"Dean." Gilbert drew a breath and spoke to the boy. "Dean, if anything happens to you today, don't blame your father. Don't be my son in the next life, let me be your son instead. I've failed you. Remember who did this to you."
He then yanked Susie roughly, snatched her phone, and barked, "If you've got the nerve, go ahead and drop him. The data you want, everything you need is on this device. If you try anything today, I'll see to it you're left with nothing."
"Dean." Claire heard Gilbert's words and felt her heart fracture. Seeing the boy hoisted high, his face purple and swollen, she could hardly breathe. She had never been the one to raise Dean, had never given him a mother's love. Now, faced with this, she would rather die than watch him suffer.
"Put Dean down and take me instead, don't hurt the child," Claire sobbed, lunging forward as if to snatch him free.
