Before I can respond, he’s already walking to his car. I let him go. Nothing I can say will change this mess. I need to be alone for a bit. Once his car leaves my driveway, I go inside.
“Is everything okay?” Crank asks when I get back inside.
“Yeah, I just have a killer headache. I need to check on Cammie.”
“She’s sound asleep, I just came from there,” he explains, studying my face.
“Can you let me know when she wakes up? I’m going to take some meds and lay down for a bit.”
I don’t even wait for his agreement. I’m barely hanging on as it is. Once I get to my room. I close the door and then fall on the bed, burying my head in my pillow so it can muffle the noise of my crying. I’m not sure what just happened. Maybe Dane is confused and thinks I’m dating someone else. Or he knows it’s Elie but got the wrong information.
All I know is that Eli isn’t a man who would just kill a man for no reason. I need to know the whole story. I’m too upset right now. I need to get control. Then, I can fuel my rage properly. Later there will be time to let my anger out—because I am very upset. If Eli did do something like what Dane just said and didn’t bother telling me—allowing me to be blindsided.
I don’t know what I’m going to do. I love Eli with every fiber in me, but I can’t lose Cammie. And most all I’m terrified that Dane will succeed in taking everything from me, just when I finally have the chance to be come was finally happy.
Chapter 32
Pez
I feellike I can finally breathe again when I walk in Daphne’s house. Sabre is still with me. The way he keeps smiling kind of unnerves me. I shrug it off. If I had lived without Cammie in my life for so long and finally get her back, I’d be much the same. Hell, I can’t even go one day without her.
“I’m finally home, Skittles,” I call out as I turn the small foyer to go into the kitchen. I frown when the kitchen is empty, but I look across the breakfast bar and see Cammie and Crank playing in the floor with puzzles. Sabre moves in front of me, holding out his arms.
“There’s my girl!”
Cammie’s eyes jerk up. “Papaw!”
Crank’s eyes have never left mine. Cammie didn’t hear us because of the television, but Crank’s gaze has been trained on me since. He gets up slowly as Sabre takes over with Cammie. Sabre shoots me a look. I know he can feel the heaviness in the air. I give a slight nod. I’ll let him know what is going on as soon as I can. Right now, I only have one main concern and that’s to make sure Daphne is okay.
“What’s going on?” I demand, keeping my voice down to not scare Cammie. Before Crank can tell me, Cammie comes running into the kitchen.
“Pez! You’re home. Pway with me and Papaw!” I love this girl with everything I am, but right now, I have to tap down the urge to tell her no and growl and Crank.
“I can’t right now, baby,” I tell her picking her up in my arms, kissing her forehead, before looking down in her very disappointed face. “I need to check on Mommy and then I need to talk to her, but afterwards, I’m all yours. We’ll play anything you want.”
“You pwomise?”
I bring my forehead gently against hers. “Cross my heart.”
She surprises me by kissing my cheek and giving me a quick hug. “Okay, Pez. Papaw will pway fwust!”
“Sounds good, sweetheart,” I murmur as I put her down. As she runs away, I don’t repeat myself. I stare at Crank and wait.
“Fuck, man that damn ex of hers came by. She wouldn’t let me run him off. They went outside and had a conversation. She asked me to stay in here. When she came back inside, she said she had a headache asked me to stay and watch Cammie. She cried herself to sleep. I didn’t really know what to do so I just kept your girl entertained and waited.”
“Fuck. Tell me you listened to what they said,” I snap. The asshole should have never let Dane talk to Daphne alone.
“Hey.”
I look over and I’m kind of startled to see Sabre standing across from me, with Cammie. “Toss me your keys, son. I’m going to take my granddaughter and get us some pizzas for dinner. That way Daph don’t need to worry about anything,” he says.
I know he’s giving me the house to be alone with Daphne and I’m suddenly very grateful that I brought him with me. Itake a few steps so I can hand him the keys—not about to throw anything when my daughter is so close. Sheismy daughter. I’m not going to let her, or Daphne go. It’s not possible. I can’t breathe without them.
Crank decides to head out and I thank him for being here for my family. If I wasn’t so worried, I’d smile at the term. I never thought I’d have this chance. I don’t know everything that Dane told her, but I have to make her see me—the real me. I have to let her know that I can protect her and Cammie. She loves me. I know she does. I just pray Sabre’s right, and she won’t see me differently now.
I walk slowly to the bedroom and with each step my nerves tighten. There’s so much riding on Daphne’s reaction. The last time I put my faith in a woman, I got my heart torn out. I recognize now it was just my pride, but the pain was real. If Daphne rejects me, it will fucking crush me. I open the door quietly, afraid to knock first. I at least want to see her one last time if she orders me to leave and never come back.
When I open the door, I see Daphne lying on her bed, hugging her pillow. I walk to her slowly, taking in her tear-stained face. I don’t know what that bastard did, but I’m going to kill him. At least that way, Daphne and Cammie will finally be free of him.
