“Have they told you anything?”
“Nope. They told grandpa that someone would come out in a bit.”
That wasn’t going to cut it for me. I marched over to the front desk with Autumn perched on my hip and looked down at the woman seated behind the counter. It was time to pull some rank while I still could.
“Hi, I’m Officer Knight,” I pulled my badge shoved in my jeans pocket and held it up. “I’d like to speak with the doctor in charge and see Ruby Adams.”
The woman looked at me, the badge, to Autumn, and then back to me. I could see the wheels spinning in her head trying to figure out why I had a child in my arms and was there flashing my badge around. I decided to plead with her heartstrings to sway things in my favor.
“Okay, I’m also her boyfriend and I am losing my mind. So is her family—”
The lady’s eyes went wide and it sounded like an army had arrived. I turned around and watched as the rest of our friends and kids shuffled in through the doors. As worried as I was, I still couldn’t help the smile that split my face at the sight. Turning back to the woman I grinned.
“And all of her friends too. We are all going out of our minds.”
The woman returned my smile and stood. “I can take you back, but only you.”
“I understand. Give me one minute.”
I walked toward our group and stopped. “Hey, Pumpkin,” I said to the little one in my arms. “You’re going to have to stay here and I will be back soon, okay?”
Autumn clung to me and I hated to leave her. We may not know what was going on for sure but she could sense something was happening. Summer moved in and rubbed Autumn’s back. She’d spent time at some of the ladies’ houses but had been at Summer and Gyth’s earlier so I was thankful for the help.
“Come here sweet girl. You can hang out with me until Lyric comes back.” Autumn let go and moved into the woman’s arms.
“I’ll be back with news as soon as I can.” Then I didn’t waste any more time and followed the nurse waiting to take me to see Ruby.
* * *
When I first saw her,an internal battle was playing in my head.
Rush to her side or go find the person who harmed her and maim the mother fucker? But there was no way I was walking away from mygirl.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I whispered as I walked into the room.
She turned her head in my direction as I moved to her bedside and my heart plummeted to the floor as I took in the cut and bruise forming on the side of her forehead. And the dried tear tracks down her face sent me into a tailspin. But the bandage on her neck had me seeing red and I wanted to tear someone apart.
The nurse had told me that she had a small cut from a knife on her throat, marks where the man hit her, and a slight concussion from hitting her head on the cement when she fell backward.
It was hard to hear. But seeing it all was pure torture.
And the guilt was eating me alive.
“Baby, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I should have been with you.” Emotion clogged my throat.
“Shh, I will be okay. You can’t be with me all the time.”
I knew in my head she was right but we’d let our guard down when things got quiet. We’d been so busy and had just gotten into the swing of things with the new life we were all creating. But I should have known better. I hadn’t trusted the silence but I still slipped.
It’s my fault.
“Lyric, look at me.”
When I gazed into her eyes, tears pooled at their edges, it physically made me ill.
“I was stupid for going out there alone. You don’t understand how dumb it had been.” Her tears slipped down her face tracing the tracks that were already there. “You told me to call you if something didn't feel right and it didn’t, but I still didn’t do what I should have.”
She went on to tell me about the man who’d come asking about her earlier in the day and how she’d thought telling me later instead of bothering me while I was busy would be fine. And how she wasn’t paying attention when she’d gone to her car alone, the unlocked door, and then about the whole encounter.
