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Social workers had met with the governor and his wife, and the police chief. And then they had come to Zoey and asked her point blank. With her brothers and sisters listening.
Did she want to assume care and custody as a kinship placement, or would Marc and Ariella, Paige and Mick, Caine and Nikkie Jean, Rafe and Jillian, or Luc and Payton?
There was no question that someonewouldn’t.It was just which couple.
But everyone had known.
Zoey hadn’t even hesitated before saying yes. Marc had told her he would make certain it happened. Ariella had said the rest of the family would be there to help. The head of social services for the entire state of Texas, who had basically been dragged out of bed by one of Marc’s minions, had said she would see that the process went smoothly.
The children would be going into kinship care with Zoey until guardianship—or adoption, if that was the best option after they dug more deeply into Eastman’s deeds, was established.
It was almost a done deed.
One of Houghton Barratt’s cousins, a family attorney, had already started guardianship papers in Zoey’s name. Houghton’s family worked fast when they wanted to make something happen.
No one expected there to be any problems.
Zoey had been wheeled in to see Pen as soon as her sister was in recovery. Pen was sleeping now. Pen and Grace had been put in 403, together. Grace was refusing to go home. Grace was still in the chair next to Pen’s bed, though she’d been discharged herself two hours ago.
Grace…hadn’t said a single word since the attack.
Sydney was in ICU, but was doing well. One family member at a time could sit with her. Her sisters were taking turns, and her father. Gerard, too, had been upgraded an hour ago. He’d taken a few bullets, but nothing vital had been hit. It had been blood loss that had nearly taken him, too.
He had no family. Houghton and Chance, Brynna’s husband and Houghton’s head of security, and some of Houghton’s guards, were taking turns sitting with him.
They weren’t going to let him be alone.
Jo-Jo’s sister Annie had stopped by to see Zoey herself. Jo-Jo had taken a round to the liver. The damage had been repaired. She’d heal from that. It was the damage to her leg that was going to stay with that kid for the rest of her life. She was facing multiple surgeries to repair the shattered bones. One had struck full-force. The other had been deflected by something else first, weakening the impact.
Grace.
It had passed through Grace’s upper left arm first.
Where she’d bodily tried to protect the other girl.
There was significant nerve and muscle damage that would cause Jo-Jo lifelong pain. She’d most likely be on crutches for a long, long time. Maybe even forever, Annie had told her. But her sister was alive. They were concentrating on that now.
That innocent kid hadn’t deserved this at all.
None of them had. None.
They had all been victims of Eastman’s evil plan.
Marc was keeping the press at bay for now. Marc, Houghton, and Luc. But it was only a matter of time before the entire story became known.
Zoey had already spoken with investigators from the TSP. It was a joint Homicide/Major Crimes investigation now. It might eventually become a federal case. They didn’t know yet.
Zoey didn’t know what would happen. She would have to talk to her brothers and sisters. They’d figure it outtogether.
And that meant talking to the Colesons. Figuring out where the Colesons fit, too.
But first, Murdoch.
That man had waited long enough.
147
Heather and Joywere in the cafeteria, grabbing breakfast, while Samia and Cashlyn helped Crispin prepare to be discharged.
