Wrecked Palace Page 16

  “All right,” the dispatcher agreed.

  I handed the phone to Will. “Can you talk to her?” He nodded, and I turned my attention to Mia. “I gotta let you go so I can look at your face, Mi.” She only clung harder to me. “It’s okay. You’re okay. I just need to check your cut.” I took one of Mia’s hands and hooked her fingers through the belt loop on my jeans. “Just hold onto me here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Mia’s fingers tightened on the loop, and I was able to extricate myself from her hold. I quickly took inventory of Mia’s face. Her cheek had a series of small cuts, but nothing looked too serious. “Does it hurt anywhere other than your cheek?”

  Mia shook her head, and I let out a breath. “Okay. Ava, can you hand me a tissue from your desk?”

  Ava was by my side in a flash, the box in hand. “Here you go.” She was quiet for a moment before asking in a small voice, “Is she going to be okay?”

  I gave Ava a smile I hoped didn’t read as false as it felt. “She’s going to be just fine.”

  “What about you?” she asked, studying the side of my face.

  I realized my temple was throbbing. My fingers prodded the area, and I winced. As I brought them back, I found them sticky with blood. “I’m going to be fine, too. We just need to get cleaned up.” I turned my focus back to Mia, carefully studying the nicks in her perfect cheek, making sure there were no shards of glass left behind. They’d need to be cleaned with alcohol and dressed, but I didn’t exactly have access to my first-aid kit at the moment.

  When I was done wiping the blood away, I pressed a kiss to Mia’s forehead. “Feel better?”

  She didn’t say anything, just clung to my belt loop as if it were a personal safety line. I wrapped an arm around her and squeezed.

  “What about you, Cae Cae?” Ava asked. “Want me to clean your head?”

  I plucked a tissue from the box. “I got it.” I wiped at my temple, but it just seemed to keep bleeding.

  “The deputies are here,” Will called. “They’re approaching the house.”

  “Tell them the front door is unlocked,” I replied. And how stupid was that? I’d come in from lounging on the porch and hadn’t even thought to lock the deadbolt. I might as well have welcomed the attackers in with open arms.

  Footsteps sounded in the hallway. “Sheriff’s department.”

  “We’re in here,” I called.

  “Stay put for now. We’re going to search the house and then we’ll be back with an all-clear.”

  “Okay.” My voice was steady, but the rest of me was anything but. As my gaze swept the room, all I could think was that these kids had already been through something far too similar, and how all of this had to bring back so many terrible memories. I’d promised them and myself that I’d keep them safe.

  But I’d failed.

  24

  Griffin

  My phone rang just as I took a long pull of my beer. The sound almost had me choking on my drink. No one called me. But I’d taken to carrying the device around with me because I’d given Caelyn and Will the number. I wanted them to be able to reach me whenever they needed.

  Ford flashed across the screen, and my stomach sank. I hit accept. “Hey.”

  “You’re gonna want to get over to Caelyn’s place.”

  My muscles pulled so tight, I thought for sure one would snap. “What happened?”

  “Someone threw a brick through the window. Mia got a few cuts. We’re heading over there now, but I thought you’d want to know.”

  I didn’t hear anything after “Mia” and “cuts.” I stood, leaving my dinner out on the picnic table as I moved towards my truck. I started it up and headed for Caelyn’s at a speed that would get me cited for reckless driving if any cop stopped me. I didn’t care. The only thing I could think about was getting to Caelyn and the kids. Mia’s face flashed in my mind. So little and trusting.

  I pulled to a stop behind two sheriff’s department vehicles. Leaving my keys in the truck, I hopped out. If someone needed to move my vehicle, they could take it. I ran towards the house, not saying a word. When I reached the entryway, I saw two officers picking through glass and debris. A brick lay a foot away from a board game.

  They’d been sitting right there. Playing. And someone had sent that brick through their window.

  “Where are they?” My voice had a feral quality to it.

  One of the deputies rose, his hand going to his gun. “And you are?”

