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“Oh, thank God.” I swarm my little girl in a tight hug. “You okay?” Kneeling, I spin her around, checking for any injuries.
“I’m okay.” She holds out her arms so I can check.
“Good. Where’s your mama?” I ask
“Restin’,” Ms. Bennett says, approaching behind Serena. “She’s banged up, but she’s a fighter.”
“Will they let me see her?”
“I told the nurse you’d want to as soon as you arrived, and she said you could for a few minutes.”
I kiss the top of Serena’s head. “I’ll be right back, sweetie.”
“She has a concussion, and we gave her pain meds, so she’ll be out for a while,” the nurse tells me as she leads me to her room. “She’s got some bruises but should fully recover in a couple months. Broken ribs have to heal on their own with rest and limited activity.”
Fuck. I shake my head with anger.
The nurse taps my arm. “It could’ve been a lot worse. Someone was lookin’ over them.”
Howie.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She nods, then leaves.
I hold Laney’s hand and kiss her knuckles. Then I press my lips to her forehead. “I love you, sweetheart.”
A few more minutes pass before the nurse enters and tells me I can return during visiting hours. I give her my number and ask her to call if there are any updates or if she wakes up.
“You two should get some sleep,” I tell Laney’s mom.
“What about you, Daddy?” Serena asks.
“I’m gonna stay here in the family waitin’ room until visitin’ hours start. I won’t be able to sleep anyway.”
“I’ll bring you some food when we return,” Ms. Bennett says.
“Thank you.”
I give Serena one more hug and kiss before they leave.
Once they’re out the door, I call my lawyer again.
“Boyd wants us to bring him to his house,” Shane tells me. “You sure about this?”
“Positive.”
Oliver picks me up from the hospital, and we drive to Judge Carmichael’s home outside of Beaumont as my father lies unconscious in the trunk.
“He’s alive?” I confirm as Oliver drives us.
“Last I checked,” he deadpans, his grip firm on the steering wheel.
“I’m sorry about Zane,” I tell him again. “He was a good guy.”
He nods but stays quiet.
As we approach the judge’s house, it’s eerily quiet and still. Trees line up the driveway to his two-story home.
