Page 43 of Madden

"Give me the same thing as her, including the Coke."

We stack the menus up and stick them to the side, behind the napkin dispenser.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." I glance up and see a woman standing beside our table. The one I think is Kelsea. "My dad, Chief Harrison, told me about your situation with your nephew. My husband and I went through the foster system and ended up adopting our son. I just wanted to reach out and let you know I'm here if you have questions."

Tears spring to my eyes at the offer. No one else besides Madden has been this nice. "I appreciate the offer so much. It's been difficult."

"I imagine. I heard Shelby's been helping you. Not from her, because she doesn't gossip, but everyone else does." She rolls hereyes. "I've also heard that you've been hanging out with Madden. He's one of ours, which means you are, too. Welcome to the LSERT family." She grins.

I've never been a part of anything like this before. Since I moved out, it's been me against the world, and then Stephanie joined me when I got Mick. After that, it became the three of us. Now, I have a group of people who are offering to help, without expecting anything from me. It's overwhelming, and exactly what I need. "Thank you."

She reaches out, grabs my hand, and squeezes it. "We're here for you. You're not in this alone."

And for the first time, I don't feel as if I am.

CHAPTER 29

MADDEN

"Boyd Schilling is asking for you,"Chief Harrison says when I answer his phone call. "Says he's your dad?"

"He is," I sigh. "I guess I should listen to what he has to say."

"They're moving him to Birmingham today, so if you want to see him, now is the time. He'll be going before the judge down there, which means he won't be coming back here. If you want to say anything to him, it has to be before he leaves."

Part of me doesn't want to do this. I know that this leads to heartache, it always has, but at the same time, I want him to know how far I've come without him in my life. That I've made something of myself without his help. Despite him, I've done all of this. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

My mind is all over the place as I head over to the jail. This isn't the only stop I plan on making at a jail today, but it'll be the first one, and it'll get me off to a good start. The best thing about living in Laurel Springs is that you're never too far from any place in town, no matter where you are. True to my word, I pull into the parking lot within a few minutes.

Part of me wants to sit out in my SUV and put off seeing him, but it won't make any of this easier, so I might as well go face it. It'll still be there, no matter how long I put it off.

Walking into the squad room, I come face-to-face with another officer, Tillman David. "Hey, I haven't seen you in forever," I tell him as we meet in the entryway.

He smiles behind the beard he's grown. "I know, undercover, and all of that. I had to come in and get a new phone." He holds up what I recognize as one of our burners.

"You're being safe?" He and I joined the department around the same time, but he was immediately plucked out of our class and taken undercover.

"As safe as I can be, but you know what they say? The devil is in the details." He whistles between his teeth. "I gotta head out. I'll see ya around."

I lift my chin up to him in a motion of appreciation for the fact he has to go. "Be safe."

I watch him leave. What's it like to be as deeply undercover as he is? I don't know a lot about it, but I've seen him wearing a motorcycle cut that reads Saint's Outlaws on it more than once. A hand clamps on my shoulder. I turn, seeing Chief Harrison.

"Hey, we've been holding Boyd. They're here to get him. You still wanna see him?"

"Yeah," I say, but I shake my head no at the same time. As I always am when it comes to my dad, I'm at odds.

"C'mon back."

It's rare I head to our holding cells. Even when I was on patrol most of the time, this wasn't some place I would frequent. I enter, the door lock reverberating against the concrete walls, causing it to sound much louder than it actually is. He's staring at me as if he can see completely through me when I come to a stop in front of him. "Boyd."

"Madden."

We're locked in a stare down. He blinks first. "You asked to see me?"

"Wouldn't say I asked to see you, but I told these motherfuckers I'm your daddy. Seemed to surprise a lot of them. Have you never told anyone where you came from? It's a long line, Madden," he gives me a slick smile that makes me feel dirty.

"A long line of people who weren't good. Hell no, I didn't want my co-workers to know where I came from. You can't even pass a background check." I grip the bars on the cell he's in.

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