  “It’s okay,” Kenna called from the kitchen. “He’s a friend.” She turned to me. “Go around back, everyone’s in the yard. I’m just getting the kids some juice.”

  I was moving before she finished speaking, jogging down the porch steps and rounding the sunny yellow house. My eyes caught on Will first. A mixture of rage and fear overtook his expression. Ava was curled in Bell’s arms, her head on Bell’s shoulder. Then I landed on Mia and Caelyn. Caelyn was turned away from me slightly, talking to Parker.

  But Mia saw me immediately. “Griffin,” she wailed. “I want Griffin.”

  I don’t think I’d ever moved so fast. In an instant, I was taking her from Caelyn’s hold. “It’s okay, Little Bit. You’re safe.” I said the words over and over, as much for myself as for her.

  “Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

  Her words cracked something deep in my chest. “I’m not going anywhere.” But I wanted to. I wanted to run fast and far, and I hated myself for it. How had this happened? And so quickly? I cared about them all. Every last one of this O’Connor brood. And if any of them were truly hurt? Worse? I would lose the little ground I’d gained.

  I’d kept myself removed for so long. Not letting even a single person break through the wall that protected me from the possibility of destruction. But that wasn’t the case any longer. I was linked to this family, and I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do to sever that tie—even if I’d wanted to.

  My gaze locked with Caelyn’s, and I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. A rage like I’d never known before lit through my veins as I took in the side of her face. A long gash curved the side of her temple. I held out my empty arm, and Caelyn immediately walked into it. I held them as tightly as I could without hurting them.

  I lost all track of time as we stood there. I breathed them in. They were hurt, but they were safe. I wasn’t going to lose them.

  Parker cleared his throat. “EMTs are here to check Caelyn out.”

  I reluctantly let her go, but Mia stayed curved around me like a monkey. “It’s okay, Little Bit,” I whispered in her ear, rubbing a hand up and down Mia’s back.

  “I really don’t need EMTs. I just need some alcohol swabs and a Band-Aid,” Caelyn protested.

  “The EMTs are going to look at you. Mia, too.” I tried to keep my voice even, but there was a bite to it that I couldn’t disguise.

  Caelyn sighed. “Fine.”

  Crosby pushed to his feet. “Now that Griffin’s here, Ford and I are going to go get some plywood so that we can board up that window when the techs are done.”

  “Thanks, Crosby,” Caelyn said.

  He nodded. There was no mischievous grin or smartass comment tonight. Crosby looked like someone no one in their right mind would want to mess with. He met my gaze. “You got them?”

  “I got them.” Nothing else would happen to this family if I had anything to say about it.

  As Crosby and Ford headed out, Kenna appeared with two juices in her hands. “You want some apple juice, Mi?”

  She shook her head. “Want my giant.”

  Kenna gave us a watery smile. “Looks like you’ve got him.”

  Mia clung even tighter to me. I picked up rubbing her back again as the EMTs rounded the side of the house. Her little fingers curled into the neck of my shirt. “No! I don’t want to go with them.”

  “I’ve got you, Little Bit. They’re just going to check out Caelyn and then look at your cheek.” Whoever had sent that brick through the window had better hope I
didn’t find out who they were.

  “Caelyn, you okay?” an EMT in his mid-twenties asked.

  “I’m fine, Nick. Just a little bump on the head.”

  “That is not just a bump on the head,” I growled.

  She rolled her eyes at me. If Caelyn was giving me grief, that meant she would be fine. I let out a slow breath and leaned against the picnic table, keeping Mia in my arms. I glanced at Parker as the two EMTs began assessing Caelyn’s injuries. “What the hell happened?”

  Will edged closer to our conversation as Parker started to speak. “We’re not sure. Brick through the front window, but no one saw a person on foot or in a car. We’ve gone house to house on this block and haven’t gotten a single witness.”

  I looked at Will. “What did you see?”

