“No one,” I say matter-of-factly.
“Well, here’s my card. If you think of anything or anyone, please give me a call. We'll be doing a full investigation due to the nature of the explosion. Stay safe, Liam. This is a dangerous situation until we figure out who did this.”
“Thanks, Detective.” We exchange a firm handshake, and before I go back to the waiting area, I pull out my phone, look around, then call Victoria.
Having to reach out to her fucking sucks, but I need to confront her, though I’m not sure she’d admit it anyway. Surprisingly, she answers the phone on the third ring.
“What do you want?” she asks in her typical bored tone.
Not the nicest way to answer, but not completely unexpected either.
I let out a long sigh and keep my voice low. “What the fuck are you trying to do?”
“Excuse me?”
“Listen. I know you tried to fucking kill me, Victoria. You planted something in the goddamn Mercedes so it would blow the hell up when I unlocked it. That’s really messed up, even for you.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t try to kill you because honestly, I don’t give two shits about you anymore. And what do you mean, blow up? I already scheduled to have it picked up next week.”
I pause for a moment, trying to comprehend what she said. “What?”
Between gritted teeth, she speaks. “I had already found a buyer for that vehicle. Now I’m fucking livid. Is this a fucking joke?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “No! But it’s destroyed. A piece flew and struck Maddie in the head,” I grit, still fuming. “You sure this isn’t just another one of your childish games?”
“How dare you! Why would I destroy something I spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on? Are you an idiot?” Her voice raises in octave until she’s nearly screaming. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard. “Wait, never mind. That was a stupid question.”
It’s not healthy for her to be so upset while pregnant, and even though I don’t give two shits about her, I’m not going to let her use this to blame me for her going into preterm labor or anything, so I try to be civil and end the conversation. “I apologize for accusing you and sorry about all this. I have no idea who did it.”
“Thankfully, I have insurance on it,” she throws back without any compassion that Maddie got hurt. “Guess it’s not a complete loss.”
I roll my eyes. “The detectives are going to do a full investigation, so I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
“Alright, great. Well, I gotta go. You’ve wasted enough of my time already,” Victoria tells me before ending the call.
Frustrated, I shove my phone in my pocket, then walk back to the waiting room and see Sophie has returned. As soon as she sees me, she gives me a hug. I can tell she’s upset.
“They’re going to move her into another room soon to observe her overnight. I’m so glad you’re okay. You could’ve died, Liam.” Sophie searches my face, and I place my hand on her shoulder.
“Soph, I’m fine. A little shaken up and anxious about Maddie, but I’m okay. And she’s going to be okay too.” I try to console her and it seems to work because she sits down and places her head on Mason’s shoulder, who wraps his arms around her.
“What did Logan say?”
“Logan?” I question. “Oh, Detective Knight. He told me to be careful and to call him if I think of anything that may help them find who did this.”
“It’s obvious this was done intentionally to kill you,” Hunter speaks up, Aaron asleep in his arms.
“Yeah, and that’s the scary part. Whoever it is knows where I live. Knows what I drive. I don’t think this is going to be over anytime soon, and I need to get to the bottom of it so no one else gets hurt.” I can’t even bring myself to make eye contact with them. It’s not only me who’s in danger, but my friends too.
A nurse explains they’re moving Maddie to the sixth floor of the hospital and gives us the room number. All of us make our way to the elevator, and I once Lennon is back, I hear her tell Sophie they’ll need to go soon because Aaron is getting cranky. We say our goodbyes, then Mason, Sophie, and I step inside. We’re quiet as the elevator climbs, and I’m still trying to understand everything.
Before we walk inside the room, Sophie stops me. “Do you think Victoria is behind this?”
Mason stares at me.
“Not anymore. I called her, and she was actually pissed off because she had already sold it.”
“That’s frightening, Liam,” she says. “The enemy you know is always better than the one you don’t.”
“I know.” I let out a ragged breath and contemplate putting cameras outside the house. Perhaps one of those camera motion-sensor doorbells would be smart so if whoever did this returns, I’ll be able to see who it is.
Maddie’s bed is adjusted higher than before, and she grins when she sees us.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, brushing my fingers gently against her cheek.
“Like shit.” A small smile follows her words, and I offer to help adjust her pillow until she’s comfortable.
Sophie chats with Maddie, asking her what she remembers from today. It takes her a minute to recall walking outside with me. After a second, she turns to me. “Wait, weren’t you going to give me something? I imagine it wasn’t a cut to the head and a concussion,” she jokes with a weak chuckle.
I try to laugh but can’t even force it. “I got you a T-shirt with a ballerina on it. Thought it’d look cute on you.”
She sticks out her bottom lip. “That’s sad. Do you think it’s ruined?”
Mason chuckles. “There’s nothing left but the tires and frame.”
I remember the file folders of research I had moved in there too. It’s going to take me weeks to compile all that again, but right now, I can’t worry about it. The only thing I’m concerned about is Maddie because she’s the most important. The Mercedes, the paperwork, the shirt—all of it can be replaced. Maddie can’t.
Mason stands and stretches as Sophie yawns.
“You all should go. I’m pretty tired,” Maddie says.
“Are you sure?” Sophie asks. “We’ll stay here with you for a little while longer.”
“No, I’m good. I’ve had a long day,” she insists. “Plus hospitals suck. I know those chairs can’t be cozy.”
Sophie shrugs. “Okay, if you’re sure that’s what you want.”
“I am. Go. I’ll be fine as long as they keep pumping me with the good stuff.” She closes her eyes tight, and I know it’s her head. I had a concussion a few times, and it was terrible. I was unable to focus, and felt disoriented and exhausted all at the same time.
Sophie leans over and hugs Maddie. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The doctor walks in with a folder and looks around the room before going to Maddie. “I wanted to go over your CT scan results with you. Is it okay if they’re in the room?”
“Yes, they’re family,” she says, and the doctor nods.
“There are no signs of swelling or bleeding, which is kind of a miracle considering how hard you were hit. So we’ll just keep an eye on your vitals, and if everything looks fine throughout the night, you’ll be released tomorrow.” He pats Maddie’s hand with a small smile. “Sounds like you took a pretty hard fall, so enjoy the meds while you can.”