Chapter Four #2
There. Near the elevator bank. A group of figures stood in harsh silhouette under the buzzing lights.
A woman in a dark pantsuit, her back rigid with authority.
A uniformed police officer, his hand resting lightly on the shoulder of a small child.
And Lily, tiny and fragile, her pink cast visible even from a distance, her small body wracked with sobs I might not be able to hear, but I could see.
Several feet away stood Eliza, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if physically holding herself together, her face a mask of devastation.
I brought the bike to a screeching halt twenty feet from the group, the tires squealing against concrete.
I didn’t bother with the kickstand, just let the bike fall against a pillar as I dismounted in one fluid movement, yanking my helmet off and dropping it beside the motorcycle.
My boots echoed heavily as I strode toward them, my volunteer badge still clipped to my cut from my earlier shift.
“Stop!” I demanded, keeping my voice level despite the rage building inside me. I positioned myself closer to Eliza, a physical reminder she wasn’t alone anymore.
Ms. Winters turned toward me, her lips thinning with recognition and annoyance. “Mr. Kingston. This doesn’t concern you.”
Lily’s crying paused momentarily as she spotted me, her eyes opening wide.
“Cash!” she called out, her voice going shrill as she kicked and thrashed to get away from the officer.
The big man crouched beside her, talking softly but still holding her gently around the waist. Lily shook her head violently, trying to get free.
“Her lawyer’s on the way,” I said, addressing both the social worker and the officer. “Lana Thompson. You have to wait for her.”
“We have a court order,” Ms. Winters replied coolly, holding up a document. “This isn’t up for debate or delay.”
“You’re in a safe place. Lily isn’t in imminent danger. Waiting five minutes right here isn’t going to make much of a difference.”
I glanced at Eliza, whose eyes were red-rimmed but dry, as if she’d moved beyond tears to a place of numb shock. She took a small step toward me, her voice barely audible. “They waited until visiting hours were over. Said it would be easier on everyone this way.”
The officer shifted uncomfortably, his expression suggesting he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation. He was young, probably new to the force. His wedding ring caught the fluorescent light when he moved his hand.
“Officer,” I said, addressing him directly, “Ms. Jans has legal representation who is en route right now. She was with me when Ms. Jans called and sent me ahead of her. Surely you can wait five minutes to make sure everything’s being done by the book.”
“The paperwork is in order,” he replied, but the uncertainty in his voice was evident. “I don’t really have a reason to delay.”
Ms. Winters stepped between us. “The placement has been arranged, the foster family is waiting, and it’s already past the child’s bedtime. Further delay only prolongs everyone’s distress.”
I refrained from pointing out if they’d waited until the morning, the child would have already been asleep. Just.
“I want my mommy,” Lily sobbed, fresh tears streaming down her pale face as she struggled against the officer’s gentle hold. “Cash! Make them let me go!”
The sound of her distress cut through me like a knife. I’d heard the same desperate plea from kids in the system, kids who disappeared into foster care and came out the other side harder, more damaged. Some never came out at all.
“Look,” I tried again, struggling to keep my voice even, “Ms. Thompson is a respected attorney with connections throughout the family court system. If you proceed without allowing her to review the order, you’re risking legal consequences of your own.
” I winced. That might not have been the best route to go.
And, honestly, I could just park my fucking bike between the car and any way they wanted to go for five fucking minutes.
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Kingston?” Ms. Winters asked, her eyebrow arching. “Because threats would be unwise, particularly given your history.”
The implication hung in the air between us. My record. My status. The power imbalance couldn’t have been clearer if she’d drawn a diagram.
“Not a threat,” I replied, keeping my voice carefully controlled. “Just a fact. Legal representation is both Eliza and Lily’s right.” I raised my eyebrows at Lily, for some reason hoping the six-year-old knew about shit like that. I mean, did they still have School House Rock or something?
The officer glanced toward the exit ramp, clearly hoping for some resolution to appear. “How long until the lawyer gets here?”
“Minutes,” I said, seizing on his hesitation. “She was leaving right behind me while she made phone calls.” I had to throw the whole phone calls bit in there because, why not? I’d already basically threatened the lady.
