Page 55 of Fall

“Yes. Can I take you?” she asks.

“That’s a good idea; we have both been awake for a long time now, and driving wouldn’t be safe. We can call around and tell everyone on the way,” Izzy replies before me, and I nod. She has a point. I haven’t slept since Daniel took Hope.

I pick up the pink blanket I know she loves and my phone as we follow the officer to the car. Izzy gets through to Sebastian, who is with Elliot, and I call my mum, who tells all my family. It takes twenty minutes to get to the hospital as we hit some traffic on the way. I jump out of the car when she parks and run toward the hospital, with Izzy calling me as she runs to follow me.

“Harley,” I say, my words only a whisper when I see him sitting in the waiting room with Hope sleeping in his arms.

I don’t see the officers in the room, or anyone really, as I run over and fall to my knees in front of him. He instantly hands me Hope, and I hold her to my chest as I feel Harley wrap his arms around me and pull me onto his lap. I silently cry as I hold her close, knowing I’m never letting her out of my sight again. I wrap the pink blanket around her, and she snuggles into it.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” I mutter out in a whisper, and Harley kisses my forehead.

“We need to talk, siren,” he tells me gently, and I look up at him just as Sebastian and Elliot come into the room.

Izzy is standing by the door, and I see the two police officers sitting on the other side of the room as well.

“Why are we here? Where is Luke?” Elliot asks Harley.

“Luke was stabbed by Daniel, and he shot Daniel in response,” Harley says, and there’s silence following his words.

“Is Luke alive?” Sebastian asks, his voice cracking.

“Yes. He is in surgery now, but the police are pressing charges against him for carrying a firearm.”

“That’s bullshit,” Elliot spits out.

“Daniel is dead. This is serious, Elliot. I’ve called our lawyer, but Luke will face charges for this,” Harley tells them.

I feel such a sense of relief that Daniel is dead, and some small part of me shouldn’t feel that way, but I do. I look down at Hope, knowing she is better off without him in her life. He was an evil man, but I hate that Luke is going to pay the price for killing him.

“He’s alive, that’s all that matters,” Izzy tells them all.

“Alive, but going to jail,” Sebastian comments.

“There’s more we need to talk about,” Harley tells them and then turns to the police officers. “Can we have a moment?” he asks them.

“We cannot leave you alone until you give us a statement, Mr. King.”

“I’m not giving you one until my lawyer is here, but this is personal, and none of them were there. I can’t see how a moment alone with my family is going to hurt anyone. You can wait outside the room.” Harley waves a hand at the door and gives them a look, which would scare anyone.

The police officers quickly nod and walk out of the room, with Elliot shutting the door behind them. I try to get off Harley’s lap, but he tightens his hands on my hips, telling me all I need to know . . . that he wants me here.

“What else could you tell us?” Elliot says with a groan, sitting in one of the seats opposite him. Sebastian doesn’t say a word as he sits next to Elliot and Izzy sits on his other side.

“When I finished the last fight, Arthur gave me a note. He said it was a gift for me,” Harley starts off.

“What was on the note?” Izzy asks.

“An address, a time, and a date. When Hope was taken, we were at the address. I know Arthur likely helped Daniel,” he tells them all and then looks up at me. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. This wasn’t your fault. And you got her back to me, to us. Our daughter is safe,” I tell him, gently kissing his cheek before looking down at Hope who sleeps quietly, completely unaware of the things going on around her. I know she will never remember being stolen, her uncle being stabbed, or her biological father dying. I hate that he died before he could be arrested, before he could pay for everything he has done. Death was an easy escape for him.

“What was at the address?” Elliot asks Harley, who only tenses a little before he replies quickly.

“Our mother.”

“What?” Elliot shouts, waking Hope up. She starts grumbling a little, and I slide off Harley’s lap, gently rocking her.

“She isn’t well. I don’t think she ever walked out on us,” Harley tells them. Sebastian looks at the floor, and Elliot just shakes his head.

---