Shoving her back, she falls on the couch and when her ass touches the cushion, she bounds up and rushes over to Tariq. He holds her protectively and I narrow my eyes.
Though her punishment hasn’t been dealt with yet, he knows it’s coming and there’s nothing he can do about it.
“Keep her out of my sight,” I say as I head into the kitchen.
I can’t stand to be in her presence without needing to silence her once and for all.
I grab a beer from the fridge and throw it back till the bottle is empty. I snatch another and fall into a chair out back.
Amelia was broken today. It’s no surprise someone like her in a place like that, but I could see in her eyes that it was being away from Elsa that scares her the most.
It doesn’t matter that Amelia’s father will get her out of this mess, Clare should never have put her in it and for that reason alone, she’ll pay the ultimate price.
Any other rat would’ve paid it by now but considering Clare’s father is a judge, I have to deal with her carefully.
“I take it you saw Amelia today?” Jermaine asks pulling out a chair opposite me.
“Yes,” I hiss. “She’s not coping, not at all.”
“It’s no surprise, she’s yet again, a lost lamb.”
“She’s barely holding on, Jer, and there is literally nothing I can do. Even if I made that fucking whore drop her statement, the city’s got a hardon that ain’t softening. They’re going to use her for the city’s cause, I just know it.”
Clenching my fists, I’m losing my shit and it’s like nothing I’ve felt before.
“You don’t know that, Darius. Her daddy’s got serious clout in this city. It’s gotta count for a lot more than if it were one of us.”
One of us.
Amelia would have been one of us if I had just manned up and claimed her like I should have done. As my girl, and the mother of my kid, she would’ve been with me and I would have been able to make sure she didn’t take any late night drives to pick up a junkie.
Collecting Elsa-Marie from my mom, I drive over to see Mr. Haynes. He scoops Elsa from me the moment she’s out of her car seat and is intent of having cuddles before he turns to hand her over to Catherine.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask as soon as she leaves the kitchen.
“I’ve had my lawyers fast track the trial. It’s in two weeks.”
So fast? I tell myself it’s a good thing, that she won’t be stuck in the system for months on end.
“I thought you rich types had sway in this city? Isn’t there anything you can do to get her out today?”
“I’ve tried, believe me I have, but with the city-wide crack down, they’re not budging and the more I try the more they’re digging their heels in.”
Shit. Running my hand over my head, my hair is beginning to grow out and I tug at the ends.
“What are we going to do?”
“There’s nothing we can do but wait, I’m afraid. I’ve instructed my legal team to use any means necessary. Clare’s sticking to her bullshit story, but all we have to do is cause enough doubt.” He pauses and clears his throat. “The prosecution is going to use her…”
He can barely meet my eye, but I see the words that are lodged in his throat.
“What is it?” I pry from him.
“Since my money isn’t helping a damn, and my daughterisinnocent, what if Clare were to go on vacation?”
For a moment I’m stunned into silence, not able to form a clear thought, let alone speak a sentence. But I shake it off and ask, “Are you asking me what I think you are?”
His eyes hardens and his stare never wavers. “You’re not the only father who would do anything for his daughter.”
