Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
RACHEL
My head came up as the door opened and Frankie and the man Killian had called came out. Worry ate at me that Mojave was still inside, I hadn’t gotten a chance yet to truly check on him, but I masked it for Frankie’s sake as she came to join us.
“Mojave said to ask if you need help,” she told me.
Of course he did. He likely needed an excuse to get her out the door so he could give his statement in private, but Mojave wouldn’t just send her away.
He’d give her a task to do so she still felt secure and cared for.
After seeing how much he cared for her, the sacrifices he made for her just this weekend alone, I was more sure about the thought of asking Mojave to take temporary custody of Frankie.
Just until her parents got their act together. She’d be safe with him.
“I could use some help,” Killian called. “Come hold this for me.”
As Frankie went to join Killian, I glanced at the man who’d arrived not long after Mojave went inside. He hadn’t introduced himself, heading straight inside to help Mojave, but I was curious.
He noticed me studying him and stuck out his hand with a friendly smile. “Blake Perry. Nice to meet you.”
“Rachel Clark,” I said, shaking his hand. “Are you… one of Mojave’s crew?”
Blake shook his head with a laugh. “Nope. My wife would tan my hide if she ever caught me on a motorcycle. Nah, I’m a friend of Mojave’s. We met at the Vet Center.”
His answer was purposely vague, but I understood what he wasn’t saying.
If I was to guess, he was a therapist or counselor of some kind from the Vet Center.
Either Killian or Mojave called him in because of his reaction after Scott assaulted him.
He’d looked like he was close to having a panic attack when Killian brought him inside.
“Is he alright?”
Blake nodded. “He’ll be alright. So, Rachel, huh? He’s told me a lot about you. You’re a social worker, right?”
I blinked rapidly in response to that statement. “He’s… talked about me?”
That made him chuckle. “Oh, yeah. You and Frankie. For a guy who keeps most people at arm’s length, he’s pretty smitten with the two of you.”
My cheeks flamed at the implication, which only made Perry grin. Thankfully, Killian came to my rescue, calling out to him. “You know if Mojave finds out you said that, he’ll hurt you,” he chastised. “Leave the poor woman alone.”
“He’ll try,” Perry smirked. “I might be older than him, but I’m pretty spry. I think I can handle myself.”
I got the feeling he was teasing on purpose to lighten the mood. It worked at least enough to get me to let out a breath. If Perry was joking and teasing, then Mojave was probably okay.
Moving back into the garage for shade, I returned to what I was doing just to keep my hands busy.
Now, more than ever, I had an excuse to get rid of Scott’s things.
Officer Hernandez was going to help me with a restraining order and he wouldn’t be allowed near the house to get anything, so I planned on calling his parents instead.
They’d have thirty days to pick it all up before I got rid of it.
Either way, Scott would be out of my life for good.
After he attacked Mojave unprovoked with a little girl in his arms, I didn’t think even my parents could defend that behavior.
Mojave came out of the house with Officer Hernandez a few minutes later. He grimaced at the sunlight, his expression slightly pained, but his gait was normal and he didn’t look too bad. He even gave me a small smile and a kiss on my cheek before bypassing me to help Killian.
“No way, man. You just got assaulted. Let me finish this on my own,” Killian argued.
Mojave ignored him, taking the piece Frankie had been trying to hold steady and putting his hand out for the drill. He got a dirty look from Killian for it, but his friend seemed to recognize that he wouldn’t back down and handed over the drill while grumbling under his breath.
Perry shook his head with a smirk. “Well, he seems better. Mojave, come see me tomorrow, will you? I want to check in. I’m gonna head out before the missus notices I left.”
Mojave waved him off, focused on his task, which felt as much a diversion as it did attention to detail.
I’d have to address that later. I never wanted him to feel embarrassed for reacting when he was physically assaulted.
Especially while protecting a little girl.
I would’ve panicked too in his position.
“Ms. Clark? Do you have a minute?” Officer Hernandez called. She’d gone to her car for a minute but came back with a piece of paper in her hand. Mojave’s gaze finally moved away from the shelf to look at me, but I gave him a reassuring nod before going to meet the officer.
“Yes?”
She handed me the paper, explaining, “This number here is the case number. You’ll want it with you when you file for a protective order.
Bring it to the district court and go to the second floor.
My report should be in the system by tomorrow morning, so you should be good to get things started by then. ”
Blowing out a breath, I nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate this. I honestly never thought he’d go this far before now.”
The huff of laughter she let out was dry and a little flat when she said, “Unfortunately, it doesn’t exactly surprise me.
My suggestion?” She waited for me to nod before continuing, “Maybe ask Mojave to connect you with the club president. I’ve talked to Prez, and his partner Danielle.
