Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Denver was laughing at something that she said, while Iris continued to chatter.
“Maybe all that you needed to do this entire time was get her into a real-life documentary,” Beau teased.
“She’s been talking a lot more lately,” I said. “I don’t know if you realize this, but you’re the reason.”
His brows rose as he came to stand at the fence directly across from Iris and Denver, placing his arms on the top rung of the fencing.
“I don’t think I can take credit for that.” He gave a chin jerk toward my new boss, Odin, who’d showed up at some point during our sex break and had joined the separating cows fun. “I think she was just ready.”
That could be true, but I still had a feeling that Beau was behind her transformation.
“Beau.”
We both looked to the side to see Black heading our way, in full uniform, looking thunderous.
“Hey,” I said. “What’s up?”
He came to lean on the fence beside me, his arm resting on the top of the fence. “I questioned your sister.”
Beau’s body pressed against my back, his hand wrapping around my waist to pull me in close to him. “What did she have to say?”
“That she’s not responsible,” he said. “And without blatant, full-on evidence, I can’t do anything more than question her. I do agree with you, however. I think that she’s responsible.”
Fuck.
“So that’s it? She just gets away with almost killing my daughter?” I asked, my back straightening.
“There’s nothing else I can do,” he said. “There were no cameras in that neighborhood—at least none that people are willing to share. Literally, it’s like every single person in that neighborhood decided to step back in time and all but revolt against technology.”
I sighed. “It was on my list.”
I even had the damn box sitting on the shelf in my laundry room. I’d opened it, read the directions, then decided that the installation would need more mental capacity than I was capable of. I hadn’t had the inclination to do anything since.
Which was horrible, because if I had it up, I might very well be able to put Seraphina behind bars before she hurt anyone else.
I looked away, my gaze skimming over the area.
My eyes spotted Iris as she pointed something out to Denver.
Jesus, had the timing not been what it was, I could’ve been standing here today while mourning my girl.
Iris said something to Denver and he nodded, whistling at me to get my attention.
I looked at him and he gestured toward the girl at his side.
I nodded, letting him know that it was okay if she came to me.
He reached up to help her down but…
“Iris, no!”
Too late.
She’d jumped.
The jump was too far, and her little legs gave out as she pitched forward onto her hands and knees.
Her head hit the water trough hard, and blood instantly started to well.
For the second time in a week, I saw bright red blood pouring down the length of my daughter’s face.
“Fuck,” I said as I started to hurry toward her.
Beau beat me to her, though.
He’d been deep in conversation with Black when I’d yelled, but he must’ve been paying attention to her in his periphery just like I’d been.
Instinctual. Like a parent would watch their own child.
When I got to her, Beau was already using his undershirt to stem the flow of blood from her head.
“Shhhh,” he said when she started crying. “I got you.”
And he did.
He had her, and I couldn’t tell you how freeing it was to know that I wasn’t alone in this world with Iris. That someone also helped me keep watch over her.
“I fell,” Iris said.
“You did,” Beau agreed. “It was too high for your little legs to handle.”
“I’m sorry, Magnolia.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Denver, you have three daughters. You damn well know that as a parent you can’t control them.”
He winced. “I forget how wild they used to be. I got a little comfortable knowing they wouldn’t accidentally break themselves.”
I patted his arm. “And now you have a grandbaby that’ll be worse. I hear boys are always worse.”
He patted his chest. “God help us.”
Odin finally made his way over to us, holding his medical bag that he’d mentioned once that he kept in his truck.
“What have we here?” Odin asked as he pulled out a four-by-four gauze pad.
He indicated for Beau to move back, and when he did, his white t-shirt was stained with Iris’s blood.
The moment the pressure was gone, blood welled at Iris’s head and started to drip down her cheek again, saturating her hair around her ear.
“At least we won’t have to shave off any of her hair to patch her up,” Odin quipped.
I was a nurse. I’d seen many wounds in my time of clinicals and shifts. However, there was something inherently different from a stranger compared to your own flesh and blood.