Page 99 of Broken Daddy
“It’s a sickness,” Honey muttered.
“Devi, can you tell me who did this to you?” Zander asked.
“I don’t know if I s-should tell you. But they have D-Derick. Did they say not to t-talk? I c-can’t remember. I can’t tell you. I don’t r-remember.”
“Who has Derick? Who is Derick?” Zander asked.
“Father,” she said.
“Someone has your dad?” Honey asked.
“No d-dad of mine. Father,” she said. “He d-did it. He brought them down on us. His f-fault they attacked. Well, a-and mine. I touched o-one of them, he d-didn’t like that.”
“How many were there?” Zander asked.
She wasn’t sure how much to say, but surely that didn’t matter.
“Four. I d-don’t know what to say. They’re p-probably going to k-kill Derick.”
“All right, when we get to the hospital, you tell them you don’t know who it is,” Zander told her. “That they were masked. And it was a home invasion. Say nothing about Derick. If he’s still alive, we’ll find him.”
A noise filled the truck.
“Shit. Hayes is calling,” Honey said.
“Yeah, I felt my phone buzzing,” Zander replied. “I’m not moving to get it, though. You take it, Honey.”
“I’ll put him on speaker so we can all enjoy him,” Honey said cheerfully.
“Why the fuck isn’t Zander answering his phone?” Hayes roared.
She jumped then moaned.
“What was that noise? I’m here at Devi’s place and it’s a mess and there’s blood. Have you got her?” Hayes demanded.
“Okay, first, let me get some words in,” Honey told him. “And yes, that’s affirmative.”
“Is she all right?”
“Umm.”
“Honey, for fuck’s sake. Tell me,” Hayes commanded.
Devi hated the way he sounded. So . . . scared? Devastated? Angry? All of those things and more.
But why was he so upset?
“I’m h-here,” she said as loud as she could.
“Thank fuck. Give her the phone, Honey.”
“Um, I’ll do my best.” Honey twisted in the seat to hold the phone closer to Devi. “Just so you know, you’re still on speaker phone.”
“Then take me off!” Hayes demanded.
“I’ll still be able to hear you,” Zander told him. “I have excellent hearing.”
“Zander, why did you take her?” Hayes snarled. “You were supposed to wait.”
