Page 18 of Crossing Lines

Plus, I got to boss the boys around. What’s not fun about that? But the fun hadn’t lasted.

I’d never wanted to hurt someone so bad in my life as I did right now. Well, that was a lie; the tree fuckers and this woman were in the same boat. I’d been able to take a shot at them, at least. But they hadn’t let me get anywhere near her. They knew better.

The commotion in the station had settled a little when Trace and Chip came in. I’d been momentarily distracted when I got a look at him. He’d come in on crutches with a cast on one leg. His pants were super tight across his thigh like it had somethinggoing on under it. My big, strong man had bandages on his arms, and his temple had a big bruise on it. Half of his face was bruised and turning funny colors. Jesus, he looked bad. I’d never seen him that bad off before. Chip didn’t look all that great either. He just had less visible injuries.

Now that they were settled in the office talking with Gabe, my head was spinning. So much had happened, and I just wanted to go in the back and down to the cells so I could wring that nasty woman’s neck.

“Stella, tell Deputy Landry and Deputy McKenna and this young man, Leonard Curtis from the DA’s office, what you saw this morning.”

I looked up and nodded to my daddy. “Sure thing.” I rubbed my forehead with my good hand. “I was watching the security monitors, which we do every few minutes for safety reasons while on site. Anyway, I was looking at the camera on the left of the main gates and saw a dark-colored sedan pull up. It sat there for a few minutes, then the back door opened and something dropped to the ground. The moment the back door shut, the car pulled off. That was when I saw it was a car seat.”

“What did you do then?” the Curtis fellow asked.

I shrugged. “I ran outside, jumped in my truck, and hauled ass up that quarter mile drive to the front gate. The baby was screaming when I got there. I got him into the truck and back down to the office. Daddy came in to see what was going on, and I told him what happened. I called the Sheriff’s office, told Derek to work his magic on the license plate, and we headed here with the baby,” I explained, giving him aduhlook.

“Once here, you called Dr. Grant’s office?” He flipped through his papers. “That’s when Dr. McKenna became involved with the child?”

He could read, right? He was looking at the damn paper I’d signed, so why did I have to repeat this all over again?

“Yes.” I said it slowly; I wanted him to get it this time.

“How did Dani Lynn Landry and her center become involved?” He asked the last part of that slowly. Either he was mocking me or he couldn’t read and talk.

“I called her. I work for the center, as does Derek. She’s the one who handles the children’s cases in this area. She left the center with the information and went to seek an immediate order of custody for the child.”

“The order of events seems a little skewed.”

Skewed?I’d like to smack him upside the head.

“When Ms. Malone called into the dispatch desk, we put out an alert for the vehicle. Deputy McKenna spotted the vehicle, and when he attempted to pull it over, the occupant decided to keep driving. Deputy Landry then joined the chase, and the two of them were able to cut her off. The suspect has multiple charges against her.” Derek sounded so grown up.

I was proud of the little shit.

“As she stated, Stel called my mom, Dani Lynn. She, in turn, called me for an update. The judge was given all the information we had at the time. The mother has a record. She’s single, and the baby’s father is unknown even to her, so he could not be located to take custody. She lives and works from her car. The situation is anything but ideal for an infant. The judge signed the order, and here we are.”

“Was there an altercation between you and the defendant, Ms. Malone?” Curtis asked.

It took all I had to not lose my temper again and tell this man to fuck off. I wasn’t the one in the wrong here.

“Some might call it an altercation. It was strictly verbal. If you knew anything about me, you’d know it could have been so much worse.” I held up my bandaged hand and arm. “Here’s exhibit A.”

He just stared at me like I’d lost my mind. I reminded myself that he was still new to Burke. He’d learn of my reputation soon enough.

I shrugged. “I told her exactly what I thought of her trashy, two-dollar, whoring ass. I mean, who tosses a baby on the side of the road like an empty bag of chips because he was crying? What a fucking joke!” I stood and started to pace. “I’d personally like to march back there and slap the taste outta that woman’s mouth.”

Curtis looked at me, his head tilted.

I was so mad I was shaking, having to relive that again, for the third time. I felt bile trying to push itself up from my stomach. I wasn’t ready for the next round of puking my brains out yet. There was more cussing and ranting to do, dammit!

“Stell, you’re looking kind of green.”

“I need a minute?—”

Derek opened the door right before I took off running. Jesus, please let me make it. And I didn’t. The trash can just outside of the bathrooms was thankfully empty. I bent over and lost whatever I had left in me. It wasn’t much, I assure you. Still gross, though.

“Is she alright? Should we call that cute little doctor back in?” Curtis asked. I wanted to flip him off, but that would take too much effort.

“She’s fine. And that ‘cute little doctor’ is my wife, so I’d advise you to keep your eyes to yourself.” Charlie sounded pissed.

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