Page 12 of Defending A Promise
“You need to get to the Ashford house. As soon as you can. It’s Riley,” Jax says into my ear.
I don’t even ask why. My instincts tell me to go, so I do. “On my way.” I hang up the phone and see Trevor standing at the bar.
“Everything okay?”
“I don’t know but I have to cut the night short. Something’s happened.”
He pulls his keys out of his front jeans pocket. “I’ll follow you.”
We leave Hooplas in separate vehicles and make it to Riley’s parent’s house by breaking a few too many traffic laws. There are cop cars lined up along the street and a crime van is parked in the driveway. "What the fuck?” I ask myself as I throw my pickup truck into park, grab my badge and gun from the console, and climb out in search of either Riley or my partner Jax. Jax is the first one I find.
“Declan. Over here,” Jax calls out to me as I approach the driveway.
“What happened? Where’s Riley?” Her safety is my first concern, I know her parents aren’t here. She told me last night that they were leaving today for vacation.
“She’s in the house talking to Detectives Kowalski and Smith.”
“What happened?” I ask again knowing that at least Riley is safe.
“Riley came home to find this.” Jax leads me to the inside of the front door and in what looks like blood are the words ‘He’s mine and I want him’.
“Kids?” I ask but my gut is telling me this is anything but a prank.
“Don’t think so. Too specific.”
“Who is this message for? Riley or her parents? And who’s the message about? Her father?”
“Not sure, but when Riley saw it, she called 911 and here we are. Dude, you’ve got to turn your phone on.”
“I had it in my back pocket at Hooplas. It was loud.”
Jax just nods as I take in my surroundings. There is beach stuff all over the couch in the living room and the message on the door is glaring.
“Isn’t this the Ashford house? Everyone okay?” Trevor asks as he and Jax shake hands.
“Yeah. Except for this.” Jax motions towards the door.
“Fuck. What’s that all about?”
“Don’t know. Declan, why don’t you go check on Riley while I finish my report? Her parents are out of town, and I thought she could use a friendly face.”
I walk deeper into the house and see that nothing has changed since the last time I was in this house five years ago for my best friend’s funeral. Even the placement of the furniture is the same as five years ago.
I find Riley sitting at the dining room table talking to the detectives. She’s as white as a ghost as she nods to whatever they’re telling her. Riley looks terrified and immediately I go over to her and take her hand. Her fingers curl into mine as naturally as if we’ve been doing it for years.
“Officer Hayes,” Detective Smith acknowledges me, but I ignore him. Not that he’s not a good guy or detective, but because my entire focus is on Riley and what she needs.
“You okay?” I kneel down and ask her.
She nods. “Does the whole town know already?” The sarcasm in her voice is evident. She’s done with all of these people flowing in and out of her house and with the stress of all of this, just like she was the day of River’s funeral.
Detective Kowalski stands up. “You really shouldn’t stay here tonight. Do you have some place to go?”
I don’t know what I was thinking – actually, I wasn’t, but I answer for her. “She does. With me.”
Riley starts to shake her head when a little voice comes from the opposite corner of the room. “Mommy?”
She immediately lets go of my hand and runs over to the little boy in footy pajamas rubbing his eyes.
