“What is it?” Val asked.
“It’s Allison. Cops busted her for DUI.”
“Last night?”
“Sometime this morning. Apparently she’s got a serious drinking problem. I’ve got to go get Hannah. She’s at the police station. I know this trouble isn’t yours, and I really hate to ask, but—”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’ll come with you.”
Ethan released a deep breath. “Thanks.” Allison had royally screwed up this time, but Hannah was safe. He just needed to get to her, bring her home.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be that easy. With the info Sadie had dug up on Julian Latham and the family’s possible connection to drug smuggling, he needed to keep an even closer eye on Val.
He grabbed his shoulder holster and dragged it back on, pulled out his Glock, checked the clip, and shoved the gun back in. “You ready?”
She nodded. “Let’s go get your daughter.”
Ethan shrugged into his leather jacket, covering up the Glock in his shoulder holster, then escorted Val out to the Jeep. In record time, they reached Seattle Police Department Headquarters, downtown in the six-hundred block of Fifth Avenue.
As Val walked next to Ethan through the front door, a plainclothes detective, midthirties, sandy hair, and a nice smile, walked up to greet them.
“Hey, Ethan.” He reached out and the men shook hands. “Don’t worry, Hannah’s okay. She’s in the back entertaining some of the guys in the break room.”
Val didn’t miss the relief on Ethan’s face.
“Thanks for watching out for her, Ross.” He tipped his head toward Val. “This is Valerie Hartman. She’s a friend.”
“Detective Mosher,” the man said. “Nice to meet you, Valerie.”
She started to say it was just Val, but the men started walking, Ethan anxious to get to his daughter. The break room down the hall was full of male and female uniformed police, some sitting at tables drinking coffee from Styrofoam cups, a good-looking young officer in the corner reading aSports Illustratedmagazine. A constant stream of men and women moved in and out of the room.
Following Detective Mosher, Val spotted Hannah sitting on a gray vinyl chair, swinging her legs back and forth, talking to a female police officer whose name badge read Mills. The woman laughed at something Hannah said and the little girl laughed, too.
Hannah looked up and saw Ethan and her laughter faded. Big tears filled her eyes. “Daddy!” Her bottom lip trembled as she reached out to him, and Ethan caught her up in his arms.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Daddy’s here now. He’s going to take you home. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Val felt a tug at her heart. Hannah was so darling. And clearly she adored her father. What would it be like to have a child with Ethan?
He was an amazingly handsome man. The baby would be beautiful, boy or girl. And strong-willed, like both its parents.
Shock hit her. What in the world was she thinking? She had vet school to finish, a career ahead of her that was her life’s dream. Add to that, she had vowed to stay away from trouble, and Ethan’s whole world revolved around violence and crime.
“They took Mama away,” Hannah said, hugging Ethan’s neck and sniffing back tears, dragging Val’s attention back where it belonged. “Mama was crying.”
“I know, sweetheart. We’ll check on her and make sure she’s okay. But you’ll have to stay with me for a while, until things get straightened out.” He kissed her temple, turned to Detective Mosher.
“Thanks again, Ross. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem. You just need to fill out some paperwork before you leave. You and her mother are both legal guardians so it shouldn’t be any big deal. There’s a release form, just to confirm you’re the one who picked her up. But with her mother in custod . . . with her mom away, things are going to get complicated. I suggest you call your attorney.”
“I’ll do that right away.”
Mosher led them into an office to wait, then returned a few minutes later carrying a clipboard. Ethan signed the paperwork, took the copy Mosher handed him, and they headed for the door.
“We need to get her car seat,” Ethan said. “I keep one at my apartment. It’s not that far away.”
“I’ll sit in back with Hannah,” Val said as they climbed into the Jeep.
