Page 111 of Well Aware

“We’ve been told that the child was kidnapped at birth.”

I snorted. “Absolutely not.”

But inside, I was panicking.

“We have her birth certificate,” Beau stated stiffly. “We can get you any proof that you need.”

“You can get it to us, but we’re still going to the hospital and getting a DNA test,” the cop declared.

Again, that panic decided to rise inside of me.

“She has one,” Beau said, sliding his phone into his pocket that I hadn’t been aware of until now. “It’s all been sent via email to your office. Now, give her back to us, right now.”

The officers shifted on their feet.

Iris clawed and scratched the man holding her, going right for his eyes.

Unfortunately for the officer, Iris had a spork in her hand from her snow cone that was dropped at some point during her getting yanked toward the man.

She raked it down the man’s face and carved out deep grooves across his face, and I know that she got his eye, too.

He all but threw her to the ground, and the entire crowd gasped.

Iris screamed in pain, and I looked at her tiny arm to see that it was not looking right.

I picked her up before any of the other officers could reach for her, pulling her protectively into my arms.

“That’s enough!” Beau bellowed, blocking the officers from getting through without violence. “We can follow you anywhere you want us to go.”

The officer who’d snatched my girl had his hand covering his eye.

And oh, my god. His eyeball was hanging out of the socket and blood was pouring down his face.

Holy fuck.

“Arrest them!” one of them said.

“For what, exactly?” Boone asked. “They haven’t done anything wrong.”

“That child is dangerous…”

“Oh, get the fuck out.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Can anyone tell me whether the ‘skulls of your enemy’ are dishwasher safe?

—Beau to Magnolia

BEAU

“Oh, get the fuck out.” I snorted. “She was protecting herself with what she had readily available. We also informed you that she was scared and autistic. Two not-so-good combinations.”

The crowd was getting antsy, and I held up my hands and said, “We will follow you anywhere you need to go. But we need medical attention. You broke her arm when you threw her down.”

None of the officers looked upset.

The assholes.