Twin Cupids at Work: Daddy, Come Home! novel Chapter 5

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She didn’t have to look for long. Two men were huddled by a car, trying to shove a child inside. Her stomach dropped.

She didn’t hesitate. She just ran at them, grabbed one guy by the back of his shirt, and kicked him so hard he flew to the side. He yelped in pain. The other man, the one holding the kid, snapped to attention. He dropped the boy and lunged at Madeline.

“Who the hell are you, lady? Mind your own business.”

Madeline’s eyes narrowed. “What if I don’t want to mind my own business?”

“Then we are gonna teach you a lesson.” The guy grabbed a metal rod and swung at her. Madeline sidestepped, then slammed the edge of her hand into his wrist. He cried out and dropped the rod. Before he could catch his breath, she kicked him into the wall.

The two men exchanged glances, realizing they were outmatched. One tried to step forward, but the other stopped him. “Our boss said not to make a scene. If things get messy, we bail.”

They took off, disappearing around the corner. Madeline let them go. She hurried over to the little boy, kneeling down in front of him. “Hey, sweetheart, are you—” She stopped, words dying on her lips. She recognized that face.

“Oliver? I asked Casey to take you home. Why are you here at the hospital?” She looked him up and down. He was wearing a sharp little suit and a baseball cap. These weren’t the clothes she’d put on him this morning. When did he change? And why were those men trying to take him?

“Oliver, can you tell Mommy what happened?”

The boy just stared at her, his big dark eyes blank and unreadable. Was she talking to him? His name wasn’t Oliver. It was Noah.

Madeline kept talking, but the boy stayed silent, still and tense. She figured he must be scared out of his mind. Her heart squeezed. She pulled him into a gentle hug. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy won’t ask anymore. Something’s not right here. Let’s get you home first.”