AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You said your name is James, right?” Jared asked. “Lawson Berringer, our chief of security, tells me a Cordelia James showed up this afternoon, and Carrie told us the woman pulled Saoirse out of lessons, and threatened her. Happen to know anyone by that name?”
Sutter groaned. “My mother. I will fix this, I swear.”
“Good,” Derek said. “How?”
Sutter rubbed his free hand over his face. “I’ll get the next flight.”
“Where are you?”
“New York City.”
“So, you’re at least six hours away, probably more. That’s not helping Saoirse now. She’s in police custody. She’s had a seizure—”
“She what?” Sutter shouted. Fear closed his throat.
“She had a seizure. She has her medication with her but I think she should be in a hospital, not at a police station being treated by whatever E.M.T. or paramedic the police have on staff.”
“Did she bite her tongue? Was she having trouble breathing?” Sutter asked, remembering the things Saoirse had told him.
“Yes on the tongue. No on the breathing,” Derek said.
“Fuck,” Sutter whispered to himself, tugging on his hair. “She told me she should go to the hospital after a seizure if she’d bitten her tongue.
“She told me twice she wanted to go with the police, but I’m afraid that’s because she heard the police chief threaten to arrest me when I tried to help her. I’m worried she’s protecting the Ranch instead of herself.”
“However you intend to un-fuck this, James, you need to do it fast,” Jared interjected.
“I’ll call the police station now. Do you have any details?”
“Yes.”
Sutter grabbed a pen and paper and made hasty notes while Jared gave him the name and number of the police chief.
“I’ve got an email address here on the card he left, but I don’t see that doing you much good at the moment,” Derek said.
“I’ll take it,” Sutter responded. “Just in case.”
After Derek gave him the information, silence stretched for a moment.
“It’s grinding on me that I can’t do more for her,” Derek said. “So, if you don’t get results, call me.”
“I will,” Sutter promised.
“I’ll have Carrie pack a bag with some things for Saoirse and get it down to the police station for when she’s released. She’ll need a change of clothes.”
Sutter’s brow furrowed. “What happened to her clothes?”
“She bit her tongue. There was some blood.” Derek cleared his throat. “And she lost control of her bowels.”
The blood drained from Sutter’s head so sharply he had to put his forehead down on the table to keep from passing out.My baby. My baby who had a second seizure in two days because of my family’s bullshit. My baby who was arrested in bloody, shitty clothes. My baby who needed me when I wasn’t there for her.
“The cops didn’t clean her up?” Sutter asked hollowly.
“We wrapped her in a blanket and they took her away in that. I’ve already told the police chief I’m going to sue his ass—”
Sutter barked a humorless laugh. “No, no. Let me have that pleasure. Calling the company lawyer will give me something to do on the goddamn plane. I’ll call you back as soon as I get a flight.”
“Give them my information,” Jared said and gave his phone number and email to Sutter. “I know it won’t help much, but unless you make other plans, I’ll be representing Saoirse and we will make sure she has everything she needs.”
