揑t was on silent and I was a little messed up. It fell pretty far in the scuffle. Took me a minute to find it.?
I stop mid-sip, frowning around the straw.
I don抰 know. Something about this just seems…off?
A second later, I realize what.
She抯 still got her phone. A top notch iPhone, no less, usually a prime target for any thief with a brain.
Random robbery? Why doesn抰 it feel like it?
揇ess, you need to stay close to your dad for a few days. If he抯 not with you, keep me or Kate around.?
揥hy??
揃ecause. They took your necklace, but they left an expensive smartphone and your purse… Don抰 you think that抯 weird??
Destiny turns her face up to the ceiling with a strained laugh and soft, 揙h my God.?
揥hat抯 wrong??I ask.
揧ou抳e been around Dad way too long. You抮e getting almost as paranoid as he is.?
揈liza!?Cole barks, banging his fist on my door like a sledgehammer.
揋uess who.?Wincing, I look at Destiny.
She laughs as I walk over and open the door. Cole stomps past me and goes straight to my sofa. He scoops Destiny up in his arms, pressing her against his chest with a muffled curse.
揂re you okay? Are you hurt? Destiny, did they…？he trails off, even as she wriggles away from him.
揇ad, calm down! I抦 not seven. I just scraped up my leg.?
He sets her down with a reluctant sigh. 揑抦 going to take these damn bandages off so I can look at it, okay??
揥hat? No, really I抦 fine and棓
揑抣l be careful,?he growls, his hand already reaching for her leg.
He rips the bandage off so loudly I grimace. Poor kid.
I head into the bathroom and grab a couple fresh bandages. They never stick as well the second time around.
揕ooks rough. I don抰 think you need stitches, though,?he says, relief in his voice.
揓eez Louise! I told you, it抯 not that bad. Eliza cleaned it up hours ago. Give her some credit.?
揑t wasn抰 Eliza抯 call to make,?he says coldly.
My breath stalls.
I抦 right behind him when he says it.
Not that he cares, though, judging by the edge in his voice that抯 all overprotective papa bear.
I don抰 want to be mad at him. She抯 probably never had anything this serious happen before so yeah, he抯 panicked.
揌ere.?I hand him the bandages since taping her up probably isn抰 my place either.
He peels them and helps place them on her leg, passing me the dirty ones to discard. I start walking, but this time he follows me to the trash.
揥hat the hell were you thinking, Eliza??
I stop, stomping the trash can pedal, and stare at him, too shocked to speak.
揌ow did this happen? You were watching her. You let this happen while you were with her??
Oh, boy.
I have a sneaking suspicion I抦 about to break that promise we made just days ago, when he loved me to mushy pieces and left me deliciously sore the next day.
That Cole, I could trust forever.
But the angry man with blue storms for eyes who抯 staring right through me?
This Cole is a stranger.
揝he was on her way to volunteer with me at the homeless camp. I wanted to come meet her, but she told me she was walking over from the library. She never showed up, so I went looking for her. Someone knocked her down and took her necklace before I ever showed up.?
揊uck!?His face tightens into a grimace before his gaze resettles on me. 揥hy would you let her walk through a homeless camp alone? I know you抮e not stupid.?
揅ole, it抯 a park. You know the place. You had Dess and her friends working with us before, so I didn抰 think it was an issue. It抯 fine during the day, too. Plenty of people around. For the record, she was ambushed a few blocks away…？
揟hat was a city sanctioned charity event. Most of the patrons weren抰 homeless.?He holds up a hand, his lip curled in anger. 揃efore you say any shit, I抦 not trashing homeless people. You damn well know bad actors infiltrate their spaces sometimes, and desperate people sometimes do desperate fucking things. And why did you bring her here梠f all places梐fter she was attacked??
For the first time, his look scares me. I抳e seen him look hurt and annoyed and angry before梑ut never this close to broken.
Never like I抦 the one responsible.
揑t was closer than your house, Cole. Jesus.?I pause, swiping a hand across my face. 揕ook, she was exhausted, stressed out, and scared. She needed water. I even had the cops drive us home so we didn抰 have to walk. But now I抦 curious梬hat抯 so wrong with this place??
He stares at me.
揈liza, goddammit. You live in spitting distance of weekly robberies, plus the occasional armed carjacking that gets somebody shot. This neighborhood is far from safe. Hell, you shouldn抰 be here. But you抮e a grown woman and you can make your own choices. My fifteen-year-old daughter damn sure can抰。？