Atticus crushes me closer to his chest as I watch in horror; somebody has taken my dad’s heart.
“Little grim, let’s go. You don’t need to watch this.” He pulls me from the room, and my brain finally kicks in.
“No, you can’t make me leave him.” I fight back, digging my heels into the floor.
“I’m not doing this with you.” He lifts me over his shoulder.
I punch at his back. “Atticus, stop. I can’t leave him. He needs me.” I cry out.
It hurts to breathe. Why would anyone want to hurt him? I don’t understand any of this. He’s always been a caring and understanding man. He would never hurt anyone, so why would anyone hurt him?
“Atticus, why?”
“I don’t know, Jinx.” He slides me down his body, holding me across his arms. “I’ll hold you until I can’t anymore. The guys will get some answers.” Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he sits in one of the seats by the main office door.
“Oh, Odette. I’m sorry, dear. What can I do?” Florence drops to her knees, brushing my hair away from my eyes.
“What do you know?”
“I don’t know much, dear. I left early because everyone was preparing for the concert. I wasn’t needed. Your dad was staying behind to finish some paperwork before headingover to the hall. I came back because I forgot my glasses. That’s all I know.” She rubs her nose and sniffs.
I reach for her hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “It’ll be okay, Florence. I won’t stop until I find out who did this to him.”
“I’m going to go if you need anything at all. Call me.” She kissed my forehead and rested a hand on Atticus’s shoulder. “Call me if anything happens, sweetheart.”
“I will, Florence,” he tells her.
Maddox and Ashton appear, looking grim. I sit up, expecting them to tell me anything. But they shake their heads.
“You should look away, baby. The paramedics are bringing your dad out.”
As the gurney turns the corner and the black body bag lies on top, I push out of Atticus’s arms and fall to the floor. Numbness it’s all that’s going through my body. I want to wake up from this dream; it must be a dream.
“Are you Odette Hawthorne?”
“Who the fuck would she be?” Ashton exploded.
“Son, you best take it down. We need to talk with her, not you.”
“Ash, it’s fine.” I stand on shaky legs. “I can talk with the officer.”
Atticus helps me walk out of the office with the officer and Ashton following behind. The halls of the school I once loved now echo with footsteps of grief.
Ashton stands next to Atticus and me while the officer stares at us. He clears his throat.
“Miss Hawthorne, I need to ask a few questions if that’s okay?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“Did your dad have any enemies that you know of?”
I drew in a harsh, deep breath. “No. Everyone loved him.”
“Officer. Prescott is—was generous,” Ashton said with a shake of his head. “You should call his wife if you need these kinds of answers.”
“What’s her name?”
“Serena,” I spit out.