Close.
There was some shifting and my eyes flew to the door, hoping it was a doctor with good news. But I saw Jane walk in.
She’d been around, not much, and her usual quiet. I knew a couple of the Rock Chicks and Hot Bunch spoke with her. Since she didn’t return my calls or give me time when I approached her, and since (for once), I didn’t press, I didn’t know what they said or how she reacted.
All I knew right then was that she came straight to me, her eyes never leaving mine.
She stopped in front of us. Ren’s hold tightened, and I looked up to her.
“Nothing ever really bad happens in a fairytale, Ally,” she whispered, her eyes, locked on me, bright with tears.
And hope.
“I hope you’re right, chickie,” I whispered back.
“Me, too,” she said. Her eyes slid to Ren, then to Shirleen, who she gave a small smile before she moved away.
Ren’s hand gave mine a squeeze.
I gave his one back, let him go and shifted.
But not away. Only so I could reach out and find Shirleen’s hand.
When I did, hers closed tight.
I looked to Lee, who Indy was holding, her cheek to his chest, his chin to the top of her head, his eyes to the door, his jaw hard. My BFF, though, had her eyes on me.
She smiled.
It was fake, but I smiled back.
Then I looked to Eddie, who had Jet in what Jet called the Eddie’s Woman Hold. That was his arm wrapped around her neck, holding her tucked deep into his side.
His eyes were also on the door.
Jet’s cheek was to his shoulder and her eyes were on her husband’s profile.
I then looked again to the door when there was movement there. I pulled in breath and it caught when I saw who was walking through.
Not the doctor.
Duke.
And Duke was not alone.
Following him were Malia and Liam Clark.
Holy shit!
I sat up straight.
“What the fuck?” I heard Lee growl.
But my eyes were pinned to Malia, who was looking around, but doing it looking freaked way the fuck out, and Liam, sticking close to his mom, looking around and doing it looking cautious but confused.
Eddie broke from Jet, Lee from Indy. They headed her way and I moved.
“Ally,” Ren called, but I ignored him.
No one was going to stop me.
Fucking no one.
Lee caught me with a hand in my belly before I got to them, warning, “Not the time, Ally.”
But I ignored him, too.
Eyes to Malia, I moved them to Liam and lifted up my hand, covered in dried blood.
“That’s your father’s,” I announced, and Malia moved close to Liam as Liam’s eyes got huge and they riveted to my hand.
I heard a gasp and I suspected it was Dorothea’s.
Interesting.
Apparently Dorothea didn’t know about her grandson.
I didn’t have time to ponder that for a variety of reasons.
One of which was Eddie, biting out from close, “Don’t Ally.”
“Lay down the truth, darlin’.” Duke’s gravelly voice encouraged, and my eyes went to him. He nodded. “Now’s the time.”
“It’s not the fuckin’ time,” Lee ground out, his hand going away from my belly so he could turn to Duke.
Before they could get into it, I kept at it.
I looked to Liam. “A bad guy was touching me. Your father had already been shot in both legs and slammed in the head with a tire iron but he still got him off me. He barely got a hand on me and your father dragged himself to me and pulled him off. I was drugged. I couldn’t defend myself or help him. But he kept him off me even when that asshole stabbed him. He kept him off me until help came. Blood pouring out of him and he kept him off me.”
“Ally—” Malia whispered, her voice pained, but I kept my eyes glued to Liam.
“Look around you,” I ordered. “All these people, this,” I jerked my bloody hand in the air, “that’s your father.” I looked to Malia. “I don’t know what went down with Eddie and Lee. What I know is, if Darius makes it through this, he’s gonna stay away. From you. From his son.” I swung an arm out behind me. “From everybody.”
I took a step toward her. Liam put an arm around her waist and pulled her back just as Lee put an arm around mine and stopped me.
Time to wrap up.
So I whispered my plea, “Don’t let him, please.”
“Zano, a little help,” Lee said about two seconds before Lee released me and immediately two arms clamped around me. One at the chest. One at my belly.
Ren’s lips at my ear, he said in his sweet voice, “All right, baby, that’s out. Now come sit with me.”
I drew in a breath.
It failed to calm me.
But I’d laid it out. That was all I could do. I had nothing left in me.
“Don’t let him,” I repeated to Malia.
Before I could turn back to my seat, Malia moved forward and caught my hands.
Even them being bloody.
“I talked with Liam this morning and he wants to meet his dad,” she whispered.
Oh.
Well.
Shit.
Apparently my dramatic speech was unnecessary.
Whatever.