Chapter Four
Cash
I found Lana at the edge of the compound, deep in conversation with Hannah.
The women stood outside of Throttle, likely where Knuckles’ old lady had told Lana to meet her.
Hannah liked to head to the bar for some R and R from time to time.
Hannah and the other women in the compound kept the place running and cared for the women and children who entered our protection.
Sometimes, the women’s stories got to Hannah.
The woman had basically dedicated her life to helping abused women and children get away from their abusers.
The security lights in the parking lot cast everything in warm light, throwing long shadows across the surface.
My boots crunched on the gravel as I approached the women, both of them looking up with identical expressions of determination.
Whatever they were planning for Eliza and Lily, they meant business.
“Cash.” Lana nodded, her voice all business. “Good timing. We’re discussing arrangements for Eliza and her daughter.”
Hannah held a tablet against her chest. “Third floor has a corner room open. It gets good morning light, which might help the little one feel more cheerful.” Her face softened. “Kids need sunshine.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling awkward as always in these conversations.
The shelter was the club’s pet project, our way of giving back, but the day-to-day operations remained firmly in the hands of women who knew what they were doing.
My job was limited to keeping trouble away, not planning room assignments.
“You think they’ll come?” I asked, remembering Eliza’s wary eyes when I’d first suggested Haven.
“They’ll come,” Lana said with the confidence.
“Eliza called me this afternoon. The hospital is discharging Lily tomorrow, and they have nowhere safe to go with Ms. Winters circling. I made it clear Haven would stand between them and the system until this is thoroughly investigated, including getting the little one tested for genetic or congenital anomalies.” Yeah.
Why did smart people like to use ten-dollar words?
Hannah made a note on her tablet. “I’ll stock the fridge in their room with some basics. I’ve already put extra bedding and pillows in the cabinet for them. Does Lily have any allergies we should know about?”
Lana shook her head. “Not that Eliza mentioned. But she’s fragile physically.
We’re still waiting on proper diagnoses so, technically, the jury is still out on the causes, but I don’t believe for a second Eliza hurt Lily.
Not on purpose, though she feels bad. Poor thing felt the bone snap in her hand as her daughter fell. ”
“You got her the appointment with your specialist?” I asked.
“Dr. Brennan can see her next week. She specializes in metabolic bone disorders.” Lana looked up at me. “If there’s another reason for the severity of Lily’s injuries, she’ll find it.”
“Doesn’t sound particularly reassuring. Break it down with English. And use very small words.” I held up my finger and thumb an inch apart and squinted for emphasis.
Lana gave me an exasperated look, but I saw her fight a grin. “The most obvious problem, the one Eliza is hoping for, is treatable. Sure, she’d have to do shit and she’d probably hate every second of it. But it’s not something that would physically hurt. Just boring as shit and takes time.”
I nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Better.”
Lana focused back on Hannah. “But first we need a confirmed diagnosis, official and in Lily’s records, and an examination of her records to see if all of Ms. Winters’ findings are consistent with something other than abuse.
I’ll cover all the bases, but I want both Eliza and Lily here to be observed and protected.
” She waited until she had both my and Hannah’s full attention.
“I will not let a mother be falsely accused of harming her child. But I also won’t let a child continue to be in a dangerous environment simply because I feel sorry for someone. ”
“Lily’s mother isn’t her abuser.” I surprised myself by speaking my mind. I normally rolled with the flow.
Lana gave me a raised eyebrow. “I like you, Cash. But I’m serious about this and you will not fight me. I’m putting my reputation on the line here, so I’ll do my own research. Just like always. Don’t get in my way. And if I’m wrong and Eliza is an abuser, then I will bury her.”
I had to stop myself from taking a step forward aggressively toward the lawyer. She saw my expression and raised an eyebrow. I blinked and took a step back. Fuck. What the hell was I doing? “Sorry,” I muttered.
“Interesting.” Lana studied me a couple more seconds before giving a delicate snort.
Hannah tucked her tablet under her arm. “I’ll get everything ready.
The security system was upgraded last month, so no one’s getting in unless we want them to.
