Page 56 of Love Me Dangerous

He’s not wrong, yet how much lower can I get?

“Now tell me what you found up there,” he says, leaning on his desk.

Stu cutsme loose for the rest of the week and calls Henry on my behalf for a ride. Though Sofie would surely appreciate knowing my plans, I’m not in the habit of sharing, and grappling with that right nowfeels beyond my capacity. Not with Stu’s words rattling around in my brain.

Won’t let things go, even if it’s in her best interest.

He’s got her pegged, yet why would he warn me like that? As if her “interests” could oppose mine. It makes no sense.

Henry’s waiting at the curb. He jumps down when I cross the road and walks to the passenger side, his face etched in worry.

It’s nice to see him, but the words get caught in my throat. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“Sure.” Henry opens my door.

The climb into the cab is daunting, but I grit my teeth and breathe through the sting while Henry hurries to his side and jumps in.

“You doin’ okay?” Henry asks.

“Fine.” It’s bullshit, and from his scowl, he knows it.

Once I’m settled, he cruises out of the lot. “I feel terrible about what happened. If Barb and I had been home?—”

“It’s not your fault.”

He heaves a giant sigh. “Any idea who done this to you?”

I’m not ready to talk about this, not after my conversation with Stu Valentine. “Did you come out to the Whittakers?”

If Henry notices I sidestepped his question, he doesn’t show it. “Rowdy’s a good man.”

“What happened to his wife?”

Henry’s lips press together like he’s holding back a reply. He sneaks a quick glance at me before returning his focus to the road. “She fell for one a’ them rich guys. Owns a bunch of magazines.”

I recoil, making my side explode with hot pain. “She left them?”

“Yep.”

“When was this?”

Henry is silent for a moment, tapping the steering wheel like it’s helping him think. “Maybe five, six years ago.”

I don’t know Sofie’s age, but it’s not like it matters when her mom left. Any age is too young. “Where is their mom now?”

“Far as I know, Los Angeles. I don’t think she’s been back to Finn River.”

No wonder Sofie reacted the way she did. First her mom leaves,and now it sounds like soon Jesse will too, despite everything she’s done to take care of him.

“Damn.”

“Yep. It was hard on those kids. Still is.”

I coax a slow breath into my aching lungs. Everything hurts. I’m exhausted and my mind is a mess. I wish I could hold Sofie again. Especially now that I know about her mom. No wonder she’s so driven to keep her family together. No wonder Jesse taking off for L.A. is so terrifying.

“I lost my dad five years ago,” I say. “Cancer.”

Henry winces. “That must have been awful.”

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