Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Zach put a hand on Hadley’s shoulder, and she appreciated his support. “Come on, Rodell,” he said. “She’s a kid and she’s been traumatized. We’ll make her available but not now.”
The man who Zach obviously knew frowned. “You and Remy might have been running your own op again, but you’re no longer in charge.”
“Remy called his precinct and the NYPD understood the emergency. If he’d trusted you, he’d have pulled you in.”
Hadley listened to the two men, confused. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later,” Zach promised.
“I want to talk to my daughter.” Patrice yelled loudly from where she stood cuffed outside a patrol car.
Hadley stiffened.
“No!” Dani threw herself at Hadley, wrapping her arms around her waist. “I don’t want to be with her. Don’t make me. She was mean. She yelled at me. She slapped me when I argued because I didn’t want them to hurt you.”
Hadley met Zach’s gaze over her sister’s head, narrowing her gaze to let him know what she thought of Dani’s words. “I want Dani out of here.”
“Not yet–”
“Shut up, Rodell or I’m going to your chief as a concerned citizen. You know how he feels about his detectives not taking the victim into account. Especially underaged ones who need to be seen by a doctor.”
Zach turned a warmer gaze to Hadley. “I’ve got this. Patrice won’t bother her.” He turned and strode to where the police held both Patrice and her dirtbag boyfriend, the detective following him.
A few seconds later, both were being pushed into the back of separate patrol cars with officers’ hands on their heads as they climbed in.
Hadley let out a relieved breath. When she’d come to Zach, it had been on a whim, a desperate move she’d hoped was the right one. She hadn’t known how skilled he was or how far his influence reached.
“Dani?”
Her sister released her and stepped back. Her eyes were red and her hair fell into her face. Hadley handed her a hair tie she kept around her wrist.
“Thanks,” Dani said, as she pulled the long strands into a bun on top of her head.
“Honey, were you hurt? I mean seriously, not being hungry, not putting on that bravado you like so much. Did Patrice do more than slap you?”
“She gagged me with a disgusting bandana thing,” she said in a shaky voice. “No one’s ever hit me before. And she’s my mom.” The tears welled in her eyes and Hadley wanted to march over to Patrice and wrap her hands around the woman’s neck.
“Nobody will ever hurt you again.” Speaking of being hurt… Hadley put an arm around Dani’s shoulder. “Did your mom’s boyfriend touch you at all?” she asked gently. “You can tell me anything.” She held her breath, waiting for an answer.
Looking down, Dani shook her head. “I know what you’re asking and no.” She wrapped her arms around herself tight.
“Anything else?”
Another head shake.
Okay, so maybe some trauma therapy would be necessary but thank God there was nothing more.
Zach cleared his throat.
Hadley hadn’t heard him approach.
“I let my parents and Layla know Dani is okay,” he said.
To Hadley’s surprise, Dani looked up and met his gaze. “I’m sorry I made Layla lie for me.”
“When did your mom give you the phone?” Hadley asked, curious.
Dani shrugged. “A while ago. In case I ever wanted to talk to her… or get away from you, she said. But I didn’t see any harm in it. It’s not like I would ever run away from you… except today I hadn’t seen Mom in so long and she said she missed me. That she’d come to the city just to see me and take me for lunch, and we never did that together.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her arm. “She said not to tell you. That it was our special secret.”
Understanding the pull of needing to be wanted by her mom, Hadley nodded. Patrice had played Hadley and Dani, but she’d used her teenage daughter in ways that were unforgiveable.
“Out of curiosity, how did you get here?” Zach asked.
Dani let out a sigh. “Layla lent me money. She called for the Uber and once I was in the city, I took a taxi to the address Mom gave me.”
Hadley closed her eyes and shook her head. So much could have gone wrong. Worse than what had actually happened, which was pretty scary to begin with.
“Okay, ladies. I said we’d stay in the city and come by the station so we could all give statements. Dani, we should get you checked out by a doctor when we get home.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor.”
Zach glanced at Hadley.
She bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head, meaning they’d talk about it later. Zach was right. When they got back to the Hamptons, her sister was getting seen and checked over.