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He’d comforted her when she told him what happened, when she’d been hurt. He was the kind of man who took care of people when they got knocked down. But as soon as they showed signs of being okay? All bets were off. He went back to his true self and showed his real feelings.
“It’s not like he’s going to be part of your life.” Letitia scoffed.
“You think you did me afavor?” Clare said.
And her mother had decided it was the right thing. No one would be able to persuade her otherwise.
“Forget it.” Clare turned to Selena, who slammed against her and squeezed Clare with her strong arms. They needed to get in the gym soon. Keep up their strength and Selena’s skills. “Call me if you need anything.”
Selena nodded against her shoulder. “Thanks.”
“And get some rest, even if you come back tomorrow so Alex doesn’t wake up alone.” Clare walked past her mother on the way to the door. “Good night.”
Letitia stared.
Clare stepped out into the hallway, more tired than she’d been earlier when she was only exhausted. Now her emotions were all out of whack. She wanted to defend Gage, no matter what his response to the offer of money to walk away had been.
Things with Gage had ended in a way they would never be put back together again, even if that was what she wanted. Selena was about to break up with Alex. Ember was about to marry Trey. Who knew how things would go with Gage? She had no clue if he would ever get to the place where he was interested in a relationship.
Rekindling what had burned hot once.
They were older, and hopefully wiser now. She knew he had a faith relationship with God, so he would follow all those rules she tried to avoid. Clare wanted the autonomy to make her own rules—live life the way she wanted, rather than what her mother dictated or what her failure took from her.
She blew out a breath, trying to push away all the angst while she checked with the nurse, then the officer on the door, then waited while the nurse asked Mrs. Mares if she was up to talking. No pressure, nothing official.
Clare glanced at the cop. “Did the SWAT lieutenant come by and interview her?”
“We got a statement when she was admitted. Hoping she’ll say more tomorrow.”
Clare nodded.
The nurse came back out and said, “She’s awake, can’t sleep actually. I think she’d like the company.”
“Okay.”
“No stress.”
“I promise,” Clare said.
She eased into the room and closed the door behind her. “Hi, I’m Clare Juarez. I run Vanguard Investigations. I’m helping the police with this case.”
“As long as you’re not one of those cops who arrested my husband just for trying to save me.” Katrina Mares turned her head to look at the curtains that had been drawn closed over the window.
“Is it okay if I sit? I heard you can’t sleep.”
The woman shrugged one shoulder. Her blond hair had been washed and left to dry naturally, giving it a wave she probably paid to get straightened professionally. A bruise high on her cheekbone said she’d been struck. Her lip had been split, and defensive wounds covered her hands and arms.
“You fought him.”
“Yes, I did.” Katrina swallowed. “Not that it helped.”
“At least you can say you tried.”
Clare hadn’t started doing that until she got out from under her mother’s shadow and the army showed her how to grow a backbone. Since then she’d avoided her mother so she didn’t slip back into that person who caved at everything. Who believed it was her fault bad things happened to her, and wished away the pain like it didn’t matter.
She didn’t ask Katrina to recount what’d happened to her. Instead, she asked, “Did the police show you photos to see if you can pick anyone out?”
Katrina shook her head. “They said they’d bring some in the morning.”
