Defensive Heart: The Donnolleys, Book 2 (25 page)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jimmy climbed the stairs, with Sonja just one step behind him, of the apartment building where he’d picked Casey up over twenty-four hours ago. It was a long shot, but maybe they’d get lucky.

The place wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great either. They continued up the dingy, gray-tinted white-walled stairwell and when they reached the fourth floor, Sonja stepped beside him and he pressed the flat of his hand to her back. It was after nine at night and Jimmy hoped, this time when he knocked, a parent might answer.

In front of the apartment door, he glanced at Sonja, then knocked. The sound of a television echoed through the metal panel, but then again, it might be the unit next door. Raising his hand, he knocked again…a little louder this time.

Sonja crossed her arms. “It’s late. Maybe they’re already sleeping?”

“Dunno. Possible I gue—”

The door opened a crack, the chain lock keeping it from going any farther. “Can I help you?”

It was the same blond boy from the other night, but his hair didn’t appear to be as greasy tonight. Jimmy peered at the kid through the small opening. “Is Casey here?”

“Who?”

“Gonna play this game again? Okay, let me refresh your memory. Blue-and-purple hair? About this tall?” Jimmy raised his hand in the air. “You and me, we met the other night when I showed up. We had a similar conversation, except this time, I’m being a little more polite with your ass.”

Sonja cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but is your mother home?”

The kid broke the I-don’t-give-a-fuck stare he’d been giving Jimmy and turned his gaze to Sonja. “She’s working.”

“Oh. Hmm.” Sonja dug into her purse, pulled out a business card and stuck it through the opening.

The kid took it and glanced at it. “You’re a lawyer?”

“Yes. I’m looking for my daughter, Casey. If you see her, or her boyfriend, Drake, can you call me? Or maybe have your mother call me?”

“Drake. Yeah, I know that guy. He’s kind of an asshole.”

Jimmy barked out a laugh. Maybe the kid wasn’t stupid after all. “Listen, kid. I know we didn’t get off to a great start, but this is really important. So we’d appreciate it if you helped out.”

The kid looked over at Jimmy again and nodded. “Yeah, cool. If I hear from him, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you.” Sonja let out a sigh—one sounding a lot more like disappointment than gratitude.

The kid nodded again and closed the door. Jimmy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “You okay?”

“Yes. No. Maybe?” She rubbed her forehead. “Tired, I guess.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, mo chroí.” He rubbed her back. “Let’s go back to your place and get you off your feet.”

“All right.” She pressed a kiss to his lips.

Jimmy held her tight against his chest. This whole situation sucked, and though he wished it wasn’t happening, there was no way he’d trade being able to be by her side through every second of it.

All he wanted was to see Casey home and safe, and to know Sonja’s fears were put to bed. He didn’t ever want to see the look that had taken up residence in her eyes or the frown plaguing her brow again. Jesus, when they got her daughter back home, he was going to wring the kid’s neck for putting Sonja through this—for putting them both through this.

Jimmy led her out of the building. Hailing a cab for them, he helped her into the taxi and climbed in behind her. Sonja rested her head on his shoulder while the cab traversed the streets leading them back to the Upper East Side. He placed a kiss on her forehead and smoothed his hand down her arm. In the darkness of the cab, with her pressed close to him, the city lights passing them by, Jimmy knew he loved her.

He’d fallen completely, and totally, in love with her. And he wouldn’t trade one moment for anything.

She was his sunshine.

Mo chroí
.
She was his heart.

Chapter Forty

Sonja lay curled up on the couch, her head on a pillow in James’s lap. The television was on, but she wasn’t really watching. Instead she was playing out a thousand different scenarios of worry in her mind. Was her daughter okay? Was she with Drake? Had something bad happened to her? Were they ever going to find her?

The shrill ring of her cell phone startled her back to the present moment. Adrenaline spiked in her system. Sonja bolted upright, reached for the device, almost missed the
Talk
button, but then got it and put the phone to her ear. “Hello!”

“May I speak to Ms. Martin, please?”

“This is she. Who is this?” She felt James’s hand on her shoulder and glanced at him. A look of concern blanketed his features.

“This is Officer Noellyn from the forty-ninth precinct in the Bronx.”

Fear cut through her like a steel blade. “Oh God. Do you have my daughter?” Unable to sit still, Sonja stood and began pacing.

“Casey Martin is your daughter, correct?”

“Yes! Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay.” She glanced at James; he’d gotten to his feet too.

“She was involved in an altercation. She’s okay, but we had her taken to St. Barnabas to be checked out. Are you able to come down to the hospital?”

Sonja turned and ran for her purse. James followed, calling after her. “I’m leaving right now. Thank you.” She disconnected the call and stopped long enough to grab James by the arm. “She’s at St. Barnabas. Let’s go.” Releasing her hold on him, she turned and rushed for the front door.

The cab ride took forever. James held her hand and she stared at her phone, debating whether or not to call Thomas.

He gave her hand a squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I should call Thomas. But I…” Sonja shook her head and glanced out the window.

“What, mo chroí?”

“I want to see her first. Make sure she’s okay. Does that make me selfish?”

