Page 177 of At the Edge of Surrender

Charleigh’s voice was held low when she spoke. “There was an incident in the parking lot at the grocery store.”

My guts tangled in a knot of dread, and I glanced down at Maci who was searching through the few cards that remained for her next match. It took everything I had not to flip the fuck out in front of my daughter. In front of this child who’d already lost so much.

“I’ll be right back, Maci, I have to talk to Auntie Charleigh.” I forced it out around the ball of razors that lined my throat.

By the time we left Charleigh and River’s house last night, Maci had been calling my whole family auntie and uncle.

“That’s okay, my Mr. Kane. I’m really busy findin’ another match so I can win the biggest prize.” She uttered it as she went hunting under the cards, thankfully oblivious to the turmoil that clamored through my spirit.

I strode for the door, knees fucking knocking as I stepped out into the hall, voice curling in caged desperation. “What kind of incident?”

Charleigh hesitated, and that dread was sinking like a stone tothe pit of my stomach. Just knowing it was something bad. Intuition kicking in that my girl was in trouble.

“I think I need to let her tell you what happened when you get here. Raven is already on the way to your house to pick up Maci. She’ll take her to her and Otto’s place. She has Nolan with her, so hopefully Maci will be excited about that.”

“Is Emery hurt?” The direct question scraped out on a ragged plea. A sea of rage already bubbling to the surface.

“She’s going to be fine,” Charleigh whispered. “I promise. Just get down here.”

“Okay.”

With the way I was shaking, I was barely able to end the call and stuff my phone back into my pocket. I swallowed around that painful, jagged ball, forcing a smile onto my face as I went back into Maci’s room. “I’ve got great news, Angel Face.”

Maci’s head popped up. “What?”

“Auntie Charleigh just told me that Auntie Raven is coming over here to pick you up so you can go play at her house. Nolan is with her, so that means you get to have a surprise playdate.”

In a flash, Maci was on her feet. “What? Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

She did a exuberant jig in the middle of her room, that excitement Charleigh had been talking about pouring out of her.

Too bad I wasn’t able to share in it.

“This is a really extra special day because I got to playwifyou for so long, and now I get to play with my best friend, Nolan, and I got so many friends that my heart goes boom.” She jumped into the air and threw her arms out as she said it.

God, she was perfect. Nothing less than a treasure. My own heartboomedin determination and something else entirely. The truth that this was what Emery had become to me, too.

A treasure.

A treasure I would do absolutely anything for.

“All right, we’d better hurry downstairs so we can meet her.”

Maci grabbed my outstretched hand. “Good idea. We can’t be late.”

We rushed from the room, Maci skipping along at my side, completely immune to the torture eating me alive, thank God. Last thing I wanted was to cause her any stress.

By the time I was whipping open the door, I could hear the hum of a car approaching in the distance, and about thirty seconds later, Raven’s little white BMW emerged from the thicket of trees that veiled my house from the club and made it feel like my place was completely secluded.

Dust billowed behind her as she barreled down the road, and I clutched at Maci’s tiny hand as we waited for her to come to a stop in front of the house.

The back window slid down to Nolan grinning like mad. “Hi, Maci! Did you know we get to play today? I had an extra booster at my house that I got too big for, and now you get to have it, so you can sit right next to me.”

“I like that plan.”

I hurried down the porch steps and around to the rear driver’s side. Raven was already out of the car and opening the door. I quickly strapped Maci in, kissed her forehead, murmured, “Have fun, sweetheart,” then shut the door.

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