You Are My Sunshine

Chapter Ten

Sam's POV

Though we had an idea on how to handle the situation, there were still so many uncertainties. Above everything else, I just wanted my sister to be okay. It would take time and patience. I knew that. But as long as the end result was Kinley living a full and happy life, I would deal. I tried telling myself that repeatedly as Emily and I drove over to the school to pick her up, but my body was racing with anxiety regardless.

I'd planned on being way early—first one in the parking lot, basically pacing my ass off waiting for the school day to end already. With the newfound information and excessive amount of time in my wolf form, however, we were actually running a little late. I hated it. Was she waiting for us? Was she upset? Did she think we weren't going to come back? I didn't want any of those thoughts to even enter her head, let alone become worries simply because I sucked at keeping track of time.

When we got there, the place was full of movement. Parents and children walking to and from cars, people leaving, people waiting. Emily tried to convince me to let her hop out and go get Kinley while I waited in the car so we didn't have to park, but there was no way that was happening. So instead I made my own parking space next to a dumpster at the edge of the lot. If anyone had a problem with it, they could kiss my ass. I would only be gone for a minute or two.

If Emily were anyone else, I probably would've been annoyed at having to keep pace with her. I wanted to get to Kinley faster and Em kept a calm stride. She was the mature one, obviously, but that didn't mean I had to particularly like it.

Finally we made it to the door of the school where it appeared children were exiting. I didn't really know how pick-up worked. Were they released by class? Had Kinley already been released but forced to go back inside because we were late? Emily, smart woman she was, stepped up to one of the ladies who seemed to be keeping track of the flow and asked.

The woman's brow furrowed. "Kinley Uley? She's a young one, yes? Just started today?"

Em nodded with a cautious smile. "That would be her."

Now a frown accompanied the woman's lowered brow. "She's already been picked up. Are you sure you were supposed to be the one to get her today?"

Both Emily and I froze. Are you sure you were supposed to be the one to get her today? Of course we were sure. We were her guardians. The only people the school should have been letting her fucking leave with. She's already been picked up. Not possible. Nope. Not possible at all. We. Were. Her. Guardians.

"What?" I snarled.

The woman's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Sir, I—"

Emily moved next to me and placed a hand on my arm. "We weren't expecting anyone else to pick her up today. Do you remember what the person looked like? Maybe we got wires crossed somewhere." She sounded so calm about this. How was she not freaking the fuck out? No wires had been crossed. If someone else picked Kinley up, then Kinley had been—

Oh shit.

Oh. Shit.

Emily's hand squeezed my arm, hard.

The woman nodded in understanding. As if someone randomly picking up a child was common. "He was a man, I'd guess in his late thirties. About a head shorter than you," she said, pointing at me and I had to restrain myself from snarling at her again, "with dirty blonde hair. He seemed friendly; he was smiling. And the girl looked like she knew him."

My blood ran cold.

Late thirties, dirty blonde, seemed like she knew him...

I hadn't seen a picture of him, but there had been a basic description in his file. How in the fucking world did he know where Kinley was? And that she was starting school today? And...shit, anything?