halfway to my heart. I’d fucked up. Big time.
She must’ve been waiting for him in that car. He probably told her to stay there while he went in. In this neighborhood, in the dark…
I clenched my fist. Was she the one with the key fob, trying to get his attention?
“I-I think you had a sea shore…like Aunt Patty.” The girl struggled under his weight. “You need to go to the doctor.”
Shit.
I ripped the batteries from my mask, tore it off, and crammed the whole thing into my pocket. “Hey,” I called out, my voice rougher than I expected. “Hold on.”
She jerked at the sound of my voice. “W-We don’t want any trouble.”
“Is that your father?” I pointed to the man I’d beaten, trying to stop my brain from processing the visuals. “Do you need help?”
“No, he just…” Her lip quivered, and a fat tear rolled down her cheek. “We have to go.”
I hurried around the truck and got the guy under his arms. “Can your mom come get you?”
She shook her head vigorously. “She’s at work until two.”
I drew deep breaths through my nose and forced them out through my mouth. “Okay, I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
Her eyes rounded in the dark, and she tried to rip her father from my grasp. “No! I can’t ride with a stranger.”
“I’m not a stranger,” I lied. “I’m…security.”
And I’m going to hell for this.
CHAPTER 14
The girl tilted her head. “Really?”
I nodded. “I’m supposed to make sure everyone gets home safely.”
Confliction warred in her eyes, shifting colorless shades in the darkness. “I don’t think I’m supposed to.“
Of course not.
“We could call an ambulance,” I offered. “They could come look at your dad’s head and make sure you’re okay until your mom gets off work.”
Right after they report this bastard to Children’s Services.
“Will you stay until they get here?”
“Uh…sure.”
“Okay.” She slid down the side of the car until she was sitting cross-legged in the gravel. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she looked up at me expectantly.
“Sorry.” I oh-so-gently flopped the drunkard against the grill and knelt a respectable distance away from her. “Let me make that call.”
I reached back and pulled out my burner phone—the one I kept around for occasions such as these. A few quick taps put me in contact with a tired-sounding dispatcher, whom I informed that I’d stumbled upon an injured drunk and his unattended child.
We waited in silence.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely see straight. I didn’t know what to do. Part of me hated this guy and the choices he’d made, but the other part hated me for the same reason.
“Are you cold?” I asked her, fighting the nervous energy that compelled me to pace the lot.
“No.” Her small voice trembled, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many nights she’d been forced to stay up like this. Waiting.
I tried to smile. “Your dad’s gonna be fine, ya know? Looks like he just took a spill and bumped his nose. Noses bleed a lot.”
“Maybe.” She folded her hands in her lap.
“Maybe?”
“Aunt Patty had a sea shore last year. She fell, too.”
“A sea shore?” I cocked my chin to the side. What the hell is that?
“Yeah.” The girl looked away. “It happened in our living room. She kept shaking, and the ambulance had to come then, too.”
“You mean a seizure.”
“That’s what I said.”
“I don’t think your dad had a seizure.”
“How do you know?”
Because in addition to being a fake security guard, I’m also a fake doctor.
I shrugged. “He’s not shaking, is he?”
“No.” She carefully studied him for a moment. “I think he’s sleeping.”
“Well, there you have it.”
I pressed my palms against my eyes and drew in a deep breath. The situation I’d found myself in was sobering—a splash of cold water on my face. Everything about it screamed get your shit together, moron.
It wasn’t just my life or the lives
She must’ve been waiting for him in that car. He probably told her to stay there while he went in. In this neighborhood, in the dark…
I clenched my fist. Was she the one with the key fob, trying to get his attention?
“I-I think you had a sea shore…like Aunt Patty.” The girl struggled under his weight. “You need to go to the doctor.”
Shit.
I ripped the batteries from my mask, tore it off, and crammed the whole thing into my pocket. “Hey,” I called out, my voice rougher than I expected. “Hold on.”
She jerked at the sound of my voice. “W-We don’t want any trouble.”
“Is that your father?” I pointed to the man I’d beaten, trying to stop my brain from processing the visuals. “Do you need help?”
“No, he just…” Her lip quivered, and a fat tear rolled down her cheek. “We have to go.”
I hurried around the truck and got the guy under his arms. “Can your mom come get you?”
She shook her head vigorously. “She’s at work until two.”
I drew deep breaths through my nose and forced them out through my mouth. “Okay, I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
Her eyes rounded in the dark, and she tried to rip her father from my grasp. “No! I can’t ride with a stranger.”
“I’m not a stranger,” I lied. “I’m…security.”
And I’m going to hell for this.
CHAPTER 14
The girl tilted her head. “Really?”
I nodded. “I’m supposed to make sure everyone gets home safely.”
Confliction warred in her eyes, shifting colorless shades in the darkness. “I don’t think I’m supposed to.“
Of course not.
“We could call an ambulance,” I offered. “They could come look at your dad’s head and make sure you’re okay until your mom gets off work.”
Right after they report this bastard to Children’s Services.
“Will you stay until they get here?”
“Uh…sure.”
“Okay.” She slid down the side of the car until she was sitting cross-legged in the gravel. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she looked up at me expectantly.
“Sorry.” I oh-so-gently flopped the drunkard against the grill and knelt a respectable distance away from her. “Let me make that call.”
I reached back and pulled out my burner phone—the one I kept around for occasions such as these. A few quick taps put me in contact with a tired-sounding dispatcher, whom I informed that I’d stumbled upon an injured drunk and his unattended child.
We waited in silence.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely see straight. I didn’t know what to do. Part of me hated this guy and the choices he’d made, but the other part hated me for the same reason.
“Are you cold?” I asked her, fighting the nervous energy that compelled me to pace the lot.
“No.” Her small voice trembled, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many nights she’d been forced to stay up like this. Waiting.
I tried to smile. “Your dad’s gonna be fine, ya know? Looks like he just took a spill and bumped his nose. Noses bleed a lot.”
“Maybe.” She folded her hands in her lap.
“Maybe?”
“Aunt Patty had a sea shore last year. She fell, too.”
“A sea shore?” I cocked my chin to the side. What the hell is that?
“Yeah.” The girl looked away. “It happened in our living room. She kept shaking, and the ambulance had to come then, too.”
“You mean a seizure.”
“That’s what I said.”
“I don’t think your dad had a seizure.”
“How do you know?”
Because in addition to being a fake security guard, I’m also a fake doctor.
I shrugged. “He’s not shaking, is he?”
“No.” She carefully studied him for a moment. “I think he’s sleeping.”
“Well, there you have it.”
I pressed my palms against my eyes and drew in a deep breath. The situation I’d found myself in was sobering—a splash of cold water on my face. Everything about it screamed get your shit together, moron.
It wasn’t just my life or the lives
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