  A muscle in his cheek ticked. “Not a damn thing. I was in my room playing piano and heard a crash. I thought someone might’ve dropped a dish or something. But then there was screaming.” Will’s face reddened as he did his best to hold back tears. “By the time I got out there, whoever threw the brick was long gone. We got the girls out of there and into the bedroom and waited for the deputies.”

  I squeezed Will’s shoulder. “You did good. You kept them safe.”

  “I didn’t,” he said in a rough whisper. “Caelyn and Mia are hurt. They—”

  “No,” I cut him off. “You got them out of a dangerous situation. Got them somewhere safe while you waited for help. Did you know someone was going to throw a brick through that window?”

  Will shook his head. “Of course, not.”

  “Then there’s nothing else you could’ve done. Don’t take on what some other asshole did.”

  “You said a bad word,” Mia whispered sleepily.

  I chuckled. “I guess I’ll be on kitchen duty tomorrow.”

  “I’ll help you,” she offered.

  “Thanks.”

  I heard Caelyn suck in a sharp breath, and my head jerked in her direction. Nick the EMT was probing the cut on her head. My jaw tightened as I pushed off the table and headed in their direction. “Careful. Can’t you see she’s hurting?”

  He sent a scowl in my direction. “I’m doing my job.”

  “Well, do it a little more gently,” I gritted out.

  Parker dropped a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, okay. Let’s all dial it back a notch.”

  Caelyn forced a smile. “I’m fine, really. A piece of flying glass must’ve nicked me.”

  Everything about her said otherwise. Her face was pinched in pain. Her skin even paler than her normal fair complexion. And there was something below the surface…fear. I bit back a dozen curses I wanted to let fly free. “I think we should take you to the hospital. Let a doctor check you out.”

  “No. I don’t need a hospital. I don’t even need the EMTs. I just need a Band-Aid and a couple of Tylenol. That’s it.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Parker got there first. “What do you think, Nick? Hospital? Or is she okay without it?”

  The EMT carefully taped a bandage into place on Caelyn’s head. “There’s no sign of a concussion. I think she’ll be fine.”

  “You think?” I barked. Who was this idiot? Had he even gone through medic training?

  Bell appeared at my side, an arm still wrapped around Ava. “My dad can check her out in the morning. I think, right now, everyone just needs some sleep. Ford and I can stay here tonight.”

  “They’re going to stay with me until Parker figures out who’s behind this.” The words were out of my mouth before I could consider the wisdom of them. All I could think about was having Caelyn and the kids behind my fences and cameras and alarms.

  “We are?” Caelyn asked, blinking rapidly.

  “I’ve got an alarm system, cameras. And there are enough rooms finished upstairs now for you to all have your own. You’d just have to share two bathrooms.”

  Ava looked up at me. “We all share one bathroom here. Two will be even better.”

  “I don’t know,” Caelyn began. “I don’t want us to invade your space and—”

  “Please,” Mia cut her off. “I want to stay with my giant. He’ll protect us.”

  I felt a burning sensation deep in my chest—a mixture of pride and fear. I rubbed a hand up and down Mia’s back. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

  25

  Caelyn

  I sighed as I shut the door. “I never thought they’d go down.”

  Griffin gave my shoulder a squeeze. “They’ve been through a lot today. It’s understandable.”

  I nodded woodenly. I wanted to lean into Griffin’s touch. To let the warmth of him swallow me whole. As if he sensed it, Griffin pulled me into his arms and simply held me. My cheek pressed against his chest, and the steady beat of his heart calmed something inside me.

  Griffin’s chin rested on the top of my head. “You’re safe here. I promise.”

  “I know.” I never felt safer than I did when I was with Griffin. I wanted to battle against that feeling. To hold tight to my autonomy as protector of my family. But I was exhausted. And scared out of my mind. If that brick had hit one of the girls in the head, they could’ve been killed.

  I shivered, and Griffin pulled me tighter against him. “What is it?”

  “It could’ve been so much worse. The girls could’ve been badly injured. Killed. And their faces. God, Griffin. I promised them that they’d never have to go through what they did when they were younger. But here we were barricaded in a bedroom. Again. I broke my promise.” Tears spilled over, tracking down my cheeks and onto Griffin’s shirt. He only held me tighter.

