“I’ll go with you,” Tammy starts for the door.
“No,” Ascot moves in front, blocking her. “They can’t know Kevin came up here.”
Tammy blinks as several tears drop down. “What about that guy in the lobby? He knew.”
Ascot’s jaw tightens. “Yeah, and I have no doubt he was selling drugs to Kevin, too,” he shakes his head. “I’m not sure how your ex picked Marcus, of all the people in this city to buy from, but I’m guessing he knew more,” Ascot glances over to me. “Kevin must have been watching you, too,” his eyes go back to Tammy. “So, trust me, if Marcus is smart, he isn’t gonna say a word.”
Tammy quivers, nodding with new tears filling her eyes. I step toward her, wrapping my arm around her back.
“What are you going to tell the police?” I ask. “We need to get our stories straight.”
“The truth,” he says, keeping his eyes on me for an extra moment and I nod. “He tried to pick Camilla up from school without permission, then followed Tammy here and harassed you both,” he says, his voice low and calm. “You know what happened after that, we all witnessed his abuse, not to mention he was definitely on something.”
“You’re right,” I say, moving closer and lean in. “Thank you,” I whisper in his ear and kiss his cheek. “I love you.”
Ascot gives me a fast nod, kisses the side of my face and walks out, leaving me with Tammy, trembling in shock.
“Mama?” Camilla walks into the living room, rubbing her eyes. “I couldn’t find you.”
Tammy rushes to her, getting to her knees. “You fell asleep, Honey, I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Where’s daddy?” she scans the room.
Tammy glances up at me and I shake my head. “Oh, um, h-he had to go, Honey,” she explains, trying to hide the tear she wipes.
Camilla looks back at her mother. “He wasn’t being very nice, I’m glad,” she rubs her arm where Kevin grabbed her. “Mama, are you sad because he was being so mean?”
Tammy nods, wiping her eyes freely and pulls her daughter close. “Yes, baby, he made me sad, very, very sad.”
***
Forty-five minutes later, Ascot returns with an officer and we all look up from the sofa.
Shit.
“This is Tammy Kramer, Kevin’s ex-wife,” Ascot says and she stands, looking scared to death.
“I’m sorry to inform you, ma’am, but,” he pauses, looking down at Camilla and back at her but Tammy already knows, her body trembling.
“Camilla, come with me, sweetheart,” I take her hand and walk to the guest room, Camilla stares back at her mother, worried and confused. I gently close the door and sit on the bed, tapping the spot next to me. “Come here, honey.”
Camilla slowly walks to me and turns, taking a seat. “Is my…is my daddy dead?” she asks in barely a whisper.
Oh, no.
“Um,” I clear my throat. “It might be best if your mother…”
“It’s okay if he is,” she says, knuckling away a tear. “I hated him anyway,” her voice quivers. “He was mean to us. He made my mama sad all the time.”
I take her in my arms and hold her close, overcome with emotion that this little girl just lost her father. As bad as he was, it’s still terrible, so, so, terrible.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I whisper in her ear.
The door opens and I look up. Tammy rushes in, heading straight for us and I release Camilla.
“Mama,” Camilla brightens up, throwing her arms around Tammy’s neck when she gets to her knees. “Is daddy gone?”
Tammy’s eyes squeeze shut and she slowly nods. “He can never hurt us again,” she whispers, kissing the top of Camilla’s head. “I promise.”
“Can we go home now?” Camilla asks, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, baby, we can,” Tammy says, picking up her little girl.
I follow mother and daughter to the living room, devoid of its former chaos, now quiet and empty. Looking to my left, I notice Ascot sitting at the bar alone, deep in thought when our eyes meet and I give him a small smile.
Tammy approaches Ascot as Camilla’s head rests on her shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispers and leans in, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Ascot nods and passes a hand over Camilla’s face. “Take care of your mother,” he smiles up at her as Tammy makes her way to the door.
I pat Camilla’s back, tilting my head in her direction. “See you soon, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” she says, closing her eyes.
I glance up at Tammy, drying streaks of mascara still on her cheeks so I try to thumb them away. “Are you okay to drive?” I mouth the words in silence and she nods. “Are you sure? I can come home with you, make you something to eat, stay over…”
“I’m okay now,” she cuts me off, face softening as she tightens her arms around Camilla. “We’re both finally okay now.”
“You know where I am,” I stroke her hair. “You can call me any time you need me, day or night.”
Tammy nods again, smiling for the first time in hours as she carries her daughter away. I gently shut the door and press my head against it, closing my eyes in relief. It’s over now.
Somehow, it’s all over.
A warm hand drapes over my shoulder and I glance up. A look of concern falls over Ascot’s face and I let out a cry, bursting into uncontrollable sobs as he takes me in his arms, holding me tightly against his chest.
“Shhh,” he softly whispers, cupping my head, the stir of his warm breath in my hair. “We had no choice,” he swallows. “That little girl deserves more and so does her mother.”
I glance up and he loosens his grip. The bristle of black stubble shadows his face and I brush my fingers across it, stiff and soft at the same time. “You’re right,” I admit, studying his handsome features as I try to erase the horrific images still in my head. “I wish it didn’t have to happen at all.”
“Me too,” he whispers, gently sweeping the hair from my face. I lean back down, my cheek to his shoulder, soaking up the closeness of him and his gentle hand along my back. He holds me close without speaking, just breathing slowly so that I feel the rise and fall of his chest.
“What did the officer say about,” my breath hitches. “About the accident?”
Ascot clears his throat. “Not a whole lot, just that Kevin didn’t make it. He did ask Tammy and I a few questions about what happened.”
I close my eyes, keeping my arms wrapped about his waist. “Where they suspicious?”
He takes in a breath and sighs. “Not at all. We told him the truth mostly, leaving out the gun and tying him up part, but everything up to when Kevin left,” his fingers circle my back. “I also told the officer that Kevin seemed under the influence.”
“So, they’ll check to see what it was?”
“Mm, hum, that’ll be the first thing they do.”
“What about,” I swallow. “Medusa’s blood? Won’t they detect it?”
I can feel him shaking his head. “Nope, it’s just blood, nothing that will come up on a toxicology report.”