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I shot her a funny look. “You were the one who called her your best friend.”
“Look, I can fake it with the best of them. That doesn’t mean I actually want a kid over here all the time.”
“Then why did you call her your best friend?”
Vira stared at me like I was an idiot. “Because I was trying to calm her down. You went all batshit crazy on her. What was that about, anyway?”
The look on his face flashed in my mind. Could I really have been so wrong? I thought for sure by the tone of his voice that something bad was going to happen. But then everything was fine.
Unless…
What if he was just waiting until he got her home to take out his anger on her? Oh God…He could be hitting her right now. I stood suddenly, storming for the door. I flung it open and stepped outside. The moment I walked down the steps, I had a choice to make. I could stay on my porch and live in my cocoon or force myself to leave on my own and check on that little girl.
I lifted my foot, my heart thudding harshly in my chest as I made my decision. I was going to do this. I was going to leave the comfort of my house and willingly put myself in a situation that I might not come back from.
My foot hit the ground and I took off.
* * *
“Where are we going?”
I jumped at the sound of Vira’s voice. I had no idea she’d followed me. Honestly, I was glad she was with me. “I have to check on that little girl.”
“Carli.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because... because her father yelled at her.”
“Okay… Fathers do that.”
“Yes, but it was the look on his face. He was angry. What if he does something when he gets her home?”
“I doubt he would do anything to her.”
“But you don’t know for sure,” I argued.
“Do you even know where you’re going?”
I stopped suddenly, cursing myself for not thinking this through. “No. I have no idea where they live. I just saw them coming from this direction.”
“Okay, give me a second.”
I ignored her as she made a phone call. Even though I knew I was doing the right thing, it didn’t ease the nerves running through my body. I never left my house without Bradford. He was always with me, and walking away without him felt so odd.
“One of the guys is going to meet us.”
“Which one?” I asked, nervous about meeting yet another one.
“Kavanaugh.”
“Thank God.”
Vira tangled her fingers with mine and held tight. She wasn’t normally like this with me, which meant I must be really freaking her out.
“Am I that bad?” I chuckled.