Page 50 of Boss Daddy

“Ready.” I follow him to his SUV. The air outside is cool, crisp, and I breathe it in, letting it refresh me. “I’m ready to get home.”

Suddenly, the quiet of the night is broken by a strange, awful noise. It’s low, almost like a groan, and it instantly puts me on edge. Samuel stiffens beside me, his arm shooting out to stop me before I can take another step.

“Hel… Help…”

“Someone’s in trouble,” I say.

“Stay here.” His tone is commanding, leaving no room for argument.

He moves forward cautiously, peering around the side of the vehicle. Then, without warning, he rushes forward.

“Samuel!” I call after him, my heart hammering as I follow.

The fear curling in my stomach grows sharper when I see what—or rather who—he’s running toward.

Tiffany.

She’s slumped against the side of the SUV, her body crumpled near the tire. Her face is puffy and bloody, one eye nearly swollen shut, and there’s a faint, wheezing sound every time she tries to draw in a breath. I scramble forward, dropping to my knees beside her.

“Tiffany,” I whisper, reaching out instinctively, but Samuel’s voice stops me.

“Step back,” he says sharply, crouching beside her. “She’s been beaten. Let me get her into the car.”

Tiffany whimpers in pain as Samuel gently lifts her, his movements careful. Her head lolls against his shoulder, and a strangled sound escapes her lips, half-cry, half-gasp.

“Easy,” Samuel says.

I rush over to open the back door as I watch him carry her gently, placing her in the backseat as carefully as possible, but she still cries out in pain. I climb in after her, my hands shaking as I place her head onto my lap. She looks bad. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“You’re going to be okay, Tiff,” I say, even though I don’t believe it myself. “We’ve got you.”

Samuel gets behind the wheel. “The hospital is close, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Within a minute, we’re speeding through the city streets.

I look at Tiffany as we drive, my heart breaking. This pretty, young girl has been totally broken and battered, blood trickling out of her mouth, her breathing labored.

Her swollen lips part, her voice a broken rasp. “Misha,” she whispers, her good eye fluttering open just enough to look at me.

My chest tightens, dread pooling in my stomach. “What about Misha?”

Her lips tremble as she forces the words out. “He watched them do this. His men.” A small, shuddering breath. “Then they shoved me out of a moving car.”

The world tilts as her words sink in, guilt slamming into me like a fist. My hands tighten around hers.

“Tiffany,” I say, but she’s already slipping away again, her eyes falling shut as she goes limp in my lap.

The rest of the drive is a blur. All I can think about is how my past has spilled into someone else’s life, leaving pain and destruction in its wake.

And I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for it.

Chapter 19

Samuel

“Tiffany, stay with me. Come on, keep your eyes open. Talk to me, tell me something, anything.”

Erin’s voice trembles, but she’s strong. She’s clutching Tiffany’s hand, her other hand brushing hair away from her friend’s bruised face.

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