Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
If the Darling PD had a speed trap set up on the road to Bliss, Connor was fucked. But times like this were why he’d bought a car that could do two hundred miles an hour in a pinch. If this situation wasn’t a pinch, he didn’t know what was.
Every nerve in his body hummed like a live wire. His muscles coiled tight, he scanned the road ahead like a predator tracking its target. Which wasn’t far off the mark.
Bliss was in trouble. His Little girl was terrified, and she hadn’t thought she could call him because he’d acted like an ass the day before.
He really had been trying to get to her place all day.
But he had to get her car off the side of the road and to Winnie’s garage.
Then Reid had wanted to talk about the meeting he’d missed.
After that whole shit show at Books-N-Brews, he was not in the right frame of mind. He’d thought he was better last night, but obviously he wasn’t. He couldn’t even think about last night.
But that didn’t matter right now. Right now, every second counted, every minute she spent in danger burned in his gut like acid.
He’d been heading that way anyway. Wanting to pick up a few things he knew Bliss needed, he’d stopped by the store, and that had taken longer than he’d thought.
Why the fuck were there so many different brands of everything under the sun that a baby needed?
Diapers, wipes, bottles—every damn aisle was a minefield of indecision, and he had no idea what he was doing.
On the way to his car, Connor called Raleigh Stevens.
Raleigh was the lawyer on retainer for Sabre Security, and he’d been a huge help when Gage’s Little girl, Breezy, was going through everything the General put her through.
If anyone could untangle this mess, it was Raleigh.
It took some time, but Connor tried to be as brief as possible when he explained what was going on.
“Yeah, I get you, Conn,” Raleigh said when Connor finished. “But it’s Saturday. There’s a limit to what I can do unless it’s an emergency. The courthouse is closed.”
“You don’t call this an emergency?” Connor tried to keep his voice level, but it wasn’t easy when his friend said shit like that.
But friend or not, he was going to do what Connor wanted.
His pulse spiked, fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
This wasn’t just urgent. It was a matter of life or death for Bliss and those babies.
“I need you out at Bliss’s house. Child Protective Services is at her house right now. ”
There was a pause before Raleigh growled, “You’re shitting me. What the hell for? I’ve seen her with those kids. She’s an awesome mom.”
“I agree, but some asshole called in a complaint saying she was neglecting them. So some pencil-pushing busybody showed up about fifteen minutes ago, demanding that Bliss let her in to look around. My girl is terrified, and she’s there alone.”
Again, Connor heard nothing but dead air. “Raleigh, did you hear me?”
“Yes, I heard you. I’m trying to get my shoes on. Are you close to her?”
“I’m about three minutes out.”
“Good. I’m on my way. For God’s sake, don’t let her say anything. If the woman said they had the right to come in, it’s serious. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.” Connor ended the call without waiting for Raleigh to respond. Noting the time, he pushed the gas pedal down harder. If his jaw got any tighter, he was going to have to pry it open with a crowbar.
He’d never known three minutes was an eternity.
When Connor pulled up to Bliss’s house, he had a sense of déjà vu. He’d been there not twenty-four hours ago. That visit had gone to hell. He had no idea if she’d even let him back into her house. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t.
But she was in real trouble, and he was the one who was going to get her out of it.
Every step toward that door felt like walking into a warzone, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered but Bliss and those babies.
It may have been less than a day since he’d seen her, but a lot had happened since then. He’d pulled his head out of his ass, for one thing. He had a lot of ground to make up. He’d hurt her in a way he’d never do again. This was just the first of many steps to proving it.
He’d still kill anyone else who tried to hurt her. His chest had almost exploded when she’d called him a few minutes ago. She sounded utterly lost. And she hadn’t turned to him. He had no right to feel hurt, but he did.
A silver CR-V sat to his right, but he ignored it.
He jogged to the door, knocked once, and stepped inside.
Bliss sat in an armchair near her bedroom door with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were almost swollen shut from crying, and the room was silent except for her whimpering.
His fierce, loving little girl looked...
fragile. The thought of anyone threatening her peace made his teeth grind.
He went straight to her, lifted her up, and sat down with her in his lap. She tried to struggle, but at his single command of, “Still,” she relaxed back into him. Her weight was a confusing mix of burden and relief. And he would carry her forever if she needed him.
