He shook his head. “Stabbed, her hair shorn, but not like Tonia.”
This didn’t make sense but I didn’t care. Tonia had lived too, for awhile. But she’d been so brutally attacked, she didn’t make it. This sounded different. It sounded better. It was hideous but it was still better.
“We need to get you to the hospital, Shambles,” Tate went on. “Wood’s gonna drive your van. You come with Laurie and me.”
Shambles nodded but Jonas piped up.
“And me,” he stated.
“No, Bub, you stay with Pop tonight,” Tate replied quietly.
“I gotta stay with Shambles,” Jonas insisted and Tate opened his mouth to speak but Shambles spoke first.
“No, Little Dude, you stay with your Granddad.”
Jonas looked up at Shambles. “But –”
Shambles put a hand on top of his head. “Stay with your Granddad.”
Jonas stared at him a second then he nodded.
“I’ll get my bag,” I whispered and gave Shambles a squeeze. “Be right back.”
I let him go and dashed into the diner. I went straight to the table and Stella and Pop watched me from the minute I entered the diner to making it to the table.
“They found her. Stabbed. She’s alive, at the hospital. Not like Tonia. We’re going there now,” I looked at Pop. “Tate needs you to look after Jonas.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he muttered, his eyes going beyond me.
I grabbed my bag and turned to see Tate and Jonas walking in, Tate’s arm around Jonas, hand on his shoulder.
“Laurie tell you?” Tate asked Pop when they hit the table.
“Yeah,” Pop answered.
“We’ll pick him up in the morning,” Tate finished.
“Right,” Pop said.
Tate turned his son into him, removed his arm but curled his fingers around Jonas’s shoulder.
“We’ll get you first thing,” Tate stated. “Bring you home then Laurie’ll make you French toast.”
Jonas nodded then he swallowed then he did a face plant in his father’s midriff and wrapped his arms around Tate’s waist. Tate’s arms circled his son and he gave him a squeeze.
He bent at the waist and I heard him whisper, “Who’s my big man?”
“Me,” Jonas whispered back.
“That’s right,” Tate replied, gave him another squeeze and let go.
Jonas took a step back and his head tipped to look up at his father. He swallowed again and turned to me. I lifted a hand and cupped the side of his face.
“See you tomorrow, honey.”
He nodded, hesitated and then did a face plant in me. My arms went around him and held him tight. I bent to press my cheek against his hair then I kissed the top of his head and he let go.
“Tomorrow, baby,” I whispered.
“Tomorrow, Laurie,” Jonas whispered back.
I touched his cheek again, dropped my hand and looked at Tate. He lifted an arm toward the door. I nodded and moved toward it, looking back over my shoulder at Jonas, Pop and Stella at the table. Stella had risen and was giving Jonas a sideways hug. I gave them a small smile. I turned forward, Tate opened the door for me and we walked into the falling night.
*
It was dark, we were driving through Carnal on our way home, Tate at the wheel at my side.
Sunny was stable. I spent my hours at the hospital with Shambles, Tate spent his with the police and FBI. Wood took Shambles home in Shambles’s van, Frank following in his cruiser to drop Wood back at the garage to get his bike.
Shambles got to see Sunny after she got out of surgery but she was sleeping and, after he visited with her, I urged him to go home, telling him I’d see him the next day. It took awhile to urge him to do this, explaining he needed his sleep, to rest and be strong for Sunny because she needed him. I finally broke through and he agreed, taking off with Wood and Frank.
I watched the hotel slide by, the pool lit, the parking lot lit, the hotel below average but the whole place kept neat and tidy, a riot of flowers blooming everywhere, the pool clean and bright, the waters tranquil, beckoning. It might not be the greatest hotel ever but just one look at it and you knew you’d be welcome there.
Staring at the pool as we passed, suddenly in my head I saw Neeta wrench Jonas’s arm and the memory of his wounded cry rang in my ears.
“Maybe we should stop by Pop’s, get Jonas,” I said softly.
“Hopefully he’s sleepin’,” Tate replied.
“But –”
“He’s had a tough day. Needs his sleep, Laurie,” Tate interrupted me. “We’ll get him first thing.”
I pressed my lips together then I sighed.
Then I agreed, “Okay.”
Tate flipped on his blinker and turned right into the hills.
“Tell me about Sunny,” I whispered.
“Ace –”