That question was like a knife to Dodge’s heart. “Gotta wrap this up, Syn,” he reminded her softly.
Her dark eyes hit his and she nodded. But before she could get to her feet, Maya rushed her and almost knocked her back onto her ass. Syn’s arms automatically wrapped around her daughter and squeezed her tight.
Then the fucking tears started.
Dodge had to turn away. He began to rummage through a dresser, tossing some underwear and socks onto the bed. He grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and sweaters from another drawer, adding them to the pile.
He risked a glance over his shoulder to see Syn brushing the hair off Maya’s forehead and kissing her there. Then she hugged her tightly again as both continued to cry.
“I missed you, mommy. I,” Maya’s voice broke, “missed you.”
Jesus fuck. If that didn’t rip his fucking heart out…
“I know, baby. I’m so sorry. I’m so damn sorry. I wish I could’ve been there for you all this time. I wanted to be, I swear.” Her voice was filled with tears.
“Y-you l-left m-me.” Maya’s face was planted in Syn’s borrowed coat and her body jerked with each sob.
“They wouldn’t let me…” Syn shook her head and sniffled. “It doesn’t matter. We’re together now. You’re coming with us. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“You promise?”
Syn leaned back and nodded. “I promise. Dodge and your uncle Sig are here to take us to our new home, where we’re going to finally be together again. Do you want that?”
Maya nodded, wiping at her runny nose and sniffling.
Christ on a fuckin’ cracker, Maya could be Syn’s younger sister.
Maya was only a foot shorter than Syn, if that. She might have Syn’s looks but she would have her biological father’s height. She would be taller than Syn even before she was done growing.
He gave them another few minutes by digging through Maya’s closet and pulling out some things he thought the little girl might need. At least until they bought her new stuff.
He found a small pink suitcase buried at the bottom of her closet, tossed it on the bed, unzipped it and began stuffing it full with the pile he made. He threw two sets of shoes on top and dropped a pair of snow boots on the floor near a pair of jeans and another sweatshirt he laid out on the mattress.
Syn needed to get Maya dressed and get her the hell out of there.
“Syn, gotta long drive home. We gotta go.” Again, he made sure his tone reflected their urgency but hopefully not enough for Maya to pick up on it.
“Okay,” Syn said with another sniffle, wiping at Maya’s tear-stained face and then her own. “Is there anything you really want to bring with you?”
“All my stuff,” Maya answered.
Of course.
Dodge cleared the thick from his own throat. “You can’t take everythin’, baby girl. Just grab the most important.” He moved over to Syn, grabbed her arm and pulled her a few steps away from her daughter. He dropped his head and put his mouth to her ear, keeping his voice low. “Get her shit, and get her the fuck outta here. We’ll get whatever she needs once we get back home. You see any pigs, you go. You take Maya and head back, you hear me? If that happens, get the fuck out of West Virginia as fast as possible. Don’t fuckin’ wait for us and don’t stop unless it’s absolutely necessary. Then head to the farm and directly to Trip. Tell me you hear what I’m sayin’.”
She sniffled and nodded.
Dodge closed his eyes for a second to repack his shit tight. When he opened them he said, “Go. We’ll be out shortly. Keep it together, Syn. For her.”
Syn nodded again on a hiccup-sob he could see she was doing her best to suppress.
He tipped her chin up with his thumb. “Gonna go check on the guys. You got less than five to get her dressed and out to the car. Make sure you take her directly outside. No goodbyes, if you get what I’m sayin’.”
Syn nodded once more. This time he nodded, too, hopefully in a way that assured her that everything would be all right.
Dodge gave them once last glance, stepped out into the hall and closed the bedroom door behind him.
Then he took long, determined strides down the hallway to the master bedroom. When he got there, he closed that door, too.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What if they try to get her back?” Syn asked. He was sitting on a stool at the bar and she was sandwiched in between his muscular thighs, leaning into him.
He swallowed his mouthful of the Jack Daniels Sinatra Select he kept hidden for himself behind the bar and set the glass back down.
Her pale, drawn face was turned up to his and he hated seeing the dark circles under her eyes. But outside the bar a new day was already breaking.