What the hell?
“Dad?”
“Oh, God, sweetie!” Jared fell to his knees and hugged her tightly. “God, what’s going on?”
“It’s…it’s Drake.” Chrissie was struggling to get the words out. “He…he’s inside. He wanted…wanted…”
She couldn’t stop the tears, sagging against her dad. Jared eased her to her feet, and then she was being passed to Forrest.
“Look after her, Forrest. I’m going to deal with this bastard.”
“Don’t kill him, Jared.”
“No promises,” Jared snarled.
Then he was gone, the outer door slamming behind him. Chrissie didn’t know what he was doing, and she didn’t care. She was just glad that she was away from Drake. She clutched onto Forrest, sobbing into his chest. He held her, stroking her hair as he tucked her under his chin.
“It’s okay, Chrissie. It’s going to be okay.”
In a brief moment, nestled in his arms, Chrissie believed him.
Chapter Six
How Jared didn’t kill Drake, Forrest had no idea. If he had heard what Chrissie said that Drake had told her, Drake would have been ripped to shreds.
Of all the people to have killed his wife and daughter, it was the guy who wanted his other daughter. And he didn’t care that he had left a family in agony for so long.
At least he was going to be dealt with now. It was going to be difficult for the team for a while, especially once the news hit the papers. Chrissie was going to be under a lot of scrutiny, people making assumptions that weren’t there.
I’m not going to let anyone upset her again.
Forrest watched as Drake was put into an ambulance, his face bloody and a bandage around his head, his arm in a sling. Jared was talking to a cop nearby, looking a little ruffled, but in better shape. He had said Drake tripped and fell down the stairs after a tussle. Forrest wasn’t about to argue with that; as far as he was concerned, Drake was really lucky that he was going away in an ambulance and not in a body bag.
“Is Dad going to get arrested?”
Forrest turned. Chrissie was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, huddled in his jacket. She had a bit more color in her cheeks now, and she had stopped crying.
“I don’t think so. Given what I’ve told the cops and what he tried to do to you, he’s probably going to get a slap on the wrist, if that.”
“I hope he doesn’t.” Chrissie swallowed. “He was only trying to help me. He was protecting me.”
“I think they get that.” Forrest climbed into his car and shut the door, shutting out the noise from outside. “How are you doing now?”
“I don’t really know. It…it happened so suddenly.”
“And he hit you.” Forrest reached out and brushed his fingers across the bruise forming on her forehead. “What did he hit you to cause that?”
“That was self-inflicted. I headbutted him.”
“You what?”
“I couldn’t get out of his grip, and my legs weren’t cooperating.” Chrissie shrugged. “Hurts like hell, but it got him off me.”
Forrest couldn’t be more proud of her. She was a tough one. He rested his hand across the back of her seat.
“Now, seeing as we’ve got a moment alone, are you going to tell me why you vanished on me like that this morning?”
Chrissie stiffened, and glanced away.