“No, of course not.” He cupped her chin and turned her face to his. “It makes you a worried mother. Nothing wrong with that.” He stroked her cheek.

“I think it does make me selfish because the truth is, I’m hoping she’s more than fine, so I won’t have to call him at all.”

“That doesn’t make you selfish either. It makes you smart.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

Sonja leaned into him, needing the warmth his presence provided. She had legal and physical custody of Casey, so she really didn’t have to tell her ex-husband anything. Regardless, she didn’t want to deal with Thomas for a thousand different reasons, and the main one was sitting next to her. Sonja shook her head. She didn’t want to think about it. Casey was going to be fine. Any other option wasn’t possible. Closing her eyes, she willed the cab to move faster.

When they arrived, James paid the driver and Sonja jumped out, ran for the ER door and headed straight for the reception desk. “Casey Martin?”

“You are?”

“Sonja Martin. Her mother.”

James came up next to her and the man behind the desk typed on his computer.

“Ms. Martin?”

Sonja wheeled around to find a short and stocky red-haired police officer there. “Yes?”

“Officer Noellyn.” He shook her hand. Then looked at James and shook his.

“James Donnelly.”

Enough with the pleasantries. Sonja adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “Where is Casey?”

“They’re taking good care of her. I can take you back to see her in a minute. But let’s have a seat and talk first,” the officer said in a thick New York accent.

Impatience beat through her. Sonja glanced back at the receptionist. “Can you let her know we’re here at least?”

The receptionist nodded. “I’ll let the nurse know. They should be bringing her back from x-ray in a few minutes.”

“X-ray?” Panic flooded her veins and she glanced back at the officer. “I thought you said she was okay. X-ray doesn’t sound okay to me!” James wrapped his arm around her waist, and she leaned into him. “I’m sorry, but I want to see my daughter first.”

“Ma’am, I understand you’re upset. She’s fine, just a little banged up.”

“Oh? So, you’re a doctor as well?” Her panic gave way to anger and her heart thudded in her ears. “My goodness, do you have a cape underneath your uniform too?”

The officer said nothing, just stared at her, his stone features betraying none of the colorful thoughts Sonja assumed were running around his mind. Screw him; she was done putting up with anyone’s bullshit. Sonja crossed her arms, daring him to come back at her. She was a fucking lawyer, which meant she was more than capable of dancing circles around him in the argument department.

James gave her waist a little squeeze. “Honey?”

“What?” Snapping her head to the side, she glared at him. Point for him, he didn’t flinch.

“Look, Ms. Martin. The sooner we talk, the sooner you can go back and see your daughter.”

Sonja returned her focus to the officer and pointed her finger at him. “You get five minutes of my time. No more than that. You have more to say, then you can say it after I’ve seen my daughter.”

“Fair enough.” He motioned them both over to the waiting room chairs. Sonja took a seat, and James did too. The officer sat across from them. “As I mentioned on the phone, Casey was involved in an altercation. The young man she was with…” He pulled out his little notepad and glanced at it. “Drake Defazio was engaged in a physical altercation with a Peter Franklin. Do you know either of them?”

“Drake Defazio is her boyfriend. I don’t know the other boy.”

“I see.” He scribbled in his notepad. “Mr. Peter Franklin isn’t a boy, and he assaulted a minor.”

“Great. How does Casey play into this?”

“According to witnesses, Casey tried to defend Mr. Defazio and was caught in the fray between the young man and Mr. Franklin. After I spoke with her briefly at the scene, I ran a check on her. She showed up in our database as a runaway. Are you willing to take her back home?”

“Of course I’m willing to take her home. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I mean no offense, Ms. Martin. It’s a standard question.”

“Well, not to worry. I have every intention of taking her home. Are we done here?”

Officer Noellyn let out a loud sigh. “Yes. I believe we are.”

“Good.” Sonja stood and walked back to the reception desk. She knew she was being a bitch, but she truly didn’t care. All she cared about was getting to Casey. “I’d like to see my daughter now, please?”

Jimmy followed Sonya into the back halls of the ER. He chose to keep silent; she was a powder keg ready to blow, and saying the wrong thing would for sure set her off. The nurse led them to the treatment area where Casey was being held.

“Oh my God!” Sonja rushed past the nurse, the curtain flying out in a flourish, and pulled Casey into a frantic embrace.

“Mom, I’m fine—oww!”

Sonja jumped back. “Crap. Sorry, honey. Sorry. Where are you hurt?”

“It’s okay. Just don’t hug so hard.” Casey shifted on the gurney and winced. “I think I sprained my ankle, but that happened last night. And now, maybe broken ribs and my head hurts because I banged it on the ground really hard.” She rubbed the back of her head.

Jimmy came around the other side of the bed and clasped her hand. “Had your mom and me really frickin’ worried, kiddo.”

Sonja stared at her daughter. The expression on her face was like a punch in Jimmy’s gut. He let out a slow breath. All things considered, Casey looked pretty good. Her makeup was smudged under her eyes, her hair a bit of a mess, but other than that she looked fine.

