A woman forced into prostitution determined to find a better way...
Standing over her son's bed, Claudia once again marveled such a beautiful child had been born of a violent act. Her heart swelled with love and ached with sadness she might not see him again. If Swaggerty made good his threats, she could die and her son--
She shuddered at what that monster might do with her child.
Determination straightened her backbone as she jotted a note and tucked it in an envelope.
Then she formed a child-sized bundle and covered it with a blanket so Swaggerty would think she had taken Todd with her. She slipped quietly through the hallways of the house to the room occupied by Marly's birth mother, Ruby. As was her habit when she couldn't sleep, the older woman sat in bed reading.
Claudia entered the room and closed the door with a quiet snick behind her.
Ruby looked up from her book. "Didn't expect to see you until the fighting was done."
Ignoring the insult, Claudia raised her chin. "I have a favor to ask of you. Mother to mother."
One of Ruby's pencil-thin eyebrows lifted slightly.
Claudia touched the necklace Patrick had given her for courage and walked the few steps to the bed. She handed Ruby the envelope. "If I'm not back by morning, please see that Emma Midassen gets this."
She hesitated, then also handed Ruby a baby monitor that picked up sounds from Todd's room. "And if Todd fusses, please ask someone to check on him."
"Running away from trouble or toward it?"
"You and I have both made choices we regret. I don't want to wait until my life is ending to make things right. Will you help me?"
Slowly, Ruby smiled and nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."
**Excerpt from LEGACY OF ANGELS, copyright Genie Gabriel, aka Genene Valleau
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