Page 40 of Vanishing Point
She studied his face. “I just don’t want you to… Well, I guess it’s stupid to say I don’t want you to worry.”
“Maybe not stupid, but pointless.”
She sighed, then nodded. She pulled her phone out, hit a few buttons and handed it to him. He read the screen.
Count your days.
He didn’t lose it. God, he wanted to, but there was a sleeping baby and victimized woman in his house. “That’s far more of a concrete threat than the others have been.”
Vi nodded. “I know.”
Before he could think of anything else to say, he heard Mags start to make noises from his room. Vi moved first, but Thomas stopped her.
“I got her.”
“You’ve been up all night.”
“So have you.”
“Yes, but just sitting around. You’ve been working. Is everything…okay?”
Thomas almost nodded, but it wasn’t reallyokay. “A woman came in, badly beaten. She ID’d the guy who did it to her, as a man Copeland and I investigated a few months ago for murder. We couldn’t find enough evidence, and the death was ruled a suicide. So, this has two parts to it. We’ve got him on the assault, now we want to try to get him on that murder.”
“Who did he kill?” she asked, like she knew.
Thomas didn’t have to tell her. He could lie. He could do a lot of things, but he held her gaze. “His wife.”
Vi nodded once, sharply. “Well, then I’m glad he’s in jail.”
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure it stays that way.” He stepped into the room where Mags was fussing. She’d pulled herself up on the rail of the crib. But when she saw him, she stopped whimpering and grinned.
It eased so much of what had felt like barbed wire wrapped around his lungs. This sweet little baby, who loved him easily and without reservation, just because he’d shown up in her life.
All because Vi had been strong enough to escape an impossible situation, and she’d had enough family to help see her through. It wasn’t lost on him how lucky they all were, even in the midst of what felt like a decided lack of luck.
He picked up Mags, who sleepily snuggled into his shoulder. She’d be running around like a screeching banshee in about fifteen minutes, but the first time when she woke up, she was sweet and sleepy and cuddly.
Thomas let that soothe him. Or he tried to.
Eric Carter was going to come after Vi. He had no doubts about that. And with the text message, Thomas knew that was coming sooner rather than later.
So, he’d have to do everything to protect her and Mags. But not just physically. After tonight at the hospital, he needed Vi to understand. Not just because he was here, but because he said the words.
“I need you to know, I see this a lot. Before you came. I’m sure I’ll see it more. And I may not be in that victim’s seat, but I know just how much strength and courage it takes to stand up against someone who could do that to you. I know that everyone thinks it’s easy because you’re hurt and angry. And I know they’re wrong, because anyone who would physically hurt someone is taking something away from them. Nothing about surviving this is easy, and even if I’ve never experienced that, I do understand it.”
She kept very still. Her expression was almost startled. Before she blew out a breath.
“Then I need you to know that I called Laurel because I knew it was what you wanted. And no matter what happens because of Eric, I don’t want to hurt you, Thomas.”
He held out his arm, and she stepped into him. One arm holding Mags against him, one arm curled around Vi’s shoulder. A trio.
A family.
He kissed her hair. “I love you, Vi.”
“I love you too. And I’ll…go to the baby shower.”
He tried to follow her. For a moment, he didn’t even know what baby shower she meant. “Oh. Well, we don’t have to talk about that right now, sweetheart. I just…”