Sonja swiped a tear from her cheek as she bent forward and kissed Casey on the top of the head. “If you weren’t hurt, I might take you over my knee and spank the daylights out of you.” Sonja let out a small laugh and pressed her nose into her daughter’s hair.

Casey shifted her arm and adjusted the IV line attached to her hand. “Mom, seriously? That’s not funny.”

Jimmy ran his palm over his goatee. “You’re right, it’s not. But it’s true.”

The doctor walked into the makeshift room, chart in hand. “Hello there. Mom and Dad, I assume?”

Sonja leaned over and shook the doctor’s hand. “Just Mom.”

“I’m Doc Scalzi.”

“Is she gonna make it?” Jimmy leaned a hip against the gurney, shot Casey a wink, then returned his gaze to the doctor.

“The good news is, yes, she’s going to make it.” He gave them a small smile. “Her ribs are bruised, and she has a pretty good lump on the back of her head. No concussion. However, she has a hairline fracture at the edge of her fibula. Her ankle. We’re going to get her in a Cam boot and then she can go home.” The doctor wrote on Casey’s chart. “Any questions?”

Casey let out a groan. “How long do I have to wear a stupid boot?”

“Usually no longer than six weeks, unless you heal faster.” The doctor clicked the end of his pen and slipped it in his white coat pocket. “It’s not so bad. Better than a plaster cast.” He smiled before shifting his gaze back to Sonja. “Any questions, Mom?”

“Crutches, I assume?”

“Yes, for a little while. She’ll need to come back in a few weeks to have it x-rayed again. The nurse will give you all the necessary paperwork.”

Sonja clasped Casey’s hand in her own. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Casey, we’ll be in to take you to get fitted into the boot in a few minutes.” He smiled again, and then stepped out of the room.

“Well, there you go. A boot and crutches.” Sonja grabbed the small chair behind her, pulled it close and sat next to the gurney. “Tomorrow we’re going to have a long talk about what’s happened. You’re going to tell me everything, do you understand?”

Casey rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Jimmy crossed his arms. “Case, the least you could do is pretend to be sorry. Your mom’s been out-of-her-mind worried. So have I.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t even call my dad, so she wasn’t
that
worried.”

Sonja stood in a huff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why didn’t you call Daddy?”

“Because!” Sonja shifted her weight to one foot and crossed her arms, her face a mask of anger.

“Because why?”

“Seriously? Cut your mom a break, will you?” Jimmy placed his hand on Casey’s shoulder in hopes his words would serve as some sort of a diversion. He’d rather have Casey pissed and reeling at him than at her mother. She’d gone through enough in the last forty-eight hours, and the last thing she needed was to be questioned by the very child who was the cause of all the turmoil.

Casey turned her fiery gaze on him. “I want to know why she didn’t bother to tell my father I ran away!”

“All right, stop! Right now! Whether or not I called your father and why are none of your business. I realize you’re tired and in pain, but I will not tolerate another word from you.”

Sonja had started out yelling, her eyes wide with rage, but ended up with her voice so low, Jimmy could barely hear her. Her tone, however, was laced with fury, and warning. A warning he hoped Casey was paying attention to because she was skating on some very thin ice with her mother.

“You don’t have to bother now because I called him myself when I got here. He’ll be home first thing in the morning.”

Sonja’s mouth dropped open, shock and hurt blanketing her features. Jimmy was at a loss for what to do or say. This mess was between her and Casey, and he didn’t want to overstep. But, dammit, his instinct to protect his woman was riding him hard, even if it meant protecting her from her own child. Rounding the gurney, he took Sonja’s hand. “Why don’t we step out for some air?”

“Thank you, Casey. I’m sure his visit will be most enjoyable.” Sonja yanked her hand free from Jimmy’s and stormed out of the treatment room.

“Nice one.”

“Whatever.” Casey crossed her arms and winced from the pain. “She should’ve called him. It’s fucked up she didn’t.”

Jimmy took a seat in the plastic chair. “I’m not going to debate it with you. I’m sure your mother had her reasons.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Raising one leg, he rested his ankle on his other knee. “Ohhh, I don’t know. Maybe she was praying you’d come home, then she wouldn’t have to tell him? I can’t imagine they get along all too well.” He drummed his fingers on his thigh. “But, ya know? Why should you give a shit about how scared your mom was, or whether or not your dad worried for no reason? Or whether they get along well or not? Why should you give a shit about anyone other than yourself right now?” He kept his voice low, mostly because they were in a public place, but also because he was beyond furious with her, and if he didn’t keep a leash on his temper he might find himself yelling. There had already been enough of that.

“That’s not true. I do care!”

“Lower your voice, Casey. The entire hospital doesn’t need to hear your drama.”

A nurse entered. She glanced from him to Casey and back again. “Everything okay?”

Jimmy stood. “Of course.”

“All right. You ready to get booted up?” The nurse grabbed the IV bag and hung it on the pole attached to the side of the gurney.

“I guess so.” Casey rested her head on the pillow and the nurse wheeled the bed out of the room.

“See you when you get back.” Jimmy shoved his hands in his front pockets and watched her disappear out of the room. After a moment, he resumed his spot in the plastic chair. This was going to be a long night, regardless of what time they got back to Sonja’s house.