Page 155 of On the Double

“I’ll see you later, kiddo. We can decorate some other time.”

I walked them out, holding my breath as Willow walked carefully down the icy steps with her son’s hand in hers. The husband stomped across the street, yelling at her for not being home, then grabbed her arm and dragged her back to their house. Once the front door had closed, I went back into my own house, grabbing the phone from the cradle. I was just about to dial 9-1-1 when her words echoed in my head.

Please don’t. It would only make things worse.

I had no idea what the dynamics were truly like in their house, and if I called the police against her pleading, that could wreck the friendship I had with her. Did she have anyone else to go to when she was scared?

But the police didn’t have to be involved. I could call Edu. Security was his job. They could hide her and Cody and keep them safe. But at what cost? I didn’t know how the business worked.

I dialed the number I hadn’t used since I first came here and waited for her to answer.

“Is everything okay with the baby?”

Rae’s voice slid over me, soothing the wrecked feeling rushing through me. “I’m fine. Everything’s good. With me.”

“With you. What’s going on?”

“My neighbor,” I said hesitantly. “She’s in an abusive marriage. Icalled the police once, but she asked me not to do it again. I was thinking…Maybe OPS could help.”

She was silent for a moment. “You know we would all help, but she has to want it. The next time you see her, talk to her about it. If we show up and she refuses to come with us, it could make things worse.”

I nodded in understanding. “That’s what I was afraid of. What do I do for now?”

“Nothing, Harper. You’re pregnant. You have to think about your child.”

“I don’t like the idea of doing nothing. What if he’s hitting her right now? How can I stand by and do nothing?”

“And what if you go over there and he attacks you? You offered your help once and she didn’t want it. Until you speak with her again, do not under any circumstances put you or the baby in harm’s way. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I said grudgingly.

“Don’t make me send someone out there to watch you. I’ll do it.”

“As long as it’s not Edu.”

“I would never be so nice. No, I think I’d send Fox. He would thoroughly annoy you to the point that you never wanted company again.”

Fox didn’t seem that bad to me, but I heeded her warning. “Fine.”

The line was silent for a moment. I wanted to ask—to know if Edu had changed his mind. Was he looking for me? Did he care at all that I was gone? Did he want to know about his child?

In the end, I wasn’t sure I could handle whatever she would say. “Thanks, Rae.”

“No problem. Anything else?” she asked hopefully.

“No. That’s it.”

“You know you can call me anytime.”

“I know. Thank you.”

I hung up and slumped down in my chair, then stared at the massive tree in the corner of the living room. Once again, the house seemed lonely and empty. This was my life until the baby was born. Then Oliver would come to visit, but otherwise, I was starting over fresh. I had to get used to being alone.

40

EDU

“Goddamnit!”I shouted, angrily swiping all the papers from the table. Hours and hours of research, tracking, and following Oliver around had left me with zero answers. My last lead just became a dead end.

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