Shattered Lullaby

“I’m sure.” Matt reached over and lightly clasped her hand in his. “Trust me. In our family, Callahans always come first.”

Strangely enough, she did trust him. As she listened to him leaving a message for Miles, she found herself relaxing for the first time since she’d woken up to the sounds of her sister arguing with her husband.

She reached back to place a soothing hand on Rory in his car seat. If Matt was right, and Callahans always came first, then maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way out of this mess.

* * *

Matt pulled out of the parking lot, hoping Miles would return his call soon. He didn’t like thinking about the fact that as a cop, David Williams had access to information like Matt’s cell number and his vehicle license plate number.

Five minutes later, his phone rang. He handed it to Lacy. “Place the call on speaker.” When she’d done that, he quickly answered. “Miles, I need a hand.”

“What’s going on?”

“I need new disposable phones, a laptop computer, a new K-9 vehicle and cash.”

“Anything else?” His brother’s tone was all business. “What about a place to stay?”

“We need to remain off-grid, so I’m planning to head up to Valerie’s father’s cabin. Maybe you could give her a heads-up that I’ll be staying there for a while, just in case she decides to take a trip.”

“We?” Trust his brother to pick up on that slip.

He glanced at Lacy. “I’m keeping a woman and baby safe. There’s already been three attempts to kill them. Honestly? The less you know, the better.”

“Haven’t I always supported you, Matt? I’m not about to turn you in, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Lacy relaxed in her seat, and he grinned. “I know that, and I trust you, bro. It’s Lacy who’s a bit skittish.”

“Lacy obviously doesn’t know us very well, does she?” Miles paused for a moment, then continued, “Okay, I’ll meet you at Val’s cabin in roughly forty-five minutes.”

“Thanks, Miles. I owe you one.”

“And don’t think I won’t collect. I think a night of babysitting should do the trick.”

Babysitting? He grimaced but reluctantly agreed. “Sure, Abby is a cutie. But let’s do that before the baby is born, okay? I’m not sure I can handle two of them at the same time.”

His brother let out a bark of laughter. “Done. Catch up with you later.”

“I guess the Callahans really do stick together,” Lacy said, a hint of wistfulness in her eyes. “I’m glad.”

He thought about the way she’d lost her sister and knew he’d never rest if someone had murdered one of his siblings. In fact, he’d been secretly trying to investigate his father’s unsolved murder. Max Callahan had been the Milwaukee Chief of Police for almost five years before his death. He’d been shot when he’d gone out to visit the scene of a crime. Matt continued to be angry and upset that the perp was still at large.

But right now, he had to remain focused on keeping Lacy and Rory safe. He headed toward his college friend’s cabin, using side streets and lesser known highways to avoid the interstate.

Because he’d taken the longer route, he reached the cabin a few minutes before Miles. Matt took a moment to make sure they could get inside, using the key that was hidden in the bottom of a bird feeder. The door creaked open. While it was a little dusty, the interior looked just the way he remembered. He returned to the SUV and let Duchess out before carrying Rory’s car seat inside, so the baby would have something to sit in. Lacy followed on his heels, bringing in the rest of their things. Duchess ran around for a bit, exploring the area before making her way back to the cabin. She barked, and he crossed over to let her in, taking a minute to check out her wound. Thankfully, it still looked good.

“Lacy, my brother Miles. Miles, this is Lacy and Rory.”

“Nice to meet you,” Miles said with a smile.

“You, too.” Lacy shivered. “It’s a bit chilly in here.”

“I’ll light the wood-burning stove. It will be warm in no time,” Matt assured her.

Between the two men, they stacked armloads of cut wood near the vast iron stove. It didn’t take long, and soon the logs were crackling and popping. He rose to his feet and turned toward his brother.

“Did you remember the computer?”

“Yep, it’s in the SUV.” Miles glanced at Lacy, who was busy unpacking their things. “Come outside for a moment.”

Matt followed his brother outside. “What’s up?”

“I’m sure you know about the Amber Alert. Lacy is wanted for kidnapping her nephew,” Miles said. When Matt opened his mouth to protest, his brother waved a hand. “I told you I’d support you and I will. But I need to know what’s going on.”

