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Lexi sat up straighter. “Is she okay? Poor girl must be so traumatized.”

He lifted a shoulder. “Hell if I know. She seems okay. Wanting treats and jumping all over the damn place.” Despite the annoyance in his tone, he didn’t bother to hide the grin that tugged at his lips.

Never in a million years would he have imagined he could be fond of a child—certainly not one who didn’t share his blood. But lo and behold, the daughter of the detective who’d tried to put him behind bars had somehow lit his shadowed heart.

“I’m glad, but trauma is a weird thing, and she could struggle for years to come,” Lexi said. Her somber words hung in the air for a moment.

“Her mom will take care of that,” Cole said, with finality. “Were there any other kids?”

Nash shook his head. “At first, we didn’t find any. Then we roughed up a couple of the guys and they brought out six kids.”

Anger rattled his bones. He paced in a circle, then dragged his hands in his hair. “What’d you do?”

“Dropped them off at the hospital. Didn’t want to chance bringing them to the police station—I think Sophia is one of only a few who’s clean in there.”

Cole nodded. “I hope they were able to reach their families.”

“All have been returned home,” Lexi said, her tone grave but also filled with gratitude.

He swung his attention to her. “How do you know?”

She tilted her head to the side. “C’mon. I have contacts almost everywhere in the city. One being a nurse in the emergency room. She confirmed that they were all picked up by their parents within a couple hours.”

Cole’s shoulders sagged and he swiped a hand over his jaw. “Thank god. Sophia will be happy to know some kids were saved last night.”

Lexi’s expression softened. “Let her know she did the right thing. I’m sure it wasn’t easy going against her oath.”

Cole nodded. “I think she knows.” Course she did. There was no way Sophia would regret any means that had brought Bella home. He said goodbye to them both and exited the house.

His stomach bunched as he walked toward his car. The fact that Bella might have emotional issues after her ordeal had occurred to him, but shit, she’d seemed fine enough that he’d started thinking she would just move on. Maybe not though. Maybe she’d turn out as fucked up as he was.

No one escaped a shattered childhood unscathed.

***

Sophia sat in her car outside Bart’s house, her nerves still jumpier than a grasshopper. There was enough tension in her neck to guarantee she wouldn’t sleep comfortably for days.

To say Bart had been pissed would be an understatement.

But what else could she have done? If she wasn’t somewhat honest about the people who’d helped rescue Bella, Bart would have his suspicions. She couldn’t tell Bella to hide anything from Bart, and surely as soon as she was alone with her dad she’d talk about the strange tattooed men who’d carried her out of the barn and into the forest, where Sophia was waiting.

So that’s the story she’d told Bart. Hardened criminals and all. He’d been mad at her a million times in the past, but this was different. He’d accused her of being careless, of inviting more bad people into her and Bella’s life. And yet, Bella was alive and well, so she’d made Bart eat those words.

They’d spent another hour talking with Bella, this time going step-by-step through what had happened when she was alone with the kidnappers. Sophia had sat on the edge of her seat, vomit at the back of her throat and anxiety chilling her skin, terrified of what Bella might report.

Thank God Bella had sworn no one had touched her inappropriately. She’d said they’d pushed her to the ground, put tape on her mouth, and then tied her to the wall, where they’d left her for a really long time until someone gave her a protein bar and water. Other than during the phone call to Sophia and when someone delivered the odd scrap of food after that, she’d been alone until Cole had shown up.

Which both relieved and sickened Sophia.

Just the thought of her daughter scared and abandoned, at only four years old, was enough to make tears well in Sophia’s eyes all over again. Once she and Bart were satisfied with Bella’s story, they’d let her run off to play while the two of them made a plan for therapy and how they’d make the next several months as light and easy as possible for Bella—with one of them being with her at all times.

She hadn’t mentioned the possibility of taking a leave, but that would likely be imminent.

For now, she had to get back to work and do everything in her power to ensure her baby girl could come home pronto.

She chewed her lip and stared at Bart’s colonial-style house. She couldn’t exactly sit in his driveway to make the call she needed to—especially if there was a chance her phone was being tracked. No, she’d have to get far away from Bella.

She drove to her apartment and parked on the street outside. At least this way she could avoid questions from Cole, too. After turning off the vehicle and hitting the lock button—she’d probably be paranoid for the rest of her life now—she pulled out her phone and brought up the icon for a number labeled as a pizza place. She’d put it in her phone just days ago.

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