She was totally out of her depth. How bad did the state of her house have to be before they tried to take her girls?
They couldn’t take her children away. They couldn’t! The thought alone felt like knives slicing through her chest.
“Um, can I call someone first?”
Ms. Talon sniffed again and looked at her watch. “If you must, but I don’t have all day. I’ll have to make a note that you were reluctant to allow me into your home.”
Bliss nodded. “N-no, I mean yes, I want to call someone. If you could just take a seat in one of the rocking chairs, I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t wait for the woman to agree. Shutting the door, she raced across the room to her phone, snatching up toys and dirty glasses as she ran. Her hands shook so badly she nearly dropped the phone twice.
Winnie.
She needed to call Winnie.
Her big sister always knew what to do. Blindly, she tapped the numbers on the phone with trembling fingers and waited for the call to connect.
“What’s going on, Trouble? Is everything okay?” Connor’s voice, deep and concerned, was not what she expected, but was exactly what she needed. Why? Because she was stupid and couldn’t let go of fantasies.
She was speaking before she could even think about what to say. “Daddy? I need you.” The word slipped out of the deepest, most vulnerable place inside her.
So stupid!
He was going to think she was crazy. The last person he’d want to see right now was her. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I-I shouldn’t have called. I didn’t mean to. I-I was trying to call Winnie. Hanging up now.”
“Belissa Jayne. Do not hang up this phone, little girl. I’ve been trying to get out to your place all morning. Now tell me what is going on.” The authority she needed in that moment rolled through his voice like thunder.
How could he sound like he cared when he absolutely did not? But he was big. And he could be scary. Maybe he could scare the mean lady away. “I don’t know what’s going on. I mean… She’s here at the door and… and she wants to come in. Someone reported that I hurt my girls.” Her voice cracked on the lastwords. “You know I’d never do anything, but they’re going to take my babies—” Tears streamed down her face, and she didn’t even try to wipe them away.
“Bliss.” Connor’s voice was clipped and stern. “Listen to me, babygirl. Take a breath and tell Daddy what is wrong. Who is at your door?” The command in his voice steadied her.
Everything in her wanted to hang up. She had to have at least a smidgeon of pride. But not at the cost of her daughters. She’d do anything for them.
She’d tell Connor, and he would know what to do. He would fix everything. Even though she knew better, relief flooded her body. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
“A lady from Child Protective Services is at my door. She says someone reported me for neglect and abuse. I wouldn’t do anything to harm my children, Daddy. I promise. I swear.” The words tumbled out between ragged breaths.
“I know that, babygirl. I need you to take another breath. Where is the lady now?”
“O-on my front p-porch.”
Rapid knocking on the front door peppered the room. “Miss Carpenter, I have allegations that allow me to enter the home with or without your permission. You need to open this door before you make your situation worse.”
Connor growled. “Fuck. Okay.” Bliss heard movement, then the slamming of a car door, through the phone. “I’m on my way, babygirl. I’ll be there very soon. You need to let her in, but do not answer any questions until I get there. Not any at all. Do you understand? Do what she tells you to do, but tell her you want a lawyer to be present before you answer any questions. Have you got me?”
“Y-yes, I’ve got you. Daddy, please hurry.”
Bliss disconnected the phone. Walking to the door felt like walking to her execution. Her heart pounded so hard shethought the woman on the porch might hear it. But she did as Connor said and opened the door. Because her Daddy was on the way.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
If the Darling PD had a speed trap set up on the road to Bliss, Connor was fucked. But times like this were why he’d bought a car that could do two hundred miles an hour in a pinch. If this situation wasn’t a pinch, he didn’t know what was.
Every nerve in his body hummed like a live wire. His muscles coiled tight, he scanned the road ahead like a predator tracking its target. Which wasn’t far off the mark.
Bliss was in trouble. His Little girl was terrified, and she hadn’t thought she could call him because he’d acted like an ass the day before. He really had been trying to get to her place all day. But he had to get her car off the side of the road and to Winnie’s garage. Then Reid had wanted to talk about the meeting he’d missed.
After that whole shit show at Books-N-Brews, he was not in the right frame of mind. He’d thought he was better last night, but obviously he wasn’t. He couldn’t even think about last night.
