Page 55 of Simply You & Me

"B-but they hurt you!" At her yell in my ear, I pop my eyes open in time to see Rylee and Marc leaving the room.

"Honey, they didn't hurt me." Rory pulls away, cataloging every bruise around my neck as she goes. I hold her hands as I say, "Zach, Wyatt, Julian, and Tate do love you, sweetie. They didn't do this to me. Someone they know did, okay? They were with you the whole time, remember?"

It breaks my heart to think that the guys might have fallen from Rory's pedestals too. She sees a lot for such a young girl, and I know she's been watching me for the past week and a half. I'm sad because of the guys and she knows it. Now she knows they played a role in what happened last night, too. My heart hurts for my little girl who wants a daddy so badly.

She sniffles, her eyes ping-ponging from mine to my neck. "It's their f-fault, though."

What is protocol here? Any moms out there? I would love some fucking advice. What the hell do you say to your eight-year-old when the men you've been seeing have been keeping some dangerous shit from you and suddenly, you’re in the middle of it? What do you say when your daughter's trust is faltering in the men who love her like their own? What the hell does a mother say when she also no longer trusts those same men, but doesn't want to break her daughter’s heart? I don't want Rory to be as comfortable with them because I feel like I don't know who they truly are anymore. But I don't want her to lose them either. What do I say?!

I tuck a strand of her long, straight hair behind her ear and admire the fascinating way her blue eyes sparkle with each tear she forces back down. My strong girl. Small bits of honesty are what I decide on. "They didn't tell me some stuff; it's true. If they had been honest, I would have been more careful. So, yeah, honey, they hold some fault here."

I hate it. So much. My understanding would be higher for them if I didn't have a daughter and another baby on the way. It's unfair for me to blame them for putting the baby in danger, but they did put her in danger. It's not just me they should have been thinking about. They should have been thinking of my daughter.

I wonder when they found out shit was going to go down. Was that why they have been MIA for a week and a half? Because they knew someone was coming for them? They should have warned me. If they knew longer, why would they pursue me? They have always known about Rory. If they knew before we started dating, then they knowingly put my daughter in the line of fire.

And that's not something I can forgive.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Zachary

"Take a seat."

Fuck. If we were back home in Washington, there would be no way we would be suspects. We’ve been working with the police and have become friends with many detectives over the years. We are an ally in taking the nasty fuckers from home down. Now isn't any different. Yet here I sit on a cold metal chair with two cops staring me down like I might spew some incriminating evidence.

I don't say anything, even though I'm itching to get my hands on the files laid out in front of us. I know Addie gave her statement already, and it hurts like fuck that it landed me in the accusatory sights of the law.

"Where were you last night around 9:30?" The cop with greying hair sneers at me while awaiting my answer.

I frown. "I was at home with my family and Adelyn's daughter, Aurora."

"And why was Ms. West's daughter in your home?"

They know the answer to this, I'm sure of it, so it's only pissing me off that we’re wasting time going over unnecessary information. "We were watching Rory while Adelyn worked a late-night shift. I'm in a relationship with Adelyn."

"How kind of you," the older man huffs, crossing his arms like I've pissed him off.

I'm shocked when the youngest of the two scolds him. "Don, please." With a sigh, the dark-haired man grabs a file, flips it open, and spins it around. "Do you recognize this man?"

Like a man starved for answers, I take in every fucking blemish on my rival’s face. Johnathan Cadell. "Yes, I recognize him. His name is Johnathan Cadell." I grit out.

Both cops watch me without blinking. "And how do you know him?"

I want to swallow my tongue. Is Johnathan the one who took Addie? If he was, I am truly the reason my dolly was hurt and thrown in a ditch. "He and his team are our competitors back home in Washington. We used to fight over who got the best gigs."

"Gigs?" the older one, Don, asks.

I nod. "Yeah, we both have our own teams who ran security back home for some rich people."

Don's cheek flexes as he clenches his jaw. Whatever he's about to say, I don't think I'm ready for. "Since you're in a relationship with Ms. West, are you aware of the connection between Mr. Cadell and her?"

What? "Connection? I don't think I'm following." What fucking connection does my arch nemesis have to my fucking girlfriend?!

The young officer shifts and looks to his superior. Don clears his throat. "I don't like you, Zachary. I am aware of the cases you have helped with back in your hometown, but you put my niece in danger."

"Niece?" What the hell is going on right now? I thought I was a suspect, but now it feels like I'm being interrogated by fucking family members.

Don leans back in his chair, his muscles flexing with each inhale he takes. For an older man, he's fucking buff. "Addie and Rory's dad was my best friend. Joseph was my partner before he died. We spent every day together. I knew the girls well."

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