Knight caught my eye and gave a chin lift. "Hey, man."
Jaxon stopped playing and set the guitar down.
"More unca Jax," Cambry demanded.
Jaxon lifted her and smiled. "In a bit, sweetness. I gotta have a word with Hatch."
"Co here, baby," Knight said, and held his arms out. "Hang out with Dad for a bit."
Jaxon handed Cambry off to Knight, and I led Jaxon down to the conference room in the back. Jaxon closed the door and leaned against the table. "Took care of the Ryan issue."
"’Preciate it."
"Got a bigger one."
"Shit," I breathed out, crossing my arms.
"Alison’s out."
"What the fuck?" I snapped. "I thought psychiatric holds were irreversible? And what happened to the bitch bein’ under arrest?"
"She made bail and convinced her therapist she’d take her ds and stay away from Maisie and Poppy until the trial details are decided."
"That’s not fuckin’ good enough," I roared. "Poppy and Grace go to the sa fuckin’ school, Jaxon, there’s no way for them to avoid each other."
"We’ll put a car on the school. Make sure she complies."
"I’m done with you fuckin’ doin’ anything, Jax. We’ll take care of it from here. This is bullshit."
I ripped open the door and stord out to my truck. I didn’t stop, even when Knight called my na and I heard heavy footsteps following. I felt an urgent need to get to Poppy before Alison could. I didn’t know why, there was no reason to believe Alison would even be there today, but I refused to let that crazy bitch anywhere near her.
"Hatch!" Knight called again, slamming his hand against the hood of my truck. "Hold up, man."
"Gotta pick up Poppy. We’ll talk later."
"Brother, just take a beat."
"She’s fuckin’ out, Knight."
"Yeah, man, I get it. But Flea’s on the school, so’s Brock. No one’s gettin’ close to Poppy. So don’t go drivin’ off half-cocked," he said. "Just take a beat."
"It’s been a beat." I pulled open the door. "I’ll talk to you later."
Knight nodded and backed away, so I could back out of the parking space. I debated whether or not I should call Maisie, but I figured she would have gotten notice already. Just as I hit the freeway, my phone rang, so I hit the hands free. "Hatch."
"Honey?"
Fuck, she’d been crying.
"You heard?" I asked.
"Yes," she sniffed. "How did you hear?"
"Jaxon just told ," I said. "I’m on my way to the school now."
"How could they possibly let her out?" Maisie demanded.
I sighed. "I don’t know, baby. But you’re safe, yeah?"
"I am so sick of being stuck in the bloody flat, Connor. I want out."
"I know, Sunshine, but you—"
"Need to heal. I fucking know that!" she snapped.
I was so surprised to hear her drop the f-bomb, I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Damn, her foul mouth was surprisingly sexy.
"Stop laughing at ."
"Sorry, baby. It just took by surprise. Look, I’m pulling up to the school now. Jaxon’s got his guy watchin’ the south entrance and we’ve got guys watchin’ too. Poppy’s covered."
"I’m not worried, Connor, I’m pissed," she clarified. "She’s sick! She needs help. What if she hurts soone else? Because her husband’s a cop and she has money, she’s out? It’s unfair."
"You have money too, baby. Fight it."
"I fully intend to! But that’s not the point."
I really had no idea what the point was now, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask, but I was curious, so, "Wanna fill in, beautiful?"
"What about the people who don’t have money?"
Well, that kind of went in a different direction.
"They aren’t currently your problem, baby."
"Well, maybe they should be!" She burst into tears. "There are people who get stuck with dical bills because soone else has intentionally hurt them and then gotten off because they had money to buy their way through the system. Who’s fighting for the injured people who don’t have money, huh? Who?"
"I don’t know, baby."
"They’re just hard-working people, Connor. Trying to do the right thing," she continued.
"I get it, Sunshine," I said. "When did you last take your ds?"
"About an hour ago."
I frowned. "Just how much Oxy did you take?"
"I’m out of Oxy."
Shit. "So you took the Vicodin?"
"Yes."
I found a parking space right out front of the school and parked. "You’re not out of Oxy, rember? I picked up the refill this morning. It’s up next to the spices. You can’t take the Vicodin because it makes you really sad."
"It doesn’t make that sad," she sniffed.
I shook my head. She had enough emotional shit going on without the pills adding to the stress. "Baby, no more Vicodin."
"But what about the people who can’t pay their dical bills?"
"We’ll find out how you can help them, okay?" He climbed out of the truck. "But let’s give it a day or two."
"Okay," she conceded. "Can we help Sarah McLachlan’s puppies too?"
Fuck . I dropped my head back. "Sure, Sunshine. Whatever you want to do."
"Thanks, Hatch."
"You good, baby?"
"Yes," she whispered. "I’m good."
"Don’t take anything else until I can monitor your ds, okay?"
"Okay."
"I’m gonna hang up and get your girl now, yeah?"
"Okay, darling." She sighed. "Thank you."
I smiled. "You got it."
I slid my phone into my pocket and headed to the school entrance to wait for Poppy.
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