  “They’re strong, Caelyn. They’re going to get past this. Sure, they’ll be scared for a few days, but kids are resilient. And they have you. You make them feel safe.”

  I sniffed into Griffin’s shirt. “I’m not so sure about that. Mia wanted her giant.”

  Griffin chuckled, the sound reverberating in his chest. “I guess sometimes it comes in handy to be tall. She thinks I can scare all the bad guys away.”

  I released my hold on Griffin and forced myself to step back. “Thank you. For everything. I’ll never be able to repay—”

  He scowled at me. “Quit it. You don’t owe me anything.”

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the sternness in his expression. “Okay. No owing. But I can still thank you.”

  “If you have to.”

  “I do.” I reached out and patted Griffin’s chest, the planes of muscle a physical manifestation of how steady and strong he was. “So, you’re just going to have to figure out a way to endure it.”

  Griffin’s lips twitched. “I’ll endure it.” His hand captured mine, and he gave me a gentle tug. “Come on. I need to show you a few things.”

  Instead of releasing me when I began to follow, Griffin linked his fingers with mine, weaving them together so we were one force moving through the house. I’d wanted the feeling for so long. The deep knowledge that someone had my back. A partner who would face all the trials that life brought alongside me. I tried to shake it off. Because Griffin was my friend, not my boyfriend or partner or lover. He was simply a man with the kindest of souls.

  Griffin came to a stop outside his office. “How good is your memory?”

  My brows drew together. “Like can I remember what year JFK was assassinated or can I remember where I left my car keys?”

  He grinned. “How are you with passwords?”

  “Pretty good, I guess.” There was no need for me to admit that all of my passwords were variations of the same thing.

  Griffin nodded slowly as if unsure I was telling the truth. “You’ve already got the alarm system down, but I need to give you a couple of others.” He crossed to his desk, releasing my hand as he went. I was suddenly colder and felt so very alone.

  Griffin tapped a few keys on the keyboard. “It’s be7mo3da26. That will get you into the system.”

  “I don’t need to use your computer. Everything I need i
s on my phone.” I didn’t even have a computer at home. Will had a secondhand laptop he used for school, but that was it.

  “I want you to be able to bring up the cameras. Come here.” Griffin motioned me over next to him. “Here’s the app.” With a few clicks, we were suddenly looking at various views of the property. “They’re equipped for night vision so you can see whatever you need to at any time.”

  I watched in fascination as he clicked from camera to camera. Some of the images made sense. The front gate. Entry points to the house. A few of the workshop. But there were at least a dozen others. Views of the pond. The back fence. “This is a lot…”

  Griffin stiffened in his chair, and I wanted to give myself a swift kick. I laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not judging. I’m just wondering why you have it all. Do that many people try and bother you?”

  He exited out of the camera app, hitting a button so the computer screen went black. “Want something to drink?”

  His avoidance of the question shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. I hated that this man knew everything about me, and yet there was still so much he held back. “Sure. Do you have any tea?”

  A small smile ghosted Griffin’s lips as he headed for the kitchen. “I always keep a box. I can’t stand it. But my mom loved the stuff. It just seemed wrong not to have it in the kitchen.”

  It wasn’t an answer to what I’d asked, but it was something. A piece of his story. “What was her favorite?”

  “Peppermint.”

  I smiled as he moved to a cabinet and pulled out a box. Grabbing the kettle, I began filling it with water. “I make the kids peppermint tea every time they have an upset stomach. That or sassafras.”

  “Sassafras is a real thing? I thought that was something they only talked about in old Westerns.”

  I chuckled, turning the burner on and placing the kettle down. “Very real, and it’s magic when it comes to nausea.”

  “Good to know.” Griffin laid a tea bag next to the stove and pulled out a glass for himself, filling it with water. “I became pretty fixated on security after college. My shrink said it was because it was something within my control. Something I could do to keep myself safe.”