Page 43 of Jag

“This is Norman Blankenship.”

“Mr. Blankenship, I’m not sure why you’re calling?” I asked and looked over my shoulder to see Sami and River opening the back end of the vehicle. I wasn’t sure why Simone’s dad was calling me. I hadn’t talked with him since I turned down his job offer. And Simone and I hadn’t spoken since she walked out of my townhouse when we ended our relationship.

“Dom, I...I’m not sure what to say. Simone is dead.” His voice broke, and I wasn’t sure what the man wanted me to say. I felt bad by the news, but...

“Sorry to hear that, Mr. Blankenship, but you have to know Simone, and I haven’t spoken since I left. So, I’m a little confused on why you felt you needed to tell me.”

“No...no. I’m sorry, I’m not explaining this well at all.”

“Explaining what?”

“I told Simone that she needed to tell you, but she refused. Dom, Poppy is in the hospital. They have her in an induced coma, she—”

“Who the fuck is Poppy!?” I asked, cutting him off.

“My granddaughter, Dom. Your daughter.”

“What? Daughter?” I said as my entire world shifted.

“Yes, your daughter.”

I ran a hand over my face. How was that possible? She had my daughter and didn’t bother to tell me. Everything went through my head at once. I took a deep breath.

“Tell me everything,” I said calmer than what I felt.

“Simone was crossing the street with Poppy in her stroller. The crossing light lit up, and they moved off the sidewalk. A taxi was already turning right, and the driver stopped. But a car ran the red light, and they think the taxi blocked Simone from seeing it. The driver of the car slammed on his brakes, but it was too late. Simone took most of the impact. Poppy’s stroller was knocked over. She was strapped in, and they said that and the fact the driver got the car stopped is what saved her from being hurt more. She hit her head on the pavement when the stroller fell over. If the car hadn’t stopped, the stroller would have been dragged under it.

“Like I said before, she is in an induced coma because of swelling, and they don’t want her to move around while they work to get it to go down.”

“What hospital?” I asked, and he said the name. “I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight out. I’ll expect to have my questions answered when I get there.” I didn’t wait for him to reply before I disconnected the call.

I squatted down and put my hands on my thighs. Bowing my head, I took deep breaths.A daughter.

“Dom, are you okay?” River asked as she touched my shoulder.

I stood, and River’s hand dropped from my shoulder to my arm. Sami was off to the side talking on her phone.

“You heard?”

“Yes, enough to get the gist of what happened.”

“Shit!” I yelled and threw my phone. It hit the street and shattered. “I’ve got a daughter, and I only find out because she is in the fucking hospital.” I rub my face with both hands. “Who the fuck doesn’t tell someone they have a kid? I didn’t even ask how old she is. I need to go to her, but I’m not sure what to do first.”

River wrapped her arms around me, and I latched on to her. She rubbed my back with one hand and ran her other hand over my head that I laid on her shoulder.

“Take a minute and just breathe. That’s all you’ve got to do right this second. When you’re ready, I’ll help in any way you need.”

Did she even know how her words affected me? There was no way I could find the words right then to tell her. What would I have done if she hadn’t been here? I was supposed to be helping her.

“I’ve got to go to her. I’m going to take the first flight I can get on,” I said as I raised my head and looked at River.

“I can search for flights online while you go home and pack a bag. You broke your cell. You can take mine, and if you tell me your plan info, I’ll get it replaced while you’re gone. Do you want me to drive you to the airport?”

“Jag? Speed, Coast, and your dad are here,” Sami said. And by the time what she said registered, my dad’s truck pulled up. At least that answered who she’d been talking with on the phone.

Speed and Coast both gave me the typical man hugged when they reached me. Not my dad. He grabbed and pulled me into his arms.

“You got this, son. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he said against my ear.

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