” Her gaze flicked toward me. “I’ll make sure the other residents know we have newcomers.
The women here are good about watching out for each other’s kids.
I’ll also let Rip know you’ll be joining him in the security station for the foreseeable future, Cash.
” She smirked before going back inside Haven.
As Hannah walked away, Lana turned to me fully. “Cash, I need to set some expectations. Eliza is going to be skittish, especially around you. She’s been failed by the system for years. She’s exhausted, terrified, and now being accused of the very thing she’s been fighting to prevent.”
“I get it,” I said, shifting my weight. “Keep my distance.”
“Not exactly.” Lana’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “You’ve already connected with Lily, which is very important. But Eliza needs to build trust at her own pace. Be available but not pushy. Let her come to you when she’s ready.”
I nodded, uncomfortable with the suggestion I’d be anything but professional. “I’m just helping out because you asked. Once they’re settled here, they’ll have all the support they need.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Lana said, her tone making it clear she saw right through me. “But don’t disappear on them either.”
As if I even could. Lily broke my fucking heart and her mother… Well. I needed to not think about Eliza, because when I did all I could think was mine.
The vibration of my phone in my pocket saved me from making an idiot of myself. Not many people had this number. I pulled it out, frowning at the unknown number on the screen. “Hello?”
“Cash?” Eliza’s voice came through, high and strangled with panic. “They’re taking her. They’re taking Lily. They came with papers and --” Her words dissolved into a choked sob.
My body tensed immediately. “What? Who’s taking her? Where are you?”
“The hospital. Ms. Winters came with a police officer ten minutes ago. They were going to discharge Lily in the morning, but they’re saying I can’t take her home. They’re taking her into social service custody right now.”
“What floor?” I demanded, already moving toward the exit.
“Parking garage, level two. They’re taking her to a car. Please, I don’t know what to do. Lana gave me your number for emergencies and --”
“I’m on my way. Fifteen minutes. Tell them your lawyer is coming and they need to wait.” I ended the call and turned to Lana, who had followed me, her face grim with understanding.
“They’re making a move,” she said, her voice hard. “They’re taking Lily now?”
“Parking garage, level two. They’re putting her in a car.” I was already calculating the fastest route to the hospital, which traffic lights I could run if necessary.
Lana’s expression shifted to steel. “Go. Now. I’ll make calls from the car and be right behind you. Tell them I’m on my way and they legally have to wait for legal representation since they are at a safe place.”
She shoved me toward the car, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. “And Cash? Don’t let that car leave with Lily in it.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I headed toward my bike.
I swung my leg over the seat, the familiar rumble of the engine vibrating through me as I kicked it to life.
As I peeled out of the compound, the image of Lily’s small, frightened face burned in my mind, along with the sound of Eliza’s desperation through the Goddamned phone.
I’d seen enough kids torn from their mothers in the foster system to know what happened next.
Hell, most of the guys I knew had been in the same situation.
But not this time. Not this kid. I opened the throttle wider, the night air rushing past me as I raced toward the hospital, determined to keep a promise I hadn’t even realized I’d made.
I pushed my bike harder than I should have through Nashville’s evening traffic, weaving between cars and hoping like fuck I didn’t get blue-lighted.
Every red light became a judgment call, every intersection a calculated risk.
My jaw ached from clenching it so tight, my knuckles white around the handlebars as the hospital finally came into view.
The memory of Lily’s small voice singing along with me days earlier drove me forward, fueling a protective rage I hadn’t felt in years.
This wasn’t my fight, I kept telling myself, even as I took the hospital entrance fast enough to momentarily gain air.
But it didn’t matter whose fight it was anymore.
What mattered was a frightened little girl being ripped away from her mother by people who’d made up their minds without looking at all the evidence.
The parking garage entrance swallowed me, the sudden darkness broken only by flickering fluorescent lights giving everything a sickly, unnatural glow.
I gunned the engine down the ramp, the sound reverberating off concrete walls, announcing my arrival in a very not subtle fashion.
I swerved around the curve and onto the second level, my gaze scanning the sparse evening cluster of vehicles.