“But Magnus saved me first,” Allie said at once, not willing to let him diminish what he’d done. The man had pushed her out of the way of the machete, knowing it would leave him unprotected from the coming blow.

“That’s what families do,” Liam said solemnly. “They save each other.”

“Yes, they do,” Allie said quietly, and decided she must have brain damage from that blow to her head, because tears were welling up in her eyes.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, son,” Allie said softly, and then cleared her throat and added, “You go on and play with your friends. We should be home soon.”

“Okay,” Liam said at once. “Can we have pizza when you get back? Teddy says pizza is awesome. Why have we never had pizza?”

Because we didn’t have money for things like that by the time you were old enough to eat it, Allie thought, but Magnus said, “We can have pizza. Tell Stephanie to order enough for everyone and we will celebrate that you and your mother are free of the bad men and never have to move again.”

“Really?” Liam squealed. “You smoked them?”

“Smoked them?” Allie whispered with disbelief.

Where had her son heard words like that? she wondered as Magnus said, “Well, actually, Basha smoked one.”

“Yeah, Teddy says Basha is badass.”

Allie’s jaw dropped at that. Liam had never sworn before in his life. She reached for the phone, ready to give him hell and threaten to wash his mouth out with soap, but Magnus turned so she couldn’t take it and said, “Yes, well, so is your mother, son, because she smoked the other one.”

“Really?” Liam sounded shocked, and Allie scowled. First cussing, and now thinking her helpless. Who had kept him alive for the last four years? Well, as it turned out Liam wasn’t in any physical danger, really, but he’d certainly been in danger of—

“Yes, really,” Magnus said, distracting her. “But I suggest you drop the word badass from your vocabulary until you are older, or we are going to have to have a serious talk. Understand?”

“Yes, sir, Dad,” Liam said at once.

“Good boy,” Magnus said warmly. “Now, say goodbye to your mother and give the phone back to Stephanie.”

“Bye, Mom,” Liam said

He must have immediately handed the phone to Stephanie because she heard a rustling sound and then Stephanie’s slightly muffled voice saying, “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”