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“Hey, Thad, want to come help me,” Dylan says, sensing that something is going on.
“You saw Skyler?” River’s voice has a slight tremble in it, and she looks over her shoulder to Scout. I keep my focus on River, watching every emotion, knowing there is more going on here than what it looks like.
“Let him, River.” Scout’s voice has a tremble to it, and River finally steps aside. I move past her and lean into the back of the truck. Her mom is sitting next to her, hovering close.
“Sunshine, what happened?” I want to take her hands, but her knuckles are broken from fighting.
“Thad, do you know her?” We both look up at Dylan at his question.
“I do.” He gives me a look, his eyebrow raising. “Long story.” I don’t elaborate with the crowd around us.
“Hello, I’m Trooper Dylan Butler. Can I ask you some questions about what happened here?”
“I’m Scout Keller.” She cringes. “I was taking a run after the races.” She coughs and tries to turn her head, and I can see the marks on her neck where someone tried to choke her. “I was on a trail alongside the road when someone attacked me from behind. He grabbed me and I tried to fight him off.”
“Looks like you got in a few licks.” I run a gentle finger over her knuckles.
“I don’t need a hospital. I know what I’m dealing with here.” She tries to push up away from the board, but the straps keep her down.
“Riddler, I found you barely conscious. Let them take you in, just in case,” Ginger says.
“Gin, I’m okay. I’ve had worse before.”
“Scout Clementine Keller, you will let them take you in,” her mother barks the order.
SEVEN
SCOUT
Ican’t believe he is standing right here. I’m freaking out. He insisted that Skyler ride with him and his friend to the hospital and follow the ambulance. He did give in and let River ride with me.
Every part of my body hurts. I’ve been x-rayed. CAT scanned. Now I’m lying here as we wait for the doctors to decide what they want to do next. I watch Thad though. He’s pacing back and forth in front of the door.
“Are you sure about this?” River asks me softly. She’s seated on a chair next to the bed. My mother is in the waiting room with Sky and Ryder, Thad’s son. She was in here for a while, but the memories from before were too much and she had to walk out. She only showed up days after I was attacked last time. I was already out of the ICU, but she still saw all the damage that was done to me.
“I don’t know,” I answer her honestly. I’m not sure what is going on or what I can do to make this better. Or for that matter worse. The longer he’s around Skyler, he’ll know the truth. That I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.
“May I come in?” A deep voice comes from the doorway. I recognize the trooper, Dylan, who is working the case. He steps in and looks around the room at everyone.
“Come in,” I say softly. My voice hurts every time I talk, but I know he needs to ask his questions to find out who did this to me.
“Can I ask questions with everyone here?” His question isn’t surprising, but it’s Thad who takes it the wrong way.
“I’m not leaving, Scout.” He directs his gruff growl at me.
I’ve tried to get him to leave several times. When a doctor told me my nose was broken again and I shrugged and said it wasn’t the first time, I thought Thad was going to come unglued.
“Who broke your nose?” Thad asks the same question he’s asked several times.
I look at Dylan. That’s what he told me to call him when he found out I was friends with Thad. My mother steps back in and sits next to River.
“Do you have any enemies?” His first question is a doozy. I look at my mom and then to River before I look at Thad.
Taking as deep of a breath as I can with a couple of fractured ribs, I don’t look at Dylan but at Thad when I answer. “Yes. I probably have several. However, there’s only one I can think of who would get enjoyment out of beating me. But he isn’t here. He’s serving ten to twenty for assault in the lower forty-eight.” I watch as both River and my mother stiffen, but it’s Thad who is holding completely still. “My ex was put in jail for beating me up.”
“Have you been notified that he’s been paroled or anything?”
“No. He was supposed to serve a minimum of ten because he almost killed me. I’m supposed to be notified if he does get released. His name is Stanley Smith, but he goes by Phantom. He used to be with the Hell’s Defiance Motorcycle Club. I’d heard he was excommunicated from them for other issues. I can get a hold of someone who would know for sure.”
