Chapter 36
Amelia's hands shook, and fear for Lainey blossomed. Did she rush upstairs to protect Lainey, or would that lead him to her daughter? She didn't want this bastard to see or know about Lainey. If she ran upstairs, he would follow if Thario couldn't hold him back.
She watched, almost like it was in slow motion. The man she’d known as the owner of the club where she worked glanced at her. His lips spread into a huge smile, sending a shiver down her spine.
He would kill Thario, and she couldn’t let that happen. But how could she stop it?
“Give me the whore,” Dylan said.
“She’s not a whore, and there isn’t any way she’s going with you.”
The man had the audacity to laugh. Frog growled, and the man lifted his gun, aiming it at Frog.
“Put that down,” Thario said.
The man swung to face Thario, firing his gun, and then he fired again and again. Frog let out a loud yelp. One of the bullets smacked into the wall opposite Amelia. She shrieked as worry for Lainey filled her.
Thario said nothing and fired, hitting Dylan in the shoulder. The man dropped to his knees as he let out a cry. Amelia watched as the man lifted his gun to fire again. But Thario was too quick and took him out.
It all happened so fast. Just seconds had passed. Amelia turned to look at Frog and saw blood. Her heart pounded hard. She took a step toward Frog, but then she spied Lainey on the stairs, her lips quivering as she clutched the rabbit stuffed animal she loved the most.
Thario moved and dropped to his knees, then scrambled over to Frog. A siren sounded close by. She saw one of her neighbors in the street. It was one of the other military guys.
There was too much going on, and she didn’t know which way to go.
“Thario?”
Thario met her gaze, sadness filling his face. “Go be with Lainey. I don't want her to see Frog like this.”
“Is he…”
“No, he’s alive. Just hurt.”
The neighbor stepped in. “Thario? Is Frog dead?”
“Not yet, Trip. We need to get him to an emergency vet.”
“I’m on it.”
Amelia scooped up Lainey and stood so she could see what was going on downstairs but held Lainey so she couldn’t see anything.
Trip knelt next to the intruder on the ground. “He’s gone.”
The words sent a shiver through her. Lainey held her tighter. She watched as Trip helped Thario carry Frog outside. Thario took off before the police arrived, leaving her, Trip, and the dead guy.
“Mommy, what happened?” Lainey asked.
“Shh, baby. Everything will be okay.”
“I’m hungry.”
She wasn’t sure how to get Lainey food because she didn’t want her to see the mess. Frog had bled on the floor in the hall and the man was still in the entryway. Her daughter didn’t need to see the carnage.
Just then, a police car pulled up. She watched as Trip went out and talked to the officer. Lainey started to move, and Amelia held her tighter.
She wished Apple was here, but he was at work. This was what his work was like. She would be alone at times because he had to be at base. His work would take him away, and there was nothing she could do.
Pain slid through her, and she held Lainey tighter. Could she deal with being alone?
Apple hadn’t known she would be in danger, not really. He’d done what he could to protect her. And she and Lainey had been protected. They might have witnessed something awful, but they’d survived. She was alive because Apple had arranged for Thario to be here to keep her safe.
She sucked in a fast breath. Frog. She needed to call and find out how Frog was. But first, she had to talk to the police who were stepping inside with Trip.
She didn't want Lainey to see all the bad. The officer frowned when his gaze went from Lainey to the blood on the floor. He shook his head.
“We can talk upstairs. Another unit is—” A loud siren cut him off. “The other unit is here.”
“Trip, could you get Lainey some food? Some bread and peanut butter so we can make a sandwich?”
Trip nodded. “Sure.”
Amelia stood, adjusting Lainey as she stepped backward up the stairs so her daughter wouldn’t see the mess. Once she was a few steps up, she turned and carried Lainey to her bedroom.
Trip came in less than a minute later and started making Lainey a peanut butter sandwich while she spoke with the officer, telling him everything she knew.
How had this happened, and why? Or what she knew about why, keeping the conversation as light as possible because Lainey was in the room with her.