Chapter 25

She's late. I'm sitting in the usual booth. At our usual spot. Waiting to meet up with Kiah. I've been here for thirty minutes. I tried to call and message her, but she's not responding to either. My stomach twists, and that gut feeling that something is really wrong hits me hard.

I'm warring with my better judgement. I know I shouldn't do it, but I find myself leaving the café. I jump in my car and head for her house. I'm risking my job by doing this, but I can't just sit back and wait for her to call me. Something is most definitely wrong. I could hear it in her voice this morning. I should have insisted on meeting her sooner.

The sound of my phone rings through the speakers of my car, drawing me out of my thoughts. I look at the screen, hoping to see Kiah's name, and see Gabe's pop up instead. He's a whole other issue I really don't want to deal with right now. I consider letting the call ring out, but change my mind.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. Where are you?" he asks.

"I'm just meeting up with a client. Why?" I don't tell him I intend to go to that same client's house to find her.

"No reason. I just wanted to hear your voice," Gabe says.

"Okay… Is something wrong?"

"Does something need to be wrong for me to call you?"

"No." I sigh.

"I want to take you out tonight. What time can I pick you up?"

"Um, how about seven?" I suggest.

"Perfect. See you then. I love you," he says.

"I love you too, but where are we going? I need a dress code to work with here, Gabe."

"Anything you want to wear is the dress code. But make sure it's comfortable and warm," he tells me.

"Warm. Okay, got it."

"See you soon," he adds before cutting the call.

When I stop outside of Kiah's mother's house, my stomach drops. I don't know why, but I have a horrible feeling about this. Still, even with the alarm bells ringing in my head, I get out of the car and walk up to the front door. I raise my fist and knock.

When no one answers, I knock again. I can hear movement inside and hushed voices right before the door swings open and a man sneers at me. "I ain't buying whatever you're selling," he says and moves to slam it in my face again.

I hold out an arm to stop him. "I'm here to see Kiah."

"She ain't here," he grunts and attempts to shut the door harder this time.

"Mind if I check?" I ask as I'm already stepping into the house through the small gap I created with my hand.

"Yeah, I do actually. Get out of my house." He reaches out to wrap a sweaty palm around my upper arm. His grip hard and unforgiving.

"Let go of me." I keep my tone calm but firm.

"You're trespassing in my house. Get the fuck out before I show you what happens to women who can't mind their own business," he hisses.

I ignore him and yell out, "Kiah, are you here?"

"I told you she ain't here," he yells louder as his free hand grabs my other arm, and he drags me out of the house before shoving me onto the porch. I fall onto my ass and watch in horror as the front door slams in front of me.

"Miss Blake?" A small voice catches my attention as my eyes shoot towards the side of the house.

"Kiah? Are you okay?" I ask and then gasp when I see her face. I've noticed the bruising on her before, but this…? This is worse than I've ever seen it. Her jaw is almost purple, her mouth swollen and her lip busted open. "Get in my car, now. I'm getting you out of here." I push to my knees, up to my feet, and walk towards the car.

"I can't," Kiah says.

I turn around. "Either you get in or I'm going to call the cops, Kiah." I've never spoken to her like this before, but enough is enough. She needs to get away from this place and I can't ignore the obvious abuse. There is no denying what's going on here anymore.

Kiah glances back towards the house and then over at me again. "Okay," she whispers before sprinting to my car.

I slide behind the wheel and shut the driver's side door as she's doing up her seat belt. Then I start up the engine and take off down the street. I have to get her to a hospital. She's not going to like it, but it has to be done.

"I'm so sorry," I tell her.

"It's not your fault," she says quietly, and I can read the betrayal all over her features. She believed it would be different this time. "I really thought she wasn't going to take him back again…"

"I know," I tell her.

I pull into the hospital car park and turn to face her. "Kiah, I know you're scared and I know you don't want to do this, but it's not going to get better. You have to report what happened to you. You have to let the authorities find you a better home."

"I don't want to change schools," she says.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Come on. We need to get a doctor to look at you," I tell her.

Two hours later, I'm walking out of the hospital again. Without Kiah. She's scared, and I hate that I have to leave her behind. I really wish I could have stayed longer, but I'm not her parent. There's not much I can do, not much more I'm allowed to do. I already overstepped.

She's being kept overnight while Children Services works on finding her emergency housing with a foster family. The woman I spoke with didn't sound too hopeful that she'd find somewhere close to Kiah's current school. I wanted to say I'd do it. That I'd take her home. I don't have a spare bedroom, though, and I can't house every child I want to save. I need to try to keep up a professional barrier, even if it's bloody hard to do.

I'm already running late by the time I make it to my apartment. When I step through the front door, Gabe is already there waiting for me. He's sitting on my sofa.

"Hey, I'm so sorry I'm late," I tell him.

"It's okay. You okay?" He stands and walks over to me. And the second his arms wrap around my body, I let myself sink into his embrace.

"It's just been a tough day. I had to take one of the girls to the hospital. It wasn't easy leaving her there," I explain.

Gabe runs his hand up and down my back. "You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, Daisy."

"I just want to help more," I admit. "It never feels like I'm doing enough for them."

Gabe doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to. Instead, he kisses the top of my head. "I love you so fucking much."

I look up at him and force a smile on my lips. "I love you too. How was your day?"

"Uneventful," he says.

"Okay. I'm going to go shower. I'll be real quick," I tell him before stepping out of his hold and shrugging out of my blazer. I throw it over the sofa and move towards my bathroom when Gabe's harsh tone has me stopping in my tracks and snapping my head in his direction.

"What the fuck?"

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Who the fuck put their hands on you, Daisy?" he hisses, while reaching out a hand to grab my arm. He lifts it to further inspect my already bruising skin. His hold is gentle. Light. Nothing like how Kiah's stepfather manhandled me.

I look down at my arm, then back up at Gabe. "It's nothing," I tell him and try to pull away.

"That's not nothing. Who fucking did this?" he asks again. This time through gritted teeth. He looks… murderous.

I take a step backwards. "Gabe, it's nothing. I'm going to jump in the shower and then you're taking me out. If that's not what's happening, you should just go home now."

"Daisy, I need to know," he pleads, his brows knit together and his expression softer.

"Why?" I ask, folding my arms around my waist. "So you can go and do something about it? I don't want you doing anything, Gabe. What I want is for you to take me out to wherever it is you had planned. What I want is to forget today ever happened."

He shakes his head. "Go have your shower."

"Gabe, promise me you're going to leave this alone." I don't trust that he's going to let this go. That he's not going to figure out who caused these bruises. And I'm not sure what he'd do, but the look in his eyes tells me it's not good. I don't want him getting into trouble because of me.

"Go have a shower," he repeats. "We're going to be late. I need to make a call." He doesn't say anything else as he walks out to the balcony, but he already has his phone to his ear when he shuts the glass door behind him.