“Hazel broke something, so he had to go pick her up at camp. They’ll be back any minute.”
“Damn it,” he seethes, dropping the knife on the small side table near the couch. “I’m getting her out of here before the girls come home and see their mom laid out.”
“Where are you taking her?”
“The compound.”
“The compound?” My eyebrows rise. Nothing good happens there, but I suppose she doesn’t deserve a stay at the Ritz.
“I know a doc. I’ll see if he can do a psych commit on her for a few days to see what the hell is going on. I’d hate to call the cops, because well…”
“Criminal aspect seems to get in the way sometimes, huh?”
Thumper chuckles as he bends down, grabbing Katie’s limp body like she’s a sack of potatoes. “Something like that. You want her arrested?”
I shake my head. “No. The girls don’t need to hear about this.”
His gaze dips to my arm. “Bandage that up before they get back. Wash it first to clean it and then stop that bleeding. You don’t want that shit getting infected.”
“Okay,” I tell him, still in shock over everything that happened.
Thumper stalks across the living room, Katie hanging from his shoulders with her arms swaying with each step.
“I was never here. She was never here. Got me?”
“Got you,” I say as he disappears into the night, closing the door behind him.
11
WYLDER
“You could’ve stayed at camp,”I say to Maddy as we pull up in front of the house right behind Tate’s car. “I can drive you back tomorrow.”
She shakes her head, pulling at her bottom lip. “I had enough wilderness for this summer, and you need someone to watch Hazel while you work since we’re back.”
I hate that she’s right. If Hazel’s home, I do need Maddy around at least for a few more years. Although Hazel’s sometimes more mature than her sister, I still wouldn’t feel right with leaving her for any amount of time.
“I’m sorry.” I try to pull up a smile at her in the rearview mirror.
“Don’t be. I’m only sorry Hazel broke her arm. The bugs and spiders were ridiculous there.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t her collarbone. It was a clean break of her arm and didn’t require surgery. She is still going to have a miserable hot summer with the bulky cast the hospital put on her.
“So, no camp next year?” I ask Maddy, staring down at Hazel, who’s already fiddling with her cast.
“No. We’ll go back. Maybe it won’t be as bad next year.”
“She said the boys were hot,” Hazel adds to the conversation, making me not like camp for her next year anymore.
“Zip it, Hazel,” Maddy says as she pushes open the truck door.
“Be nice to your sister,” I tell her, which earns me an eye roll.
Ah. My girls are back.
“Sheesh,” Hazel says as she reaches for the door with her good arm, “you’d think she’s the one who broke her arm. Crabby.”
I smile at my girl, loving her to bits and hating that she broke her arm when I wasn’t around to make her feel safe. “It happens.”
