Page 31 of The Fear
Thiswas the kind of situation every teacher dreaded. All Hala wanted for her students was that they be safe, happy, loved and taken care of.
She was going to have to talk to Luis. See what the school would have to do next.
Because…something just wasn’tright.Hala just knew it.
22
Eleven daysafter the barbecue and Hala still hadn’t figured out what she was going to do aboutthat man.For one thing…everything had been so crazy since the barbecue. Aubrey’s birthday celebration later that night had been the lastnormalevent that she could remember.
Everything had just kepthappeningto the Hillers, from Ronnie, George and Greer getting into a wreck with a hit-and-run two days after the barbecue, Ronnie going into early labor with two beautiful, amazing Hiller babies, to what had happened to Aubrey at the hospital just two days after that. Aubrey could have been killed, and that was what that monster who had attacked her wanted. Everything had just beenhorrible.And Hala had been helpless to stop any of it. She’d done her best to be there to help where she could, but she didn’t feel like it was really enough. All of the Hillers were exhausted, now. And hurting so much.
It was what had happened to Ayla and Gunn that sickened her to her very soul now. She had had nightmares about Ayla drowning ever since the attack three days ago. That someone had tried to hurt someone as sweet and kind and wonderful asAyla just because she was in his way when he was going after Gunn…And why would someone want to killGunn? None of it made any sense.
Hala would never understand how so much evil crept into souls.Childrenweren’t born evil; she’d stake her very life on that. She saw that every day. Here, in this room, was where it was so innocent and good.
She fought tears again. She was going to go find Ayla tonight. Check on her for herself. Make sure Ayla was healing. Her friend would be sore for a while, but she was alive.
Because of luck. Because Ayla couldswimand her attacker couldn’t. Just one random fact had made all the difference.
Evil. There was real evil in the world, and she would never understand it.
Hala was putting the caps on fifteen newly refilled bottles of paste an hour after dismissal, when someone said her name from the door to her classroom. She checked the corner where Ryan and his best friend in the world were putting the books back on the shelf like she’d asked them. They were good helpers, they’d said. And they really wanted to help her be a good teacher.
Calvin’s ride—his aunt Gia—was running late. As was Ryan’s. The preschool aid from the preschool across the parking lot had walked them over to her classroom together. Usually, it was just Ryan she drove home when Hudson couldn’t get there, but today they had a Mr. Calvin Hiller, as well. Something had happened at the courthouse. They’d been able to see the ambulances from the playground at the last recess.
Worry for her brother and Gia was real. But she wasn’t going to let the boys see.
Luis stood in the door. “Hey, I have a message for you. And for…the boys.”
“What’s going on?”
“One of the Hillers is coming to get Calvin. His father took his fiancée to the doctor and their appointment ran over. Calvin’s to go home with whichever of his aunts or uncles show up. They were still figuring outwhowhen Gayle Hiller called.”
“And for me?” Hala asked, checking the boys again. They hadn’t heard and were battling plastic dinosaurs instead of putting them on the shelves. Of course, they were just fine—Hala taught at the ‘big school’, the coolest place in the entire world. “What’s going on?”
Hudson should have been there by now to get her and Ryan. Her own car was acting stupid—her brother had given her a ride in that morning.
“Youare also to go back to the Hiller Ranch with whoever gets Calvin. Your brother will get you there when he can and explain why.”
“What? What’s happened?”
Another man entered before Luis could answer. Hala’s breath caught, seeing Grady. Of course it would be the one Hiller she wasn’t quite ready to see just yet. Hala was still conflicted about what to do about Grady.
“Hey, honey. I’m your ride home.”
“But what happened?” Hala asked quietly, so the boys couldn’t hear. “Where is my brother?”
Grady came right to her, and his hand wrapped around her elbow. “He’s still at the hospital with Gia. There was some trouble in court today.”
“Is he okay? Is Gia?” Her hand pressed against Grady’s rock-hard chest. Something had happened, she justfeltit. “Tell me right now. What happened?”
“I guess some defendant attacked Gia in the courtroom today,” he said in a low tone. His anger was in those beautiful eyes of his. “Your brother punched the guy a few times andtossed him into a table. Hudson’s getting a new cast now. He broke his old cast on the guy’s face.”
“How badly is Gia hurt?”
He shook his head. “From what Genny told me when she called to tell me to come here, Gia is going to be getting out in a few hours. Her shoulder was dislocated, she broke a few ribs, and the bas—jerk—choked her a little. Gia skidded, George told Genny, and hit the jury box. She’s going to be really sore for a while, but she’ll be okay.”
“Hechokedher? She has to be terrified right now.” She almost asked if Jason Clarke had been there. Gia’s ex had returned a few weeks ago, and Gia was…panicking and freaking and just scared completely. After what that man had done to her…
