Page 37 of The Chase
Well, so could Hala for that matter.
They were going to have such stubborn, beautiful babies someday. Greer was looking forward to it.
Her besties and her big brothers—nothing was more perfect than that.
“I can go…kick his ass again?”
Grady would do it, too. Of that she had no doubt. “I think once is enough.”
“Kind of understand him, a little. Hala explained it to me. If he really thought Calvin was his—I would want my kid to be okay, too, you know?”
“Would you have seduced a woman to get to her brother, though?”
“Is that what really happened?” Her brother’s face turned snarly in an instant. “Do you think he was fooling around with you to get back at Gene? Even outside of that stuff about his brother?”
Greer’s father had sat her down after Kurt had left that day and told her everything he knew about Kevin Chase and what things he had done.
And she knew…Kurt was probably still hurting. She hadtriedcalling him a few days later to make sure he was okay, but…he hadn’t been able to talk at the time. He’d been dealing with an insurance agent at the time.
Greer shook her head. “I did…at first. Now…I don’t know. No man has ever made me this confused, or made me feel anything like this for him at all.”
“He’d better treat you right, kid. That’s all I’m saying. You and the baby.”
They pulled into Greer’s old complex parking lot. Greer had lived in the largest building in the back. Hala lived in the fourth building from the road, in the townhouses. Until the past month, Gia had lived in one of the townhouses in the front building.
“I just want to find a way to get my life the way I want it. And figure out what to do about Kurtland Chase without driving myself crazy. Why do relationships have to be so complicated?”
He just grunted.
“So…are you fooling around with my best friend, Grady Treyton Hiller? If you aren’t serious about her, I’m going to kick your rear end myself.”
He parked. “I’m very serious. Stay there. I’ll come help you down.”
“I’m not helpless, you know. Just pregnant.” And all of her brothers were acting ridiculous with her lately. Coddling her—especially the twins. And Guthrie came over daily to check on her. It both exasperated her—and filled her with so much lovefor her brothers that she wanted to cry just thinking about it. Her brothers weregoodmen. It gave a woman hope to see. She started to open her door and get herself out when she saw… “I’m just fin—Grady!”
A tiny boy, no older than little Bristol stood right next to the parking lot, just crying. So small. For a moment, she almost thought he was little Ryan, Hala’s nephew. The same dark brown curls. But this boy was so…small. Hala’s nephew was a big, sturdy boy just like his own daddy. Grady was alreadymovingtoward him.
But she knewhim. She’d just been at his mother’s apartment this weekon a home visit. And it had made her want to cry to see the kids had been living in that situation. His name was Brenton Ryce, Junior. And he was…covered in…blood.“It’s Brenton Ryce’s son. BJ. His name is BJ and he shouldn’t be here. His mother doesn’t have custody any longer. BJ, where is Wynnie? Baby, where is Wynnie? They live right behind Hala, Grady. Right behind her.”
Where was his big sister? Wynnie was not quite six. She was in the kindergarten class Hala taught. And…they lived right behind Hala. Greer reached for the little boy when Grady handed him to her. There was blood all over him. Grady was already moving toward Hala’s apartment when the first scream came.
“Get him in my truck, get the engine running. Lock the doors. Go, Greer. Go!”
Greer just did what her brother told her. She locked herself and the precious little boy in her brother’s truck and grabbed her phone, dialing 911 as fast as she could. And prayed.
She just kept holding him until help arrived and it was over.
30
This was morehorrible than she could imagine.
Greer was still shaking. Holding the little boy close was probably all that kept her from falling completely apart. The paramedics were loading Grady into the ambulance now. And Hala—Hala was covered with blood. There was so much blood.
She couldn’t get the sight of her brother out of her head. He just…he had been so still. And Hala’s face…Hala was about to panic, too.
“Want Daddy.” BJ was clinging to her, just as tightly as she was holding him. And Wynnie—the little girl had so much blood on her. Greer just watched as Luis Sandoval said something to Bailey Addy, then carried Wynnie to Bailey’s SUV. Greer just followed. Someone had to stay with the kids. It would have to be a social worker. Until family could be called.
Greer…was a social worker. She was familiar with the case. It just made sense that she stayed with the kids.
