hut, bracing herself.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Travis’s voice rose. “Who did you tell?” His eyes widened. He knew, his gaze slamming into their father. “Tig Whitman put his fat, white hands on my sister? And you knew? You… Why didn’t you do something?” He was hurt.
It had hurt like hell when she’d realized her father was human—flaws and imperfect and capable of making terrible mistakes.
“Travis.” Krystal tried to sit up, gripping the railing on the bed to steady herself.
“Krystal.” Jace’s hands held her shoulders. “Slow. Easy. Careful with yourself.”
“Mr. King.” Officer Washington’s voice dripped authority, her careful, methodical stare down of her brother and father impressive. “When did this happen?”
“Fifteen. Until I was almost sixteen.” She glanced at her father, her devastated father. “I was a handful back then, a kid who made stuff up and caused all sorts of hell. Now I know I was the sort of kid someone like him would look for.”
“Camp?” Emmy’s voice broke. “Momma sent you to that camp? Because of…this?”
Jace’s breathing was unsteady now, his hand against her back still.
“This is such bullshit.” Travis was pacing. “It’s not like you were setting things on fire, causing fights, or stealing shit. If you had? It shouldn’t have mattered.” He was glaring at their father again. “A parent should always believe their kid. A parent should always protect their kid.”
“Mr. King.” Her dark brows rose. “Last warning.” Officer Washington paused. “Back to the facts—to tonight. Who initiated the assault? Mr. Whitman is making his own claims about tonight.” Officer Washington paused again. “He says he was the victim.”
Which was hysterical and horrifying all at once. But really, what choice did he have? He wasn’t going to fall to his knees, confess, and ask for forgiveness. But her? Attack him? “Me and my superhuman strength? Since he’s there and I’m here, I’m guessing I didn’t hurt him all that badly?”
Officer Washington didn’t answer.
She paused. “He was close, too close, and I panicked. I started yelling for him to get out. And then, he put his hand over my mouth and I tried to get away.”
“I was there.” Sawyer shook his head. “I don’t know how it started, but I saw how it ended. He was on top of her. His hand was over her mouth and she was screaming to get away. Kicking, clawing, she fought—”
“I can’t do this.” Travis. Anger, sadness, and fury marred his normally carefree face. “I can’t.” He pushed through the hospital room, the echo of his boots rapid on the linoleum floor.
“Daddy.” Emmy stood. “He shouldn’t be alone. I’ve never seen him like that.”
Her daddy was torn. He didn’t want to leave her. But Travis was known to make poor decisions when he was upset. And he’d never been this upset before.
“Emmy’s right.” Krystal nodded.
“I’ll go.” Jace was up, jaw locked. “I’ll stay with him.” He looked at Emmy.
“I’ll stay with her.” Emmy nodded.
He nodded and stooped, pressing a kiss to Krystal’s forehead. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
It was hard to look him in the eye.
His thumb ran along her jaw. “You are. Believe me. I know.” Another kiss to her temple and then his footsteps were carrying him across the room.
She looked up once the hospital door swung shut, the weight of his absence making her hold on to her sister that much tighter.
“Miss King, let’s go over a few more things.” Officer Washington was talking again.
* * *
Jace was pretty sure that not being able to remember how he got here was one of the reasons he didn’t drink. Here, being here, facedown in a thick, fluffy white carpet. He turned his head, groaning, and hoped like hell the white fluffy carpet he was snoring on was located someplace familiar.
His first thought was Heather. His phone, near dead, was in his pocket. One text last night, saying she and Misumi were spending the night in the town house, another later, saying Emmy and Krystal were flying Brenna in this afternoon. A third saying she and Misumi were coming to the King house around nine this morning.
He had no idea what time it was. Or where he was. Or how the hell he’d get to where he needed to be, namely, wherever Krystal was.