They’re legal sharks. They’ll help you through the process. ”
Her comment about Scott made me frown, but I didn’t want to dig into it more. At least not right now. I just wanted this day to be done. I still had to bring Frankie home, and a long day to look forward to tomorrow now that a court visit was added to my docket.
“Thank you, Officer Hernandez.”
She nodded, then tipped her head toward where Frankie was jumping up and down beside where Mojave and Killian were working, too short to help but trying her best anyway. “I’ve asked three people now who she belongs to. Is she just a neighbor kid caught in the crossfire?”
I shook my head with a sigh. “No. Mojave is babysitting Frankie, but she’s got no legal connection to anyone here. It’s… complicated.” I glanced at my watch. “I should actually be getting her home sometime soon. I think her parents should be back by now.”
She glanced between me and Frankie again, raising an eyebrow at me. “No offense, but I’m gonna need a little bit more than that. Is he a family member? Close family friend?”
“None of the above,” I answered truthfully.
“I’m actually Frankie’s social worker. Her parents are absent most of the time and emotionally neglectful.
We’ve opened a case to handle the situation.
As for Mojave, he started off as just a kind citizen.
He noticed a little girl following him around, realized she was afraid to walk home alone, and started escorting her.
First he just brought her home when she showed up, then he started walking her to and from school after realizing she had a bullying issue.
Then it grew to watching her in the afternoons because Frankie’s parents weren’t home and she’d leave home to follow him anyway so it was just easier to keep her with him.
Most days I’m there as well, we tend to spend the afternoons together, but he’s a trusted adult for Frankie.
This weekend, her parents had an event to go to, and Frankie didn’t want to go–”
“So he volunteered?” she asked skeptically.
“Not technically, no,” I disagreed. “He was dropping Frankie off after school and overheard the argument between Frankie and her parents. When they threatened to leave her home alone all weekend, he argued against it and they demanded he take her instead and drove off.”
The officer’s jaw dropped. “That’s abandonment.”
“It’s a gray area, unfortunately, since they did leave her with an adult who’d cared for her in the past, but I’ve already alerted my superiors about it. I’m expecting a decision in the next day or so on what happens next.”
Blowing out a breath, Officer Hernandez nodded.
“Okay. I get what you mean now when you say it’s complicated.
I don’t like it, but I know how the legal system works.
” Her brows furrowed. “I don’t love the idea of her going back home to neglectful parents, though.
You said you’d be bringing her home tonight? ”
I shrugged helplessly. “Yes. Unfortunately until I have official paperwork to remove her from the home, there’s nothing that can be done without physical evidence of abuse. They’re not physically violent, just neglectful, and until I have a judge’s order–”
“There’s only so much you can do,” she finished, resigned.
“Yeah, I get that. Tell you what, give her this.” She pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to me.
“It’s my card. If something is happening at home and she’s scared, she can call me.
It’d make me feel better to know she has more options, you know? ”
Taking the card, I said, “I appreciate that, Officer. I’ll make sure she gets it.”
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well, I better get going. The paperwork for arresting another officer, even a suspended one, is endless, let me tell you. I’ll be at it all night.”
More than familiar with pulling all nighters to deal with paperwork, I gave her a commiserating smile. “I completely understand. And thank you for your help.”
She gave me a wave before slipping into her cruiser and driving away. I nearly jumped a foot in the air when someone pressed themselves against my back as I watched her go. I jerked my head around, eyes wide, and gave Mojave an exasperated look.
“Mojave! You startled me!” I glanced around with a frown. “How’d you get over here so fast without me hearing you?”
He shrugged, wrapping his arms around me from behind and pressing his face into my hair, letting out a long sigh. He looked exhausted.
“Come on,” I murmured, reaching back to gently rub my hand over his hair, careful not to get close to the spot that Scott hit him.
“We need to take Frankie home at some point, and then I think you should sleep over again. It’s a long drive back to your place and the EMT said you shouldn’t be driving your bike. You can stay here and get some rest.”
“Won’t say no to that,” he mumbled. He didn’t immediately let go, and I didn’t make him. I figured he was allowed a few moments of peace. When he eventually loosened his grip enough to allow me to turn around, he looked exhausted and he seemed to grimace like he was in pain too.
“I’m going to get you some medicine for your head before we go. Can you get Frankie into the car? I get the feeling she’s not going to go willingly.”
No kid who lived in an emotionally neglectful home was going to want to go back after a weekend where she was supported, loved, and included.
Especially after the scare of the afternoon.
I got the feeling getting Frankie to leave Mojave for even a night was going to be more difficult than removing her temporarily from her parents’ care.