Saving Us (Mitchell Family #6)(22)
Author: Jennifer Foor

While I was still thinking about everything she said, she grabbed my arm. “Please say something.”

“You said you called the cops and they couldn’t help you?” I was trying to remain calm even though I knew I was slowly losing it.

“Yes, they came and said that we had to have proof that he was threatening us. Right now it is just two women saying that someone threatened them. Without me even seeing him for a while didn’t help.”

“You ain’t goin’ back to that salon. Call who you need to and have them come here instead.” There was no way I was going to put her in harms way, not now, not ever.

“I don’t need a babysitter. That is my business Conner. I can’t just tell people to go somewhere else.” Her makeup was running down her face from where she was starting to cry.

“I never said you needed a babysitter, but I’ll be damned if I let something happen to you and that baby. Stop bein’ selfish. I need to know you’re safe.” I was adamant about my decision. She was staying away from that salon, at least until we could figure out a way to keep her safe.

I slammed my hand into the kitchen table, catching everyone off guard and scaring the twins enough to make them start crying. “Conner, you need to calm your ass down. How do you even know that Heather is telling the truth about bein’ threatened? We all know how she lies.” My sister didn’t have to tell me what I already knew.

“Have you heard anything I’ve been saying? Rick may have killed his first wife. I didn’t even know about her. I thought his family was all dead and they might be alive somewhere. He has a son that nobody knew of. You’ve seen what he did to me when he got mad. I don’t doubt anything Heather said. I hope she’s away by now, because even after everything she put this family through, I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone.” Amy started crying harder. She got up and headed in the direction of our bedroom. I let her walk off by herself, while I stayed back to talk to my sister.

“This has gotten out of hand. I need to take her back to Kentucky. We’ll be safe there.”

She shook her head. “She won’t go with you, Conner. You know how hard headed she can be. She just reconnected with her father again. You can’t expect her to leave everything because some douche bag is out there with some vendetta.”

“Well I sure can’t sit around worryin’ about her leavin’ the house. Somethin’s gotta give.”

Randa sighed and spooned another mouthful into both of her son’s mouths. “We need to get that f**ker locked up. That’s the only way any of us are goin’ to be able to sleep at night.”

“And how am I supposed to do somethin’ like that without puttin’ us all in danger? Randa, I can’t just make somethin’ up to have him put away. I’d need something real on him.” It would have been a fast solution, except we had nothing solid that would convince the police he was a criminal. Aside from him and Amy being separated, he was a model citizen, who sometimes had too much to drink. Nobody knew the secret side to Rick.

“Oh, I know. You could look into his past. You could hire a private investigator.”

I cocked my eyebrow. “You been watchin’ too many soap operas, sis. It ain’t that easy.”

“It is if you are legally married to the guy. Amy has access to everything.”

My sister was right. With Amy’s help, we may be able to find something on Rick that we could use against him. If the police weren’t willing to help me, I needed to find someone that could. “No matter what we decide, I want you to know that I won’t put your kids in danger. You know I would lay down and die before I let that happen. If you need us to leave, we will.”

“No! I want you to be here with us. We are going to stick together. He won’t come onto this farm and threaten us. He does that, he knows his ass is grass. The safest place for Amy to be, besides Kentucky, is here.”

I leaned down and kissed my sister. “Love you.”

“Yeah, I love your ass, too.”

I headed in the direction of my room and found Amy on the bed. She was face down and crying. I slid in beside her. “Hey darlin’, it’s goin’ to be alright. I ain’t goin’ to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

She turned around and leaned into my chest. I kissed the top of her head before she lifted up her face to look at me. “I’m scared, Conner. I don’t know what to do. God only knows what he’s capable of. What if he tries to hurt you or your family? I would never forgive myself. I need to just go away for a while. It would be better for everyone.”

I brushed the hair away from her face. “Is that what you want to do? Do you really want to leave me?” It hurt to even ask. A knot formed in my throat and I could feel my heart aching.

She looked me right in the eyes. “No, I don’t want to be without you, Conner. I don’t ever want to be without you, but I can’t put you in danger. I can’t ask your family to do it either. There are children involved.”

“Our child is involved, Amy. You think that wasn’t the first thing I thought about? I will do whatever you want. My sister wants you to stay, but you just say the word and I will take you back to Kentucky.”

“What do you think we should do?”

I laid back and pulled her down with me. After letting out a long sigh, I looked down at her. “I don’t know. I’ve never been one to back down from a fight, but seein’ as you and my baby are in danger, I know I need to be responsible. Miranda thinks that we should hire an investigator.”

“I need to get in touch with his daughter. She knows something, Conner. She told me to look in his truck. First I found those checkbooks and now Heather has uncovered some secret past. There has to be more he’s hiding. He changed his name and everything. God, who the hell did I marry?”

It wasn’t time to joke, but I just couldn’t help myself. “It beats me. I just hope your second husband doesn’t turn out to be a serial killer.”

She slapped me in the chest. “Stop it! There is only one man that I would ever marry and he is too sweet to kill people.”

“I’d like to skin your ex. You let me find him alone in some alley one night and you won’t be callin’ me sweet anymore. I’m serious, Amy. I think I could kill the man. I sure as hell can play it out in my head. His ass needs to be thrown in jail so he can be gang raped repeatedly.”