I tell her. “Tucker wasn’t arrested, and he hasn’t been accused of anything no matter how much the detectives wanted to make it sound like it. I’m here to take care of the boys and so is Johnny.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but I hold up my hands.

“You’re welcome to stay and wait for him with us, but I recommend you don’t suggest taking them anywhere again or Johnny will make decisions for all of us.”

It’s more of a promise than a threat, but I stand by it.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take the boys to the bathroom so they can wash their hands.”

It’s unnecessary to drag them up to their own bathroom, but they have the potty trainer there and the stepping stools so they can reach the sink.

They’re perfect angels and can more than take care of things by themselves, so I take his phone out and have to close my eyes before I can call Eli.

I can picture him leaving in my mind, and my insides ramify in two.

I need to go with him just as much as I need to stay. I’d never, will never leave the boys when they need me.

I’d never want Tucker to go through whatever he’s about to go through without someone who—fuck it, yes—someone who loves him right there with him.

So along with texting Eli and calling Baron Alton—who I discover is a very succinct lawyer—I also call Avery.

“They took him to the nineteenth precinct,” I finish, and hear her breathing hard.

“Thank you for calling. Please stay with the boys⁠—”