Vee inhaled. “I’m fine. Seeing a doctor doesn’t fit with my schedule. I’ll have someone look me over tomorrow at the football center. What about my phone and my car?”
“Deputy Ellis retrieved your phone and bag.”
Vee looked from side to side. “My bag. Oh my. I obviously wasn’t thinking. Thank you.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Do we need to pick them up?”
“No, sir. He will bring them here.”
“Thank you.”
“And your car,” he said, “will be towed to the dealership off Highway 25. We may need to ask you more questions about what happened. Are you available?”
“I will do my best,” Vee said. “Right now, I just want to get upstairs.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Deputy Pittman said as he walked back to the sheriff’s vehicle.
Palming Vee’s cheeks, I drank in her emerald-green eyes. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I can tell you more once we’re upstairs.”
We turned the corner and found Ethan waiting for us by the elevator. As we rode up to the seventh floor, I told him that a sheriff’s deputy would be bringing Ms. Hubbard’s belongings soon. Ethan assured us that he would receive them and bring them upstairs. Vee remained silent, her lips paling from the pressure as she held them tightly together.
Once we were alone and safe behind the locked outer door of her condominium, I let out a long breath. The worry throughout the day and panic instilled by the call from a sheriff’s deputy had me wanting to move, to pounce and attack. None of that would help Vee.
“Fin? What smells so good?” she asked.
In the light of the kitchen, I saw her more clearly. Gently, I lifted my fingers to her cheek. “Fuck, Vee. You’re bruised.”
She inclined her face to my touch. “I don’t know how it looks. I haven’t seen myself.”
I scanned her up and down. “Is there more? How did you get hurt?”
“The airbags deployed.” She shook her head and looked down. “My skirt…there was powder…” She lifted her hands and splayed her fingers. “I only knew my hands were sore.”
I took her hands in mine. They were ice cold and the skin was red and inflamed. “Tell me what happened.”
Quickly, Vee blinked her eyes, fighting back new tears. “It happened fast and at the same time, it was slow motion.” She exhaled and laid a hand on her stomach. “I think I need to sit.”
Reaching for her slender waist, I lifted her to the kitchen island.
A slight smile spread across her lips. “You don’t have to be a caveman. I could have sat in a chair.”
“I could pound my chest if you’d like.” I leaned closer and tipped my forehead to hers. “We don’t have time for a chair. I need to know what happened and why you’re injured.”
“I’m not injured.”
I lifted her hands, turning them so that we could both see the red and puffy abrasions. “We can argue or you can talk. It was reporters, wasn’t it?”
Vee nodded. “There has always been a sheriff’s car at Dad’s gate, I mean, since yesterday. It wasn’t there when I tried to leave. I didn’t realize it was missing until the gate started to open.”
The trembling of her hands filled me with rage. “What the fuck did they do?”
She shook her head. “They came onto the property. I tried to drive. I made it outside the gate but stopped to be sure no one stayed inside the property.” She took a stuttered breath. “It was like they came from everywhere and swarmed the car. I honked the horn and tried to move forward. They were yelling questions at me. I decided to keep driving slowly, hoping they’d back away. When they did, I realized the road was blocked with another vehicle.” She looked down at her hands and back up. “I turned the wheel to avoid it, and I guess I hit the accelerator. My car went forward and down.” She rubbed her left shoulder. “The seat belt pulled tight and the airbags exploded.” Her eyes met mine. “I wasn’t going fast at first. I just wanted to get away from them.”
“Was anyone injured? Did you hit anyone?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. The deputy arrived right after I went off the road. I don’t know where the people all went. They dispersed.”
