All he’d ever wanted was for her to be safe. If that meant him giving her up, then he would. He was going to be the last person in the world who caused her pain.
***
The street was finally clear as the last of the sheriff’s vehicles drove down the road. The discussion with the undersheriff was about as bad as he’d guessed it was going to be. He was supposed to get in contact with his union representative and meet him down at the station in about an hour. He had enough time to check on Lilly before he made the call, so he trudged up the porch stairs and picked up the pieces of a broken planter. Seeing drops of her blood on the concrete sent another flash of anger through him. Which told him he had a long way to go.
He walked around the side of the townhome and deposited the broken ceramic into the trash can. Wiping his hands on his pants, he took a moment to get himself together. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Lilly in any way. She had been brutalized, and he didn’t want her concerned about him.
As he moved back around toward the front of the house, he saw Loren drive up. Reinforcements were arriving. When she climbed out of her car and waved him over, he wondered what she needed. “Hey, Loren.”
“I hope to God you kept your mouth shut and didn’t say anything to the undersheriff. I know you’re going to have a union person at the interview, but I’m going to be there as well. Not going to let anyone pin anything on you for Drew’s crimes.”
“I thought you were here to see how your sister’s doing,” he replied. “And to answer your question, I kept my mouth shut.”
“Lilly hates to be fussed over and can take only one of us at a time. Mama’s got it handled for now, and Lucy is bringing over food later. I’m taking care of you so Lilly won’t worry. Everyone has a role, and I’m here to take care of mine.”
“I don’t need an attorney, Loren. The tapes from the cam on the dashboard tell everyone what I did.”
Loren stalked up and stood toe-to-toe with him. For a woman who stood no taller than five-and-a-half feet, she sure was fearless.
“I used excessive force,” he said, “and that’s not acceptable. I’m not going to skirt the consequences.”
Her hand shot up and covered his mouth, and she gave him a look that would scare most people. Since he’d known her for so long, he wasn’t that impressed. Lifting her hand, she shook her head. “You will never say that aloud again. Let me handle this.”
“There is no handling of anything.”
“Yes. There. Is,” she stated firmly. “I’m going to make sure that you don’t end up in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and the department doesn’t use you as a scapegoat. We will handle the hearing, address any concerns, and accept the repercussions if they are fair. What we will not do is let Drew’s family paint you as the villain so they can save their social standing. We will also not be letting the department make more of this than there is.”
Tipping back on his heels, he crossed his arms. “Jeez, you’re scary. I’m glad you’re on my side.”
She punched him in the arm and snorted. “You are family and my sister loves you, so I’ll always be on your side.”
The events of the day caught up with him, and he wondered if he’d heard her correctly. “Did you say Lilly loves me?”
“Yes. She hasn’t said it in so many words, but she does. I can see it on her face. You’re the man she’s been waiting for.”
Slinging his arms around her shoulders, he tugged her in. “If that’s true, then I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“Come on, let’s go inside so you can smooch your girl before we go down to the station.”
“Thanks, Loren.”
“No thanks necessary. We take care of our own.”
As they walked up the steps, he reflected on the fact that the Bertrand women had been taking care of him and his family for years. A month after they moved next door, his mama had gotten the diagnosis. Rochelle had jumped right in to help and never stopped.
He and his family were damn lucky, and it wasn’t something he would ever forget.