Matt filled in the details, scant as they were. Miles scowled when he mentioned David Williams was a cop. “He’s already tried to kill her three times. You’ll find a bullet hole in my SUV to prove it.”

They walked over to check out the damage, and Miles sighed heavily. “Okay, I trust you know what you’re doing. The computer bag, cash and phones are in the front seat of the replacement SUV.” His brother dangled the keys in front of him. Matt swapped with him. “Be careful, and let me know if you need backup.”

“I will.” Matt knew his brother probably didn’t want to be too far from Paige, considering she was eight months pregnant, but he might need someone inside the police department to get him information. For any physical backup, he’d lean on either Mitch or Mike. “Thanks again.”

“No problem.” Miles slapped him on the back. “Lacy is pretty and the kid is cute, too.”

Matt narrowed his gaze. “Just because you and Mark found the loves of your lives on a case doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same. I’m finished with relationships, remember?”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” Miles grinned and slid in behind the wheel.

“Miles?” Matt put out a hand to stop him from closing the door. “Be careful, okay? Avoid taking the main highways. This vehicle has been targeted twice already. I need to know you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Matt stepped back and watched for a moment as his brother drove away. He murmured a silent prayer for God to keep Miles safe before heading over to get the items Miles had brought for them. As soon as he had the computer up and running he wanted to start digging into David Williams’s background.

When he entered the cabin, he heard high-pitched wails. Lacy was trying to get Rory to take his bottle, but the little guy wasn’t having it.

A shiver of unease danced down his spine. “Is he okay?”

“I’m not sure.” Lacy’s expression reflected her concern. “I don’t understand why he’s suddenly so fussy.”

He didn’t know a lot about babies, but he’d heard that sometimes they cried because of gas pains. Maybe this was nothing more than that. “Here, let me try.”

Lacy handed him the baby. He flipped the infant over his forearm so Rory was lying on his belly, and began rubbing his back in soothing circles.

The kid kept right on crying.

Matt tried walking around with him, putting an exaggerated bounce in his step. Duchess thought it was some sort of game and kept wrapping herself around his legs.

The kid continued to wail.

Was Rory missing his mother, instinctively knowing that he and Lacy were poor substitutes? Or was he just feeling colicky? He had no idea, but the incessant crying was making him feel a bit panicky.

“Here, I’ll take him.” Lacy extracted Rory from his arms, holding him protectively to her chest. There was a hint of fear in her eyes, and it took him a minute to figure out she was worried he was going to lose his temper over a crying baby.

“He’ll likely cry himself out eventually. In the meantime, try changing him, then see if he’ll eat,” he advised calmly. “If not, we can take him for a car ride, see if that settles him down.”

Lacy gave a tiny nod and hurried into the bedroom. The baby continued to cry, and when she returned five minutes later, she looked frazzled. “He still won’t take the bottle. Let’s try the car ride.”

He closed the computer screen and nodded. He grabbed his jacket and gave his K-9 partner a hand signal that instantly brought the dog to his side. “Okay, let’s go.”

Lacy buckled Rory into his car seat, and he carried it outside and secured it in the back seat. He opened the back hatch for Duchess, then slid in behind the wheel.

“I hope nothing is seriously wrong. I don’t even know the name of Rory’s pediatrician,” Lacy said in a low voice. “Maybe I should have purchased a thermometer. He feels a little warm, but maybe that’s just because he’s crying. I just don’t know...”

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Matt did his best to infuse confidence in his tone.

Achoo! Achoo!

Rory’s crying was interrupted by two consecutive sneezes. They would have been cute if they weren’t so concerning. Matt didn’t like thinking about how they’d been dragging this poor kid around the city, only just getting him something warm to wear a couple of hours ago.

He exchanged a worried glance with Lacy. What if the baby was indeed getting sick with some sort of flu virus?

No. Please, God, no. He couldn’t bear the thought of something bad happening to Rory. He couldn’t survive watching another innocent child struggle to breathe. To live.

Please, Lord, keep Rory safe in Your care!

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