Page 86 of Lillian

“Move!” I grit out through clenched teeth. They all look my way just before I shove through them. “Hey, baby,” I whisper through a tight throat as I take in my tear-stained, rumpled Gracie. Her hair’s a mess, and she’s wearing an outfit I packed in her hospital bag that looks like it hasn’t been taken off and washed in days.

“Mommy!” she sobs and throws her tiny arms around my neck as I crouch in front of the tub. “Where were you?”

Her tearful question feels like a stab in the heart, a seething accusation. “I’m here now, baby, and I’m so so sorry. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

I pull away and run my hands all over her arms. Checking her hands, the front and back, elbows, upper arms. I lift her shirt to make sure there aren’t any bruises or marks. At first glance,she seems okay, and she shakes her head at my question, so the stranglehold on my heart loosens just a little.

“Can we go home now?” She sniffles and snuggles into the crook of my neck, not letting go.

“Yes. We’re going home,” I answer her, then whisper to myself a silent promise.And I’m never leaving you again.

I don’t thinkI can do one more day in this fucking office,I think to myself as I sit across from my father in a meeting I shouldn’t even be in, but he insisted.

After all the shit he pulled with Becca’s conservatorship and then—come to find out—again with Lillian and Grace’s court hearing interference, he really is going to sit across from me with a smile on his face like I’m not two fucking seconds away from breaking his jaw.

Walking into this office everyday for the past two weeks has really tested my patience. There is a letter of resignation sitting in the top drawer of my desk, and I think it’s time I used it. Got out from under his thumb once and for all, maybe even start my own practice. Or just go anywhere new.

Lillian’s face pops into my head, and I wonder if she’d want to move in completely with me, or if I should broach moving closer to her. With her losing Grace, she may want a fresh start. But on the other hand, her family is all in Flagstaff. Even without Grace, staying close to them might be a priority now.

I could make the move. There’s nothing keeping me in Phoenix after I quit. Becca is eighteen now, so she can either come with me or choose to get her own place. It would hurt to lose her again after she just moved in, but I have to respect her decisions. And after last night’s conversation, she may be moving anyway if she decides to take off and go to college.

As I’m off in my own head, not listening to a single word being said by the man standing in the front of the conference room, I feel my phone buzz in my inside breast pocket.

Etiquette be fucking damned, I pull it out and look at the screen.

Lillian.

She should be in the apartment working, so I’m not sure why she’s calling. With a glance at the time, I see it’s just after lunch. Maybe she’s looking for something she needs to cook with. I think about sending it to voicemail, then remember I’m quitting anyway.

I stand up, drawing the attention of at least half the men and women in the room. Including my father. Disdain drips all over his face at my interruption. Not even looking at him, I fit together one button on my suit jacket, nod at the few people around the table I actually care about in apology, and exit the conference room.

“Hey, babe,” I greet. Noise in the background grabs my attention immediately. That doesn’t sound like the quiet of our apartment.

“Lincoln,” she says, voice a little louder than is necessary. Probably trying to talk over the noise in the background. But it’s the tightness of her voice, the tears in it, that has me on high alert.

“What’s wrong?” I ground out, already on edge.

“It’s Grace. Talia overdosed.” Her voice sounds far away.

“What?Where is Grace? Is she okay?” My palms start to sweat, and I head in the direction of my office at a half run, half walk to grab my things.

“I have her. But they’re making us go to the hospital to get Grace checked out before they’ll release her into my custody.” A small breath of relief rushes out.

“Good. Okay. But she seems fine?”

“Yes. Shaken up but physically fine.” Her voice wobbles, and I know this is killing her. Being forced to give up her daughter, knowing full well that it wasn’t the right thing for her, only to have her almost come to harm’s way less than a week later. I’m itching to hold her, comfort her. Both of them.

“What hospital? I’m on my way.” She rattles off the name of a hospital a few miles from the office. With traffic, though, it'll still take me twenty minutes to get there. “What about Talia?” I practically spit out her name. Like fuck will I call her Grace’s mom.

“Alive. They were able to administerNarcanand revive her in time,” Lil says, voice deceptively calm, hiding the storm I know is brewing.

Fuck.

“Okay. We’ll deal with it, I promise. Nobody is taking her from us again.” Over my dead-fucking body. “Meet you at the hospital in twenty.” I hang up as I make it to my desk. I grab my car keys and wallet. Before I turn on my heel to walk away, a thought hits me.

Opening the top drawer of my desk, I root around until I find what I’m looking for, grab it, and turn to go see my girls.

Speaking of… I pull my phone back out and shoot off a quick text to Becca telling her to meet us at the hospital, too, when she can. Then I’m out the door.

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