Page 17 of Crossing Lines

“You don’t know what happened!”

“Bitch! I fucking watched you. I saw it all! It’s on the security camera! Let me go, goddammit! I’ll beat some sense into her stupid ass.” I needed to step in cause Trevor was about to lose hisbattle holding back the bull. I saw it in her eyes, she was about to completely lose it.

“Enough! Stella Grace, sit your ass down now. If you move from that chair, I’ll tan your hide.” Wayne’s voice boomed through the room as he came in from the back. Stel deflated and did as instructed. Both Trevor and Peter, who had moved within reach of where she stood, looked relieved.

Derek moved to the desk where Shelby was, and the tiny little bundle in his arms started to fuss.

“It’s okay, buddy. She’s just checking you over,” he crooned to the baby and started to bounce him or her. It seemed to settle the baby down. I shook my head and moved further into the room. I needed to know what was happening here. Seeing Stella struggling and everyone looking so grim-faced made my stomach churn.

“Tracey!” Stel gasped. Her face paled as she got up and moved to where I was.

I held up a hand. “Don’t panic, it looks worse than it is. What’s going on here? You all look rather murderous, and it’s never a good thing when my girl has to be restrained.”

“Stella was able to help us track down a baby dumper,” Jackson growled. The look of utter disgust on his face said a lot. Charlie’s mask had fallen as well. Even Gabe, who stood back and watched everyone else, looked ready to crack someone’s head open.

“A baby dumper…Jesus.” I shook my head. So I had heard that right before.

“He wouldn’t stop crying! I couldn’t work!” The woman jumped to her feet again, screaming at the room full of people.

Really? That was her defense?

“Daddy,” Dani Lynn started, then amended her words, “Sheriff Cartwright, I have a court order signed by Judge Jillian Berry giving temporary custody of the infant to me and OpenHearts & Helping Hands. By extension, Stella Malone and Jayna McIntyre are also listed as custodial entities over the infant child.”

“You can’t have my baby!”

Dani Lynn turned on her heels, her body vibrating as she met the woman’s gaze. “Then you should have thought of a better way to get a few minutes of quiet other than tossing his car seat on the side of the fucking road, you heartless piece of gutter trash!”

Gabe took his daughter by the arm, and I watched as he wiped tears from her face.

“You don’t understand! He’s always crying!”

“Lady, everyone in this room has small children. I myself have seven who go from one year of age to twenty-three! So don’t give me that horse shit!”

Jackson stepped away from his place beside Charlie and moved to hug his sister-in-law.

“Tonya Craven, you’re under arrest for prostitution, solicitation, evading arrest, child endangerment, child abandonment, and a number of other charges. You have the right to remain silent—” Gabe’s words were full of anger.

I looked away from him and met my girl’s worried gaze.

“I can’t leave you alone for anything, can I?” I joked. Her lips tipped up, and she shook her head. Tears were clouding her beautiful eyes already.

“Nope, not for a second. You gonna tell me what happened to you now?”

I nodded. “First, we came in to get some information from the Sheriff. We can talk after that.”

“All right. Until he’s done, sit down; you look ready to faceplant.”

She helped me to a chair, and I sat, pulling her hand to my lips. I closed my eyes and sighed.

This was going to be bad. I just knew it.

Chapter 8

Stella

I never expectedmy morning to end up at the police station. At least this time, I wasn’t the one in handcuffs. Yet. I might be getting close to that point.

I went to work with Daddy to check over his books and schedule a few appointments, nothing unusual. It was something I did a few days a week just to help out. Right now, with my body being in need of repair, it kept me from being home alone and kept my mind busy. I liked being in the trailer, the command center of Malone Construction, LLC. It helped me to remember the good times when we were younger.

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