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Raith walked around in front of her, into her line of vision before she saw him.
Finally, she rasped out in a hoarse voice, "I locked the back door."
Her words broke his heart. He swallowed and closed his eyes. When he crouched in front of her and looked up into her face, she merely stared straight ahead at the wall.
It scared him. This wasn't Willow. Willow was all about heat: animated and brash. This woman was hollowed and numbed. He opened his mouth to apologize, to tell her how sorry he was. But he knew it wouldn't matter. This had still happened to her.
God, he just wanted to hold her.
Suddenly, her gaze shifted and she looked down at him. Her lifeless stare pinned him; he felt it in the center of his chest. He had to blink rapidly to hold back tears. Licking his lips, he brought his fist to his mouth. "Why didn't you call me?"
Willow lifted her brows. "Oh, would you have believed me this time?"
His eyes filled. "Don't be that way."
Willow gave a small laugh. "What way? Honest?"
Raith sucked in a lungful of air. "I already feel like shit."
"Good."
"Willow," he said, and reached out slowly to take her hand. When her chilled fingers finally moved to clutch his, he sucked in a breath. "I'm so sorry. You'll never know how—"
"Where's my daughter!" a shrill voice interrupted, echoing down the hall.
Willow jerked, tugging her fingers from his and stumbling to her feet. Raith reached out to steady her, but she didn't even acknowledge him. Both her parents filled the doorway.
"Mom! Dad?" She sobbed and moved forward.
Raith stepped back as the threesome fell into a group hug. Brenda DeVane wept openly as she pulled Willow snug against her. Judge DeVane wiped at his eyes continuously, and Raith had to look away before he followed suit.
"You're okay," her mother kept chanting. "You're okay now. We're going to take you home and tuck you into bed, and this is all just going to be a bad dream."
Raith frowned. Jealous they could be so open and honest with their feelings, able to show their fear and cuddle her close, he merely stood there and quaked on the inside, showing nothing. More than anything, he wanted to strip her naked and make sure there wasn't a single scratch anywhere on her body. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go.
Brenda DeVane moved to a closet, pulled out a suitcase and immediately began to pack Willow's things.
Judge Walter DeVane glanced darkly toward Raith. "Who's in charge here?"
"Purcell," Raith answered after licking his dry lips. He motioned with his head. "He's out back, collecting evidence."
The judge nodded once and turned to his daughter. "Stay with your mother. I'll be right back." He kissed Willow on the forehead and disappeared out the door.
Raith glanced toward Brenda DeVane, who was bending over and stuffing tops and pants into a single bag. Realizing this was his last chance to have a moment alone with Willow, he took her hand and tugged her out into the hall.
She resisted. "Wha—"
"I don't think you should go with your parents."
Big brown eyes blinked up at him. Then she snorted and glanced away. "I suppose you think I should stick it out here by myself, like a big girl?"
"No." He shook his head and scowled. "No, I want you to come with me."
Willow frowned and shook her head vigorously. "I don't think so,
Malloy."
He gritted his teeth. Gently taking her arms in his hands, he turned her so she could look through the doorway and see the damage done to her bathroom door. There had to be a hundred stab marks in the wooden panel.