Ms. Winters checked her watch with exaggerated patience. “We’ve already accommodated more delays than reasonably expected. Officer Martinez, please put the child in the car.”
“Lily.” I gave the older lady a firm look. “Not ‘the child’. Lily. If you’re going to rip someone away from their mother while she screams and cries for you not to, you should at least know her name.”
Finally, something hit the way I wanted and Ms. Winters sucked in a breath, her hand going to her chest as if I’d fucking stabbed her. I knew she was doing a thankless job where she had to work too many hours and see very little improvement in society, but enough was enough.
Ms. Winters lifted her chin and I thought she might protest again, but instead she took a breath and shook her head slightly. “No. I’m sorry, but this is happening.”
Eliza made a small, broken sound and stepped forward, but Ms. Winters moved between them. “Ms. Jans, please don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. You’ll have an opportunity to present your case at the hearing.”
I caught the officer’s gaze again. “Man to man,” I said quietly, “just give the lawyer time to arrive. Five minutes. You know this ain’t right.”
I could see he wasn’t on board with leaving.
He held my gaze a long moment. “You know I’m a beat cop, right?
I’m literally on babysitting duty with this.
I’m the transport. Nothing more.” He shrugged.
“I’m sorry, man,” he said, meeting and holding my gaze with an intent look. “She’s the boss on this run.”
I growled my frustration, already working on the other plan of using my bike to block the cruiser. This would be close.
Lily’s small body disappeared as the officer helped her into a booster seat and fastened the seat belt, her sobs muffled by the closing car door. The officer walked around to the driver’s side while Ms. Winters lingered, her expression unreadable as she handed Eliza a business card.
“The contact information for family services is here. Your supervised visitation will be arranged through this office, pending the judge’s decision.
” Her voice was professionally detached, as if she hadn’t just torn a family apart.
“I suggest you focus on cooperating with the investigation if you want a favorable outcome.”
Lily continued to cry, tears streaming down her face as she cried for both her mother and me. She pounded on the glass, trying in desperate fear to get someone to let her out.
Ms. Winters turned back to me, her face a mask of professional detachment and underlying satisfaction she didn’t bother to hide.
Job well done and all that shit. “Once she gets her excuses ready and her story straight with her lawyer, they can discuss it with the judge,” she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy.
“In the meantime, we need to get Lily to her new temporary home.” She wouldn’t even look at Eliza directly, as if the woman had already been judged and found guilty, not worth the basic courtesy of eye contact.
My hands curled into fists at my sides, anger burning in my gut like acid.
“Her name is Eliza,” I growled, stepping forward. “And she doesn’t need to get any story straight because she’s telling the truth.”
Ms. Winters finally glanced at Eliza, her expression cold. “The evidence suggests otherwise, Mr. Kingston.”
“She’s been begging for medical testing for years,” I shot back. “She’s got an appointment set up with a specialist. Just wait for the results.”
“Any medical care she’s finally set up will certainly be considered at the hearing.
” Her tone made it clear she thought it was just another delaying tactic.
The way she insinuated Eliza had only just started trying to get her daughter care made me grind my teeth.
She turned toward the vehicle where the officer sat in the driver’s seat with Lily in the back.
The little girl’s face was streaked with tears, her small body shaking with sobs as she continued to hit the glass.
Where the fuck was Lana? I pulled out my phone to call her, but reception was shit in this area.
Eliza made a move toward the car, but Ms. Winters smoothly stepped between them.
“Physical contact isn’t permitted at this time.
You’ll be notified about visitation procedures.
Your lawyer can contact our office tomorrow during business hours,” Ms. Winters continued, speaking to a point somewhere over Eliza’s shoulder.
“The judge assigned to the case is Judge Whitmore. I suggest you prepare accordingly.”
With her final barb, she slid into the passenger seat of the police cruiser.
The car doors closed, and the finality echoed through the concrete space.
The engine hummed to life, the sound absurdly gentle for the violence of what was happening.
Red taillights glowed as the vehicle pulled away, ascending the exit ramp in a smooth, unhurried motion.