Page 70 of Your Last First Kiss

All the color drains from her face, and she runs forward. Miller opens the back door of Eddy’s car, and Lia jumps out in her princess PJs and runs to me. I scoop her up like I’ve done it a million times and tuck her into my side, trying to keep her little legs covered.

The sheriff steps forward, shaking his head.

Landon drops to his knees beside Penny in the snow, crying and explaining what happened as Eddy rolls around in his own blood, yelling about pressing charges.

Sheriff Jacoby listens for a few moments before he places handcuffs on Eddy, then puts him in the back seat of the police car.

“Penny?” I ask, lifting Landon out of the snow with one arm wrapped around his belly while cradling Lia in the other. She won’t look at me, and my gut twists.

“I think he’s okay. He needs a few stitches,” she says distractedly.

“Mr. Henry?” Lifting my head, I focus on Sheriff Jacoby’s angry face. “I hate to do this, but I saw ya hit him. He wants to press charges, so I have to take you in too.”

“No,” Kai screams.

Landon shakes against my body, and Lia sobs.

Gage stands on the porch in a T-shirt that says Not Today, barefoot and crying. “Don’t take Dewey and Dad.”

“Can we get them inside? I don’t want to do this in front of them,” Sheriff Jacoby says under his breath.

“Lenny, you’re not putting him in the same car as Eddy,” Miller rumbles as he takes Landon from my arms. “Just take Eddy in and then come back for Dillon. I’d bring him in, but we don’t have a big enough car for all six kids and us. You know this is bullshit anyway. Dillon was protecting these kids and himself.”

The sheriff nods and backs away. “I know, Matty. But the law is the law.” He faces me and looks genuinely apologetic. “For what it’s worth, you’ll be in and out in no time. But I have to take a statement, and there’s a process.”

“I understand,” I say tightly.

When I turn back, Penny has Kai on his feet. He’s pale and unsteady, but it could have been so much worse. Fuck. My stomach clenches. It could have been so much worse. She’s taken off her jacket and is holding it to his head. He shouldn’t need more than two or three stitches, but the kid is a bleeder. It looks much worse than it is. I’m proud of my girl for holding it together.

She cries in her closet when she thinks no one’s listening. Gage’s whispered secret hits hard.

Not anymore, she won’t. Not if I have anything to say about it.

CHAPTER22

DILLON

The sheriff said I’d be in and out, but it’s been almost two hours. Two hours without a damned update on Kai because I have no fucking idea where my phone is.

At least he kept his word and didn’t put me in a cell with Eddy. I’m not sure I could have controlled myself. For the first time in my life, I fear I could actually kill someone.

Instead, I’m pacing a conference room that’s seen better days and smells faintly of urine. There are light gray cement walls and a blue-speckled floor that looks like it was new in the sixties, and the folding chairs aren’t any better.

I’m climbing the damned walls in here.

The door finally opens, and I’m speaking before anyone can enter. “How’s Kai?”

“Well, you’ve got your priorities straight. I’ll give you that,” Remy says, stepping into the room and letting the door shut behind him.

Oh, no.

“Hi, Remy. Do you know how Kai is?”

He nods. “Take a seat, champ.”

Champ? Really? What am I, ten?

I take a seat.