Stunned speechless, Kirby stared at him. “You’re not pissed?”
He was pissed all right—just not at Kirby. “You said you didn’t mean for her to get hurt, right?”
“Swear to God, I didn’t. I was just supposed to follow her, but the roads are tricky and I was afraid I’d lose her. He wouldn’t pay me if I lost her.”
“Why did he want her followed?”
“He didn’t say, but he wanted me to stick close—close enough to spook her. He lost his shit when I told him she’d crashed. I was going to call the cops, but I didn’t know if they’d arrest me, and then my sister wouldn’t have anyone—”
“Easy.” It seemed to Kam that Kirby was ready to implode with a mix of terror and guilt. “Take a breath, okay? No one is arresting you.”
“He said he’s going to kill me if I don’t get her to meet me at a park. He’s crazy. I didn’t know it at first. Tailing her seemed easy—and I needed the money. But I can’t do anything else for him.”
“No, you can’t. She’s hurt, Kirby. Broken ribs, injured shoulder—”
Right there, in the middle of the walkway, Kirby started to crumple. He wrapped his arms around his head and his knees went weak.
“Hey.” Liam caught his arm, but already Kirby’s sobs were welling up.
Knowing the boy was on the ragged edge made this even harder. “Let’s sit in my SUV.” Kam led them both there. He needed all the details; he needed to ensure Kirby and his sister were safe.
And then he needed to get his hands on Mike so he could make the bastard pay.
Glory was in the backyard with PB and flinching only a little as the dog tried to race back and forth, each time running out of leash. Liam and Nell hadn’t yet been over to create the run, but she didn’t mind. She enjoyed this time with her dog-ter.
Plus, since Callie had left only a few minutes earlier, Glory had the opportunity to test herself—without witnesses—to see what she could accomplish.
Apparently, not much, but hey, she was outside in the fresh air, she had her dog with her, and Kam was living his life instead of playing babysitter. The twinges of pain were insignificant compared to the things that were going right.
“Oh, dear God.”
Recognizing that voice, Glory turned to her neighbor’s house. How was it that Glenda Simmons wasalwaysoutside to see her, whether she was leaving, returning, or in this case, walking her dog.
She couldn’t wave because she held the leash in her right hand. Actually, she couldn’t do much of anything except smile her gruesome smile and say, “Hello, Mrs. Simmons. How are you?”
“What in the world happened to you?”
Subtlety wasn’t Nosy Old Lady Simmons’s forte. “I was in a car wreck. Totaled my beautiful little Mustang.”
To her complete and utter shock, Simmons hiked up her housedress and deftly climbed over the low fence that enclosed her yard. Glory couldn’t blink. She couldn’t even get her mouth to close. “Um...”
“Country girl, you know. Been climbing fences all my life.”
“But aren’t you...”Old.
Simmons chuckled. “In my seventies? Yes, I am. Lived here for forty years and I’ve gone over the fence plenty of times.” Slowly, Simmons knelt down to greet PB. “Aren’t you a cutie? I used to have a little rat like you.” Glancing up at Glory, she said, “That’s one reason for fence-climbing. Had to retrieve my Scottie a few times. That’s his name, not the breed.”
“Scottie? How cute. This is PB, short for Peanut Butter. She’s my dog-ter.” Explaining before Simmons asked, Glory said, “As in dog-daughter. Dog-ter.”
“Oh, I love that. How sweet.” Even more slowly, Simmons got upright again. “That right there, kneeling and standing again? Way harder than getting over a fence.”
“Well, as you can see, I can’t do either right now.”
“I see you’re stiff as an ironing board. Hurt your back?”
“My ribs, actually, and one shoulder.” She rushed to add, “I’ll be fine, and I’m already feeling better, but family...” It struck her then: They truly were all family, or same as. Callie, definitely, but now Tanner and Addie, too. And Liz.
Kam. Kam waseverything.
