Page 95 of Roses Are Dead
My phone buzzed at my hip. I took it, knowing it was John. It was too late for anything else.
“Hey, John.”
“Where are you?” He wasn’t his usual polite self.
I sat straighter. “I’m at the... the Destroyers club. Why?”
He swore.
That was completely unlike him. “What’s wrong?”
Kate set her beer down to listen in.
“Beth stopped breathing.”
I stood up. “She’s not—” Please don’t tell me she’s dead.
“No, but they put her on a breathing machine. I’ve got to get to the hospital, but Mom and Dad aren’t here—And I can’t go with the kids.”
“I’ll be there in a half hour, max.”
“Thank you, Rose. I owe you.” The relief in his voice was clear.
Zoe, who’d also been listening in, pulled the keys off the little hook on her mom’s purse. “Mom, you’re on shotgun.”
“We should tell someone. Where do you have to be?”
Kate and her daughter were angels. I rattled off John’s address and explained the details as quickly as I could. Meanwhile, Kate motioned for Hammer to come with us. “No sense in getting him in trouble.”
She also grabbed one of the prospects at the door and slipped him the address with directions to tell Jackson first, then Bear.
And within minutes, the four of us were AWOL.
Kate talked us through the gate. The whole time, Hammer cussed under his breath and texted a novel on his phone. Who he was ratting me out to didn’t matter. I was doing this with the fully functional non-family I’d somehow conned into helping.
John met me at the door. He took one look at Hammer and the second thoughts on his face almost surfaced on his tongue. “Bear has him guarding me. He’s harmless.”
“Am not,” Hammer argued.
Kate and Zoe joined us.
“We’re here for your children,” Zoe deadpanned.
John sent me a look of desperation, open mouthed and frantic. “We’ve got your back.” I pointed at my group. “Hammer, Zoe, Kate.” I made introductions as fast as I could. “Go. Drive safely.”
On the heels of my order, June ran at my legs with a high-pitched, “Auntie RoRo!”
I swept her up and corralled the other children while John gave quick kisses before leaving in his truck.
That was my cue to create a calm circle for the children. I plopped down on the living room carpet and crossed my legs to make a nest for June. “Arthur, Guinevere, Harry, sit here, here, and here. Zoe, you can sit there. Hammer, don’t scowl. Kate, you can have the couch.”
I reached out and held Arthur and Harry’s hands. Gwen, opposite of me, scooped up Zoe’s, who really didn’t know what to do, but Harry glommed onto her other hand so hard she winced. I should have warned her, but there wasn’t time. “Okay.” I squeezed Arthur’s hand. “I’m so happy to be here.”
Arthur picked up my thread. “I’m happy Daddy can go see Mommy.”
June sobbed once and clung to my chest. I kissed her head but kept my grip on the two boys.
Gwen peeked at Zoe. “I’m happy Auntie Rose is safe... and has friends.” She leaned over and relayed instructions to Zoe. “You’re supposed to say one thing you’re happy for.”
