Page 49 of Derick

My anger vibrated my whole body. I balled my fists, closed my eyes, and tried to calm myself, but I needed to let my anger out. “You’re right.” I needed to make sure Hope was protected and safe. As much as I wanted to yell and rage, I needed Hope not to be scared. “Give me a moment to compose myself and I’ll be ready.” I patted my dad’s shoulder. “Thanks. Watch Hope for ten or so minutes please?”

“Sure. Go, son.” He nodded and went back to Hope.

I went straight to our gym and the boxing bag and let out my anger. I needed to get everything out so I could be what not just Ruby would need, but Hope too.

I hatedthat my father was right. I’d had no idea what to say to Hope as we left, and I hadn’t wanted to leave her at home, but I knew the chaos that we would be going into wasn’t for a three-year-old. Dad had said it was best not to tell Hope what was going on until we had a better feel for it ourselves. Hope had not been happy, even though she’d been left with her favorite uncle, but she wanted her mummy. It had been the first tantrum we’d had that both my father and I had left where she was still crying and begging to come with us. It broke my heart.

Andrew had offered to stay with Hope and look after her, but to keep my mind at ease his father, Uncle Albert, had agreed to come over too. I left the house hearing Andrew on the phone, begging his mum to come over, but as we’d been leaving Gillian arrived. There was no way she got there that quickly without already being on her way. I had a feeling she didn’t want to miss out on any Hope time. My family loved my daughter. I was damn grateful to my family.

We had waited a little under half an hour for a bunch of my cousins’ security to arrive at the house. Ryder was with a group of them, and he came to the hospital with us to help deal with the police. He’d sent Divinity and their son to the base where her father lived. It was the safest place for them to be.

I was now making my way to the hospital room they’d put Ruby in. Ryder was beside me. At the entry to the ward stood my mother, with our army of lawyers. They were standing in front of two cops in uniform and two other people in suits who I assumed were federal police detectives.

“Mrs. Silverman, there are several witnesses, and camera footage too of Miss Decker stabbing the deceased. It also shows she shot the gun.” The woman in a black and grey suit spoke to my mother, but it was our lawyers who responded.

One of the lawyers handed them a very thick folder. “This holds three lawsuits against the government for knowledge they knew, the police, and the department of child services. I assure you our team is in the process of writing more. These will be individual suits as well. There is evidence of corruption in allyour departments in that folder. This is all a start at what we will be going forward with, so I advise you to tread carefully as Miss Decker—who, might I remind you, is the victim in all of this and was shot twice—has done your job over and over. I have statements here from over twenty people saying that Miss Decker has saved them from being trafficked or hurt by The Devil’s Queens. I also have attached the many, and there are more than fifteen, detailed hospital visits from the ages of a couple of months old to just a few months ago, where Miss Decker was abused, and nothing was done. The police were informed and so were social services.” The impeccable dressed lawyer raised his brow at the police. “Need I go on?”

I reached for my mother’s hand. I knew something important was happening, so I stayed quiet. I also knew that if I said something with how I felt, it could make matters worse. I was angry with how Ruby had been treated and had no help in her hard life.

The older man in the suit shook his head at the woman, grimaced, and looked back at us. I sneered at him. I wasn’t a fan of the police right now or social services. What had happened today shouldn’t have. Ruby should have been taken from her father after one of her many hospital visits. “Mrs. Silverman, we will allow only one of you to see Ruby. Until she is ready to tal?—”

My mother’s mocking laughter cut off what the detective was saying. I smiled as I watched even our own lawyers wince at the sound. My family knew everyone. We had a lot of money and were owed favors by some of the most important people in the world. Most of the time though, people heard our name and were eager to help us.

My mother held up one finger, got her phone out, and made a call. “Fix what you are seeing.” She hung up, put her phone away, and used her fingers to count down. Before she even got to one, all four polices’ phones rang.

The woman detective opened the folder and flipped through it until she got a couple of pages in and paled. Her gaze darted around for an escape, and the man at her side snatched the folder from her.

He cleared his throat loudly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Silverman. You have our sincere apology. Darren Blanks will be dealing with this personally and will await your phone call.”

The two police in uniform had already scurried off, muttering apologies as they left.

Ryder stepped forward, and I was shocked to see that he had his cuffs out. “Detective Theo, you’re under arrest.” He went to the woman, and her partner stepped aside with his hands raised. Ryder started stating a bunch of things, but I was done and eager to see Ruby now that they’d moved out of my way.

I wasn’t worried that anything would happen to Ruby for protecting herself. With my mother and our team of people behind her, Ruby would be seen as a hero and face no repercussions. I just prayed what had happened hadn’t messed with all the progress Ruby had been making. I wanted her to know she had our one hundred percent support.

Entering the ward, I went straight to the nurses’ station. “Ruby Decker’s room.”

The nurse didn’t even gaze up from her chart. “She is on no visits but law enforcement.” She finally looked up. “Do you have a badge?”

Smiling, I darted my gaze around to see my mother entering. “No. I’m her fiancé, Derick Silverman.”

She hid her reaction well before she looked behind me. My two guards followed me, and two new guards to be placed with Ruby had also. The phone on her desk rang, but she didn’t answer it, just stared at us.

“I would answer that if I were you,” my mother said as she came to stand beside me. There were now six bodyguards, my mother, and me, staring at the nurse.

She loudly cleared her throat, shook her head, and answered the phone. “Yes. I understand. I know. It won’t happen again. No, I will make sure. Yes, okay.” She hung up the phone and pasted on the fakest smile as she gritted out, “My apologies. You may see Miss Decker. She’s at the end of the hall in room eighteen.”

Unable to hold back my cheeky grin, I waved at her, grateful to be a Silverman, and made my way to my woman’s room.

Ihad killed someone. Was I a bad person now that I had killed?

My brother had told me he’d gotten everyone years ago, but after seeing Bradly, I knew that hadn’t been true. I was angry with Toby, but knew I had no right to be. Why should he have more kills on his conscious?

I didn’t feel any guilt for killing Bradly, and that worried me more than actually killing someone. The other two men who had been with Bradly when he came for me were in critical condition, but they weren’t dead yet. I didn’t even feel bad for them. Maybe there was something wrong with my genes, thanks to my parents, and that was why I wasn’t upset over killing Bradly and injuring the other men. I wasn’t a victim anymore. I was fuming mad though that my father’s biker gang had hurt people I cared about.

Five bodyguards were in the hospital, having had bullets removed. Two were in critical condition, and one had been put into a medically-induced coma until they could get him stable. They were only alive because they’d worn the best bulletproof vest that money could buy.

I’d been shot in the arm and thigh. The thigh had been a through-and-through, but they had to dig the bullet out of my arm. I was high on pain medication.

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