Page 91 of Raging Inferno

“Please keep me posted.”

“I will.”

She glanced up to see Kayne exiting an interrogation room. He looked exhausted but resilient. He shook hands with one of the FBI agents and headed toward her.

“Okay?” she asked him.

“Always.”

“You don’t need to be a tough guy with me,” she reminded him.

“I’m not. They went relatively easy on me. Yes, I shot a cop, but he shot one first.”

Good point. “I know you must be worn out. You don’t have to go to the gala tonight.”

“Eh, free drinks, pretty women, I’m a go.”

Presley smiled. Always the ladies’ man. “Let’s get out of here.”

She filled him on in what Detective Little had told her, including the part about Ed Smith Senior wanting retribution for his son’s death. “He plans to sue.”

“Let him. I’ll bury his ass in court,” Kayne proclaimed. “The bastard shot a cop and held a gun to a child’s head. He didn’t deserve to live.”

“Agreed.”

#

Gia was ecstatic when they returned home. She ran to Presley, hugging her tightly before making a beeline for Kayne. He was so good with her. Presley smiled and glanced up to see Dominic staring at her intently.Oh, my.That look was fire.

“I get to go with you guys tonight,” Gia crowed, breaking the spell. “Daddy bought me a dress. Do you want to see it?”

“Absolutely,” Presley said.

“Presley, help me put it on?” Gia asked.

The girl could’ve wanted the moon, and Presley would’ve figured out a way to harness it and draw it to Earth. “Of course.”

Gia grabbed her hand and led her up the steps to Dominic’s room. She picked up a piece of pink fluff and drew it over her head.

Tears pricked Presley’s eyes. She looked like a fairy. Even though Gia was a tomboy like Presley had been, it was special. “It’s gorgeous.”

“I know, right? Daddy showed me your picture, and I thought this dress matched.”

Gia flipped her phone around, and Presley stared at the snap of her from years ago, attending the homecoming dance withGwen and Dominic when they’d been sophomores and she’d been Gia’s age. She’d worn a frilly pink dress she’d fallen in love with at first sight. Gwen had insisted on buying it for her. Presley remembered how she’d felt pulling it on and staring at her reflection in the mirror.

After Gwen’s death, she’d shunned anything girly like dresses, pink, and taffeta. Even though she’d continued to cheer throughout high school, she’d also played softball and soccer. She’d preferred jerseys and dark clothes to anything frilly.

“You’ll look like a princess,” Presley said around a lump in her throat.

“I don’t care about that,” Gia exclaimed. “I want to look like you.”

#

Dominic watched Gia tug Presley up the stairs, his heart feeling so full that he feared it would burst from his chest. Seeing his daughter happy was everything to him.

To stem the emotion that clogged his throat, he asked Kayne, “How did the questioning go?”

“As good as possible.” Kayne filled him in on the interrogation.

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