“No. Not really.” She stuffs her hands in her pockets and turns her face down.

“Stretch your arms out and wiggle your wrists for me.”

Destiny blinks. “What?”

“...it’s what my dad did when he picked me up from school in fourth grade after I fell off the monkey bars. Just do it.”

With a frustrated sigh, she holds out her arms, rattles them, and then rolls her wrists.

“See? No permanent damage. I think.”

“Try rolling your ankles, too,” I say, watching carefully as she steps away from the wall.

“And then I do the hokey pokey and turn it all around?” She raises one foot and moves it around in a circle for me. “You’re acting like Dad.”

“Humor me, please.”

With a trademark teenager eyeroll, she raises her other foot and turns it.

“Good, good. You’re a lucky girl.” I grab my phone then and dial Cole’s number.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Calling your father,” I mouth as his phone rings in my ear.

“You’ve reached Cole Lancaster. This is Saturday and I’m in a meeting until five o’clock. I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.”

Voicemail. I cut the call.

“That figures. Looks like he’s in a meeting I didn’t know about.” He’s going to hate me.

I pull up the number for the Seattle PD and hit Call.

“What now?” Destiny looks at my screen, worried.

“We have to do a police report. Your thieves could still be out there, and maybe you were just the first hit,” I tell her as a woman answers.

Thank God.

I explain the situation and she says she’ll send a police unit over to the area.

I try Cole again, get his voicemail again, and then text him while I grind my teeth.

Call me as soon as you get this. It’s Destiny. She’s okay, but you’ll want to see her ASAP.

We’re there for another half hour or so, dealing with the cops.

A deputy asks her to tell her story, what the men looked like, and she gives them every detail, her voice trembling. They ask her if she wants to go to the hospital, but she refuses.

Meanwhile, my heart splinters about a hundred more times.

This hurt, scared girl looks so much younger than her age.

Finally I say, “Is that enough for now, Officer? She’s fifteen and she’s been through a traumatic event. She’s answered your questions. I’d like to get her out of the sun, somewhere she can rest.”

“Of course, ma’am,” the cop says.

I turn to Destiny. “Let’s go. My apartment isn’t far. I’ll make you something to drink, and you can rest until I get a hold of your dad.”

“If you haven’t got in touch with him yet...does he really need to know?” She sounds so tired.

“Yes. Your dad has the right to know that someone mugged you, Dess. Don’t be too hard on him.”

“Fiiine.” She groans. “He’s just never gonna let me leave the house again.”

I’m not sure I blame him, I think as we start moving.

Destiny follows me at a slow, steady pace as we exit the alley.

Outside the chaotic scene, it’s a serene summer day. We pass several groups of loud, laughing people with bulging shopping bags swinging from their arms.

“Ma’am,” the cop says, reappearing behind me.

I spin around on one heel to face him.

“You ladies need a ride home? It’d save her some stress on that leg, I bet.”

“Oh, sure. That would be great,” I say.

He leads us to his car and we both slide into the back.

Destiny looks at me with an unexpected grin. “Badass. I’m posting a selfie from the back of the squad car.”

I fight the urge to laugh.

“Dess, please don’t post anything until I’ve talked to your dad. We don’t want him freaking out more than he already will be if he sees it.”

Once the cop is behind the wheel again, I give him my address, and he pulls away from the curb.

I glance up at the officer in the mirror. “Can I ask a question?”

“Sure,” he says.

“Do you think it’s okay for her now?” I hesitate, unsure how to word what I need to say. “Do you think she...” Will recover? Will have soul-crushing nightmares for months to come over this? I can’t say that with Destiny right here, even if she’s absorbed in snapping selfies she shouldn’t be taking.

“She’ll be fine, ma’am. I think this was just a random robbery and assault. There’s been a string of them in this area, I’m afraid.” He drops us off at my apartment a few minutes later. “You two be careful, now.”

I take Destiny inside and sit her on the toilet in my bathroom for a better look at her wound. With a quick scrub and some antiseptic, it’s not so bad. A little bandage and she’s good as new.

In the kitchen, I throw together a seltzer water. I pour it over ice with a twist of lime, mashing the wedge on the side of the glass.

Tags: Nicole Snow Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net