My arms open wide and automatically wrap around him, and I bombard him with questions. “When did you get out of the hospital? Should you even be out of the hospital? How is it that you look perfectly fine? Does your head still hurt at all? Did you get Jello in the hospital? What if?—”
“Slow down,princesa.” Javier’s hands clasp my upper arms, gently pulling me away from him.
“Let the man breathe,mi Cielo,” Santiago shouts through Walker’s open window.
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I’ll keep Bear with me today. I promise he’s in good hands,” Javier reassures me.
I nod to him, then drop to my knees to hug Bear goodbye. “Be a good boy, okay?”
Bear grumbles like a grumpy teen who’s embarrassed to be seen with his mom.
Rising to my feet, I disregard social norms and hug Javier again. “I’m happy you’re okay.”
Javier returns my embrace. “You too,princesa.”
With one more goodbye, I cram myself into Walker’s truck, and Walker peels away, probably irritated with me taking my time.
The entire ride, Levi, Santiago, and I are a jumble of limbs. There’s an elbow or knee in my stomach, and what I think is a hand on my ass. Getting out of the car is a relief.
Jo greets us as we all go inside. Tessa bats her lashes at Walker, then squints at me. Ridge waves enthusiastically.
Aside from waking up, it’s a good morning. That is, until I see who is waiting for Walker in his office.
A woman, looking worse for wear, sits in one of the chairs in front of Walker’s desk. Her hair’s wild waves are stringy, and her skin, which used to match mine, is an unhealthy shade. Dark circles pull on the bags under her eyes.
I freeze in place, my heart stumbling over its rhythm. “What’s going on?”
Levi wraps his arm around my waist as Santiago and Walker continue to his office.
“Walker had Ridge pick your mom up this morning for questioning,” Levi whispers in my ear as his hand rubs comforting circles on my back.
A worthless, good-for-nothing burden.
“Why?”
“The financial records for Reverend Ricks finally came in. He withdrew three hundred dollars in cash from the church account every Saturday for the last six years,” Levi explains.
You do nothing but take.
My chest constricts. “What does that have to do with Mama?”
Levi brushes my hair back. “That’s what Walker intends to find out.”
“Then why am I here?”
Before Levi can answer, Santiago exits Walker’s office, and his eyes land on us. “What’s going on?”
“I knew we should’ve told her before we got here,” Levi argues with Santiago in a hushed tone.
I eye Tessa, discreetly watching our exchange, though I doubt she can hear anything that’s being said.
Even if she could hear, I’m not sure I would care.
There’s a reason I haven’t spoken to Mama since the day I found the first body. The things she said were nothing new, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear them again.
Walker quietly closes his office door behind everyone. The room suddenly feels much smaller.
I stay near the door while Loretta sits in the chair, arms folded.
