Page 98 of The Sweetheart
“Don’t worry, you little shits. Daddy will be home in no time,” Dom sneered at the twins, lunging at them, even as the cops tried to haul him away. Nolan stepped in front of the little group, locking eyes with Dom as the cops dragged him over to the cruiser and manhandled him into the back. They were distracted by the door to the trailer opening, another officer leading a paramedic at the bottom end of a stretcher. Nolan felt a surge of rage, his stomach clenching against the sudden blow of seeing Riley emerge on the stretcher. Her face was raw and swollen, the skin broken on her lips and cheeks and brow. Her left eye was swollen completely closed, and blood matted her hair on the left side of her head.
“Mom!” Casey and Callum screamed simultaneously, rushing to her side, both of them immediately bursting into tears as they tried to hug onto her. It was only then that Nolan noted the sling around her right arm as she tried to comfort them. Justin, Jason and Kai all rushed forward.
“Where are you taking her?” Jason asked the paramedic.
“St. Mike’s. Are you sure you don’t want us to take a look at that?” She nodded to his face. He shook his head.
“No. It’s good. We’ll meet you there.”
“You guys stay with Jason and Justin. I’ll be right back,” Riley said, her voice hoarse as she kissed each boy. The twins allowed Kai and Justin to pull them away, even as tears streamed down their faces as they watched her get loaded into the back of the ambulance. Nolan had never felt so helpless in his life.
“Come on, let’s go. I’ll take you guys down there.”
“Are you sure, man?” Jason asked.
“Yeah, of course. Does anyone have a key to lock up her place?”
Jason nodded and disappeared into the trailer.
“Hey, come help me,” Nolan said to Kai. Kai relinquished the twin he was holding to Justin and followed Nolan over to the car. Together, they pulled up the last row of seats in the SUV to make room for all of them.
“Are you okay?” Nolan asked quietly. Kai shook his head. Nolan pulled Kai into him, and he sagged against him.
“He’s going to fucking kill her one day,” Kai muttered into him, frustration and grief weighing on every word.
“Is it always like this?”
“No, this is really bad even for him.” Officers were still talking to some of the neighbours, but others were trickling away. Nolan tightened his arms around Kai, relieved that Kai was escaping this grim place.
“Okay. Let’s get to the hospital and see what the doctors are saying, and then figure out where we’re going to go from there.”
“Okay. Maybe this is the answer though.” Kai looked up at him hopefully. “Maybe she’ll finally leave him and come with us.”
“Maybe. Talk to her before you say anything in front of the twins. Why don’t you tell everyone to pack some gear and come stay with us tonight? We’re closer to the hospital, and they can probably do with a bit of a break hmm?”
Kai’s leaned up to press a kiss to Nolan’s mouth. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Go on now.” Nolan pressed one more kiss to his mouth and then turned him back towards the trailer. Fifteen minutes later, they were all piled in, subdued but on their way.
39
“Iforgot to tell you, I found Jeremiah,” Kai told Nolan abruptly as they sat together at the hospital while they waited for an update on Riley. They’d seen her briefly when they first got there, but she’d since been wheeled away for X-rays. Kai couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten such a huge story.
“Who?” They were squished together on a tiny two-seater style chair. Kai had draped himself over Nolan’s lap, his legs hanging over the armrest, while Nolan scratched his fingers lazily through Kai’s hair.
“Jeremiah. The kid from the gala. Remember?”
“How could I forget? Wait. You found him? How?”
“He came to the cafe the other night.” Nolan looked stupefied, probably the way that Kai had looked the day that he’d opened that back door to see Jeremiah standing there.
“Baby, that’s amazing! Is he okay?”
“He is now.” Kai went quiet, wrapped in his thoughts, embarrassed but wanting to tell Nolan everything.
“That’s why I called you,” he said quietly so the other guys couldn’t hear. “Everything was so fucked up and I just wanted to hear your voice again.”
Nolan’s expression turned tender, his mouth quirking in a soft smile.
