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He knew what those prices were, too.
He’d just get a few of his pals on standby. In case Vaughn had to do something to get his Crispin Maria someplace safe, or something.
Someplace away from Gregory even. Gregory was getting stupid in his obsession.
He considered it. Just telling Gregory to fuck off and do his experiment with some other girl.
Vaughn would just take Crispin Maria and get her away somewhere. To a nice house, maybe in Nevada or somewhere like that. Keep her safe.
Yeah, she’d probably miss her family for a while, but he’d gotten over missing his fast enough. He hadn’t seen his stepsisters in years. Didn’t miss them at all. She’d be ok.
He wasn’t about to let Gregory hurt her.
Just not her.
He’d get the old bastard any other girl he wanted. But…Gregory wasn’t gettingher.
Vaughn gave Gregory a spiel. A song and dance. An apology. Said he’d messed up. Confused which dark-haired darling Denita daughter the man had wanted. They all did look a lot alike, after all.
Told him he’d do better next time.
But Gregory wasn’t getting Crispin Maria.
No matter what.
Then he had some thinking to do.
Here he was, ready to change his world.
For a girl doing her math homework in a notebook covered with cartoon ducks and glittery puppy stickers.
47
Pen couldn’t givethem much more than what they already had. She’d been close enough to see one man’s hair and eye color. Confirming the red hair and blue eyes Marlie had seen.
An approximate age—of thirty-five to forty-five. Murdoch stood next to her and Zoey while Pen told her story.
He was making no bones about it. He was guarding, protecting. These two dark-eyed monsters shot him straight in the gut whenever they were afraid. He just wanted to protect.
Pen had gotten part of a telephone number off the side of the van. They’d be able to put things together and see what popped. Major Crimes was already calling the digital forensics crew to have that done. Then they’d go from there.
Murdoch made a point of staying with his two favorite dark-eyed girls, until word came that Sydney Beck was coming out of surgery now. She was going to be ok. She’d gotten lucky. She’d be very sore for a few weeks, but the blade had just missed anything vital.
Zoey’s billionaire brother showed up, a pack of guards and his pregnant blond wife and their toddler with him. And Zoey’s older sister Paige and her family.
Sydney’s redheaded devil women family showed up practicallyenmasse. Those redheaded devil women were all just a little freaked out right now. He understood. Sydney was the baby. The one they all wanted to protect.
Murdoch just stayed to the side, watching. There if Zoey needed him.
He’d already checked in with Neil. He was good there.
Neil had been playing solitaire when Murdoch had called. Nothing more pressing was going on in Garrity tonight than a few traffic stops from their other deputy on duty. And the Collsworths’ Doberman had gotten out again. The Peachster had good old Killer cornered in the Thompsons’ garage. That old sweetheart Killer wasn’t going anywhere for a while.
But the threat tonight had been a hell of a lot more immediate.
Zoey’s brother from St. Louis eyed him for a moment. Then the man came right up to him, a toddler version of himself in his arms. “You’re the other Lake. That damned Lake, I presume?”
“Murdoch. The best Lake of the batch.” He held out his hand. He’d seen the guy before—when Murdoch had been haunting the hospital, worrying about Zoey, and at that fancy ball a few days back. But they’d never spoken.
