Page 94 of Love Finds Home

“I know. It was smart. I knew immediately, even with the moron on speaker, when you called me that. Still made my skin crawl a little bit.”

“Noted for future torture references.”

I groan, knowing she’s going to pull out that name anytime I’m in trouble. It’s time to change the subject. “Your brother is probably going to kill me if he isn’t let back here to see you.”

“You called him?”

“We called him.”

“He snuck out of the house. That’s how you all didn’t know.”

“We figured that out. Daniel’s guys are going through it now with the Diamond Cove cops.”

“That Daniel sure knows a lot of people.”

“Your brothers know a lot of people, Tink. They arranged it.”

She shakes her head. “Everyone knows then?”

“Your mom was on her way, but Bash talked her into waiting until the morning and she turned around. They’re waiting for an update.”

“Fuck,” she sniffs.

“Elle?” Sam sticks his head over the half panel leading to my booth. “Can you talk yet?”

“Do I have to move?” She cracks one eye open and rolls her head just enough to look at him.

“Nah. I think you’re good where you are for now. Unless you need medical,” he gives her his ‘I’m a friendly cop’ smile, but this is Sam and he actually means it. Good guy.

“He didn’t hurt us,” she confirms for the first time and I release the stress in my shoulders, sagging with her fully into the chair. She lifts her head and looks at me. “He never touched us. Not once.”

“Thank you for confirming it, anyway.” I try to smile, but I’m not ready yet.

“Pull up a chair, Sam,” I tell him, nodding my head to the stack against the wall behind him. “And might as well get the guys in here to hear it all, too, right?”

“That would probably be easier for everyone involved.”

“Where’s Ginny?” Elle sits up quickly and asks. “I need to see her.”

“She’s coming,” Sam confirms. “Joker’s bringing her down.”

She relaxes back into my arms while we wait for the whole fucking crew to cram into my corner of the room. Tiny looks ready to explode and tries to pull her off my lap in a bear hug, but she won’t budge. They whisper to each other and I try to give them privacy, but it’s hard to do with her sitting on my lap.

“Never scare me like that again,” he tells her, finally pulling back and going to lean against the wall with Davis.

Ginny and Joker make it into the space last, Ginny’s face still pale, but she looks okay. I look around the room.

“Not that I want to bring him up, but I’m guessing no one called Keith?” I grimace at his name. I really don’t want him to foul up my shop.

“I called,” Ginny whispers. “He’s not coming.”

“Of course not,” Joker mutters just loud enough for everyone to hear. He looks ready to punch walls.

“Alright,” Sam starts. “Let’s get this over with so my guys can come in and do their thing?”

He looks at everyone, a warning in his eyes to let him do what he needs to do. No objections arise, and he nods to Elle and Ginny, who have both managed to sit on the chair next to each other with Elle still on my lap.

“I guess I’m starting?” Elle asks, her voice low but even. I squeeze her hip and nod. “Okay. That was Stefon. The guy I went out on a few dates with and ran away from when he got too clingy and stalkerish. I guess we went to college together, but I didn’t realize that at the time. I do remember his sister. I think both of them were terrorizing me at one point? He said she’s the one who left the messages.”

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