Page 192 of Finding Hope

With trembling hands, he hugs the second blonde woman to his side and chokes on worry.

I shake my head.

I fucking hate the prick, but I can’t let him think that happened to her.

“No.” Britt’shisgirlfriend too, I guess, and if he knew stuff that I didn’t, I’d want him to return the favor. “Nothing like that. He was on her…” Every tiny detail races through my brain. “He was hitting her. He was holding her down and hitting her.”

“He wanted Benny and Livi,” Evie volunteers shakily. “He said he wanted Benny and Liv and he wanted to hurt their mom.”

“Did he hurt you?” Aiden asks. His voice is gentle, but the fire in his eyes screams violence. “Did he hurt you or Bean?”

“No. He pushed us over.” She pushes masses of curls from her eyes. “Miss T protected us and he pushed us over. She told us to run away.”

“Alright.” Unable to hold out any longer, he takes his daughter from Tina’s arms, tucks her face against his neck and wraps her legs around his waist.

“I called her a bitch,” she cries with devastation. “I called her a bitch and told her she wouldn’t get away with hurting our family.” She squeezes his neck tighter. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know she’d get hurt.”

“It’s okay.” Swaying the way I’ve seen him do for her and his twoother daughters a million times over the years, he rubs his fight roughened hands in soothing circles on her back. “I promise she’ll forgive you.”

“She hates me!”

“She protected you, Smalls. She loves you.”

“I told her she wasn’t allowed to call me Smalls anymore,” she wails. “I said that was only for family.”

“So when she wakes up, we’ll tell her different.” His voice cracks. “We’ll make it all better. I promise.”

Kneeling in front of me, Luc’s icy blue eyes look into mine. “What don’t we know?” His voice is quiet, barely discernible.

I shrug as exhaustion and devastation threaten to swallow me up. “I don’t know. Laine was with her in the ambulance. Alex was in the cruiser escorting them. In the thirty seconds it took me to get the girls out of my car, she was already taken away. I didn’t get to say goodbye. I haven’t seen her since.”

“I’ll see if I can get answers.” Tying her long hair up with a hair tie that rests around her wrist the way Bambie’s sits on mine, the mouse turns away from our group and moves through a security locked door. “I’ll be back soon. Hang tight.”

Sluggishly, I watch the doors close behind her, then I turn back to Luc in confusion.

“She’s a nurse.”

“Oh.” I let my head droop with exhaustion. “Okay.”

“I’ll try and call Alex.” Scotch takes his phone from his pocket and dials.

In silence – even the other patients hold their breath – we watch and wait to see if Alex will answer, or worse, if he’s too busy and can’t.

Scotch slumps and lets out a noisy breath when the line connects. “X. What’s happening?” They’re on the phone for no more than two minutes, but Scotch’s answers are all yes and no and frustrate the fuck out of me.

Hanging up, he drops his head back and stares at the ceiling.

“What?” Jess asks with a shaking voice. “What’s happening?”

Bringing his gaze back to me, it’s almost as though he pities me.

He’s going to hurt me.

“She’s in surgery.” He clears the emotion from his throat. “My baby sister’s in surgery. Broken bones. Concussion. A… few other things.”

A few other things.

Bobby jerks his chin. “What about everything else? What about Brad? What about–”

---