Me? My heart ached and my gut churned with too much nausea to smile.
“Let’s go, Shay.” Jamie picked her up. I followed them out to the front.
“I want to ride with Lake.”
That precious little girl had no idea that she almost died because I froze when she needed me most. Her innocence and unconditional love nearly shattered my hurting heart.
“Hi, Shayna. Lake’s car is not here. I’m taking her home. You can see her tomorrow.” Flint smiled at her. I wasn’t used to seeing Flint smile. Maybe Shayna brought the best out of everyone.
“Sweetie, do you remember Flint?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Well, he got that gumball out of your throat. Flint’s your hero today.” I found a small smile.
Shayna’s eyes grew big as she looked at Flint. “You did?”
Flint shrugged, like saving little girls from gumballs lodged in their throat was a daily occurrence for him.
“What do you say, Shay?” Jamie prompted.
“Thank you.” Even Shayna wasn’t immune to the aura of importance and authority that always seemed to envelope the space around Flint Hopkins. Her eyes stayed glued to him.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m so relieved you’re okay.” I hugged her. “I’ll see you at home.”
She nodded as Jamie waved and took her to the exit.
“Shall we?”
I nodded, giving Flint a blank stare. The man was an enigma—a hard-ass with a million layers, and I had no idea what he kept hidden beneath them. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know.
Flint escortedme to my apartment. I must have been in really bad shape.
“My car?—”
“I already have someone bringing it.”
“My key?—”
“I took it from your purse.”
My eyes narrowed.
“You were a bit distracted.”
I opened my door. “Did you steal my wallet too?”
“No, but I thought about taking your phone so you wouldn’t be tempted to call our boy.”
Needing Cage so desperately and feeling cut off from him held a special kind of pain. “How bad does it have to get?”
“What do you mean?” Flint stayed at the threshold to my apartment as I tossed my bag on the counter and picked up Trzy.
“If Shayna almost dying doesn’t warrant bothering Cage, then what does?”
“Had she died, I would have called him myself.”
