Who can I leave Dash with?
Hope is good with him. Maybe she wouldn’t mind.
She’s in the kitchen. The little drug addicts must still be in the front of house, creating havoc. Perfect. Hope won’t mind getting out of the kitchen. “Hope, could you do me a favor?” I walk over to the spot where I left Dash’s diaper bag.
“Sure.” She sets down the pan she took out of the oven. “What’s up?”
“Could you watch Dash for me?” I start to untie the wrap he’s in.
“Watch Dash?”
“It would just be for a little while. I need to take care of something very important.”
“Sure, no problem. Is everything alright?”
No. Nothing is okay. There are too many evil men in the world. “Just fine.”
Kick Him
Max
Fiona walks away from me straight into Canyon’s arms. Nothing about the two of them makes sense.
The way he hesitated putting his arm around her shoulder and the way she cringed a little when he touched her…that doesn’t happen. It shouldn’t happen.
Women flinch when they’re uncomfortable or afraid. Is Fiona afraid of Canyon? Is he forcing her into a relationship? Could he be hurting her?
Why wouldn’t Fiona have said something? This whole neighborhood was founded on protecting kids. Surely, Fiona knows I would protect her…The Adders would protect her.
Fiona barely acknowledges me.
She barely looks at me.
Is she embarrassed?
None of this makes sense.
What I should be doing is reading the reports my vice presidents sent me or working on code for the next update, but Fiona has infiltrated every part of my brain.
Yesterday, in her apartment, I almost kissed her.
And she wouldn’t have stopped me. Fiona might have initiated it if we had had a few more moments uninterrupted. What am I missing?
Why did she do that?
Canyon didn’t move when I put my arms around her. He didn’t even blink twice. There are easygoing men in this world, but that makes no sense.
“Dad,” Hope whispers with Dash in her arms.
“You aren’t supposed to be out here.” I turn my gaze to the stupid addict kids in the corner.
They avert their gazes like I’m a firing squad that they don’t want to see, which is what will happen if they look at my daughter.
“Fiona’s in trouble.”
“What?”
“She handed me Dash and ran out the door. Whatever it is, it’s bad.”
