That’s when the paramedics came running into the house.
Along with the cops.
With their weapons drawn.
Fuck.
Chapter 5
They arrested both of them. Put both of them in cuffs. Dad ranted and raved and yelled at them to let him go. That he wasn’t doing anything wrong. That it was Lucas, all Lucas. That Lucas had abducted me and brainwashed me, and gotten me pregnant against my will. He even pulled the old “I’m a taxpayer. I’m your boss” card. It was sad. Embarrassing. If I hadn’t been so angry with him, I would have been heartbroken.
But I was angry with him. Furious. I couldn’t even look at him while the two cops cuffed him.
Instead, I stared at Lucas.
Unlike Dad, Lucas didn’t put up a fight. Not at all.
I freaking did though. I’d had a gutful of it all. Two other cops had to control me, arms behind my back, as I cursed at Dad.
“It’s okay, babe,” Lucas repeated over and over. “It’s okay.”
I still don’t know what definition of okay he was using. Sure as hell wasn’t mine.
Held still by the two cops, I watched them walk Lucas out of our home.
My chest ached. I could hardly breathe.
Dad, finally calming down, stood—wrists cuffed—beside one of the police officers. “Veronica, I won’t let you see Pratt any more. It’s for your own—”
“If you say good,” I said, not looking at him, “I will hurt you.”
“You see what Pratt’s done to you? To us?” He shook his arms, the jingle of the cuffs loud in the room. “You never would have said something like that to me before.”
“No.” I turned my head to look at him. The cops tightened their grips on my arms. Did they think I was going to attack him? “But I would have thought it. I did. Often. When you were telling me I couldn’t do things just because I could get hurt, or because I was a girl. Or when you were bossing Mom around and demanding dinner, when you yourself wouldn’t get off your ass to make it.”
“Oh, Ronnie.” Mom’s moaned rebuke came from where she still sat with Fluffy. I wanted to hug the hell out of her for not leaving him. “Now’s not the time.”
I narrowed my eyes at Dad—studying me now as if an extra head had suddenly sprouted from my shoulder. “You’re right, Mom. We’ll do it later.”
Giving myself a shake, I flicked the cops a look. “Let me go.”
“Let her go,” Mom repeated.
“I’d suggest you let her go, guys,” Fluffy grumbled. Jesus, he didn’t look good. The paramedics were fussing over him, trying to look at his wound. He kept waving them away. Clearly, like me, Fluffy wanted to get the situation with Lucas and my father sorted.
“I’m not going to go ballistic,” I promised.
They let me go. Smart cops.
Rubbing at my arms, I ignored Dad and hurried over to Fluffy and Mom.
“I’m okay,” Fluffy muttered. “Your mom’s got me. Go to Lucas. They’ll have him in the back of a squad car.”
“Mom?”
Mom nodded. “Go.”
Letting out a sigh, I crossed to where one of the cops who’d been holding me was now crouching down beside Maureen, checking her pulse. “She’s alive.”