“It’ll be okay, baby. I promise.”
Eddy pushed herself up, no hint of pain on her face.
“You.” Eddy pointed at me. “Go into the back room. And you, Bossy, come with me. We’ll answer the door and deal with your aunt.”
Twenty-One
I drive safer when there’s food in my passenger seat than when there’s a person sitting there.
—Eddy to Weaver
Eddy
The take-charge attitude gave Weaver pause.
“Go. Now,” I ordered.
Weaver looked torn.
“She doesn’t know you’re here,” I elaborated. “She just knows that Boston is.”
He looked horrified.
I knew he was.
His entire world had just turned upside down.
“Go!” I hissed.
Weaver got up and walked to the bedroom, closing it behind him most of the way.
I waited until he was all the way inside before shuffling my way to the door.
I opened it, and a beautiful brown-headed woman stared back at me with puffy, bloodshot eyes and tears coursing down her cheeks. “Where is my niece?”
I frowned at the distraught look on her face.
“Aunt Pippa, what’s the problem?” Boston said, coming up behind me.
Pippa started to run toward Boston, but I stopped her with my hand. “No. Don’t.”
Pippa came to a sudden stop, her body physically recoiling from making contact with mine.
That was a reaction I never expected.
“Don’t hurt her,” Pippa said. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just let her go.”
“I’m not being held against my will,” Boston said. “I’m here because I want to be. I don’t want to live anywhere near you anymore.”
Pippa sucked in a breath, her breath hitching partway through, and then she just collapsed.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she bawled. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, please.”
“What the hell?” Boston said. “Aunt Pippa, I’m okay. What is the problem?”
When Boston reached down to touch her aunt, her entire body flinched like Boston had burned her.
When she wrenched away, her shirt lifted, and I could see a smattering of bruises on her neck and chest.