“Bliss’s lawyer is on his way,” he informed the woman sitting stiff-backed at the front edge of the couch, as if she thought she might catch something if she sat back. Connor narrowed his eyes. “What exactly is this about?”
The woman gave him one of the fiercest Betty Better Than You looks he’d ever seen. She probably practiced it in the mirror. She radiated arrogance, the kind that made him want to punch through a wall.
When he held her gaze, she challenged him. Sliding her glasses to the tip of her nose, she stared at him. Without trying to hide her disdain, she asked, “And, uh, you are?”
Connor smiled, knowing it would piss her off. “Connor Davis, Bliss’s fiancé.”
Who the fuck did this woman think she was? He better not catch her using that snide-ass tone with Bliss. He didn’t care if she thought her shit didn’t stink. He wasn’t going to have her looking down her crooked nose at his girl.
“And you are?” Connor asked, just to tick the woman off.
Bliss froze but remained quiet. That was his girl. Even now, she trusted him enough to stay still. Her trust ignited a spark that warmed his chest.
Anger and scornful disbelief bloomed across the woman’s face. “My name is Ms. Talon. Miss Carpenter didn’t mention being engaged. It’s not in my paperwork.” She shot a pointed glance at Bliss’s ring finger. “And I don’t see a ring. When did this engagement take place?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business, Ms. Talon.” Connor injected as much derision into his tone as he could. “But if you’d like to call her sister, I asked Bliss to marry me the night before last at Winnie Nolan’s house, surrounded by all our friends.”
He took his phone out of his pocket. “I can bring up the number if you want to talk to her.” Holding his phone toward Ms. Talon, he waited for her response.
Okay, so he might have gone a bit too far. But the woman was a bully, and a pompous one at that. He knew the type, and there was no way she’d risk being wrong in front of them.
The front door opened behind Ms. Talon, though she didn’t appear to notice. Raleigh arrived, suit and tie in place. Connor’s chest eased slightly at the sight of the man who could legally bulldoze any obstacle in their path. Even a vulture like Ms. Talon.
“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Davis. As I told your fiancée, I need to look through the house and check the children to make sure they are well.”
“I’d like to see your warrant before we agree to that.” Raleigh stepped between the woman and Bliss. “Miss Carpenter has worked with children for over a decade, and no complaints have ever been registered. I’d like to hear the allegations.”
The woman didn’t like being challenged, now did she? She puffed up like a peacock and rummaged through her bag. Raleigh turned to Bliss and winked.
Normally, that would earn his friend a punch to the jaw, but Connor decided to forgive him this once when Bliss relaxed against his chest.
Drawing out a paper, the woman handed it to Raleigh.
Raleigh took the paper and began to read. “Thank you, Ms….” He scanned the paper again. “Hm, this document doesn’t seem to have your name. If I could get that from you, along with your title and phone number, as well as your supervisor’s name and number, I’d be grateful.”
Ms. Talon snatched the paper back and scribbled the requested information. When she’d finished, she handed it back to Raleigh.
Once Raleigh read the complaint, he asked Ms. Talon to step outside so he could confer with his client. After she complied, slamming the door behind her, Raleigh turned to Bliss.
Connor didn’t like the look on Raleigh’s face. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to explode if anything threatened Bliss. He braced himself for bad news, and it was a good thing.
Bliss didn’t know Raleigh as well, so before his friend could speak, she whipped around to face him. “How could you tell her that we’re engaged?”
Yeah, that wasn’t his most brilliant play. He’d gotten so furious at the things that Talon woman had been saying to Bliss, he’d lost control. Every instinct in him told him to protect her, and he hadn’t even considered the consequences. He never lost his temper. Never. Unless he was around Bliss.
But the condescending tone and smirk on the woman’s face had triggered his instinct to protect. He wanted to put her behind him and get in the woman’s face. So, he’d opened his mouth and made a bad situation worse.
Raleigh’s gaze shot to Connor. “You did what?”
“I told the Talon that Bliss and I got engaged the night before last.”
“She doesn’t have a ring,” Raleigh pointed out.
“You’re not the first person to point that out.” Connor wanted to pound his head against a wall. Bliss’s face was paler than when he’d arrived, and that was on him. She needed him to be calm, not cause chaos.