Impact [Suncoast Society] (Siren Publishing Sensations) Read online

  The woman looked confused, but handed it over without complaint. A cheap-ass burner. Tilly checked the call log.

  Nothing since Tilly’s earlier call from Cris’ cell, and nothing but Sofia’s call to Cris’ cell for a day before that.

  Tilly pocketed it. “No offense, we’ll get you a new one.”

  Sofia burst into tears and flung her arms around Tilly. “Thank you,” she said.

  Tilly did her best not to gag. The woman smelled like she hadn’t bathed in at least a couple of days. “Let’s get home and get you a shower.”

  And then she’d have to call Cris.

  Chapter Five

  On the way home, Tilly called the office and cleared her calendar for the rest of the day, but didn’t say why.

  Five minutes later, Leigh called her. “What’s going on?”

  Tilly had her phone plugged into the hands-free speaker for the car, meaning Sofia could hear everything.

  “I can’t talk about it right now, Leigh,” Tilly said. “I have someone in the car with me.”

  Her friend’s tone turned concerned. “You all right?”

  “I’ll call you later today and update you. I need to handle a couple of things right now, immediately.”

  “Okay.”

  Tilly hung up and glanced at Sofia. “When was the last time you ate?”

  “Last night,” she admitted. “I had a piece of pizza.”

  When she reached her exit, Tilly pulled over into a McDonald’s and got the woman some food. She knew it wasn’t the healthiest choice, but from the way the woman wolfed it down, Tilly knew it had been the right decision.

  They finally pulled into the condo building’s private garage. Tilly knew the longer she waited to let Cris know what was going on, the worse it’d be, but she had to get a handle on everything first.

  Carrying the baby, Tilly led Sofia upstairs to their condo and inside. She pointed the woman to the guest bathroom. “First things first. You get in there and get a shower. Towels and everything you need are in there. I’ll unload the car.”

  Sofia started crying. “Thank you. I’m so sorry.”

  Tilly took a deep breath and tried to check her bitch voice. “I’m not angry with you. I’m angry, yes, but not at you. This isn’t my first rodeo, honey. We’re going to have a serious talk once you’re done with your shower. Leave the bathroom door unlocked. I’ll set your bags inside.”

  “Thanks.”

  Tilly turned on the TV and gently set the carrier holding the sleeping baby on the floor in front of it. Not the world’s best babysitter, but she’d need at least ten minutes to get the car unloaded.

  Once that was done, and she’d got the new baby bottles washed and ready to go, she called Leigh back.

  “I need the name and number of the best family attorney in LA,” Tilly said. “Especially for custody issues.”

  “What? What’s going on?”

  “Long story.”

  “Okay, seriously. You tell me what the hell is going on right now. You’re freaking me out.”

  “Long story short, Cris’ cousin has a newborn baby and has had the crap beaten out of her. She’s on probation and the asshole’s in a gang.”

  Leigh went silent. “Holy fuck. Where is she?”

  “In my guest shower.”

  “Oh, holy fuck, are you shitting me? Hold on.” Tilly heard Leigh yell for someone in the office. “You’ll want Dale Waters,” she said. “He’s a good friend of Clark’s. I’m guessing you want to talk to him this afternoon?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay. Let me call Clark and get that ball rolling and I’ll call you back.”

  “Thanks.” Tilly ended the call. She grabbed the filthy diaper bag, took it into the kitchen, and upended it onto the tile floor.

  It was…gross. Like a thrift store reject.

  And she didn’t want it or its contents on her counters or table.

  There wasn’t much in there Tilly wanted to save, except three sealed cans of liquid formula that didn’t have to be refrigerated. Tucked into a side pocket, she found a zipper-top plastic bag holding the baby’s birth certificate, health records, and some other paperwork.

  For where the father’s name was supposed to go, it said Unknown.

  Tilly set the papers and formula on the counter.

  The rest she threw away.

  Including the diaper bag.

  She went through the laundry basket and Sofia’s purse.

  No drugs.

  One small measure of relief. And from what she could see, Tilly hadn’t spotted any needle tracks on the woman’s arms. That didn’t mean Sofia wasn’t using, but it was a good sign.

  Then she called Landry.

  “Hello, love. How are you doing tod—”

  “I need you on the first flight you can get to LA,” Tilly said, interrupting him. “Today. Right now.”

  “What’s wrong? Is Cris all right?”

  “Yeah, but I’m going to need your protection from Cris.” She gave him the quick summary.

  He let out a weighty sigh. “Very well, love. I’ll see what I can do. Do you wish me to call him and tell him?”

  “No, not yet. I’m going to wait to hear back from Leigh”—Tilly’s phone beeped with an incoming call—“and there she is. Get that ticket booked and get moving. Let me know when you have flight info.” She hung up on him and answered Leigh’s call. “Yeah?”

  “He can see you at six tonight,” Leigh said. “I’ll text you the address as soon as we’re done talking.”

  “Did I ever tell you how much I love you?”

  “Hey, I love you, too. It’s what friends are for. Keep me posted. Do you need us to come over?”

  Tilly heard the shower shut off in the bathroom. “Not yet. I’ll call you as I have more updates. Thanks.” She ended the call, her phone buzzing seconds later with a text message from Leigh with the name, phone number, and address of the attorney.

  Okay, those two things were handled.

  Next step…

  She texted Cris’ business cell. How are the meetings going?

  He texted her back. Almost done. Want to do dinner out tonight?

  She took a deep breath. Change in plans. We’re not alone for dinner tonight, and we have an appointment at six in Pasadena.

  She started counting. Her phone rang when she hit three.

  “What kind of appointment? And who is joining us for dinner?”

  Sofia stepped out of the bathroom in what looked to be a clean T-shirt and shorts, her hair wrapped in a towel. “It’s better I let you talk to someone else for a minute rather than explain it myself.”

  Tilly walked over to Sofia and handed her the phone. “It’s Cris.” She then went into the living room and checked on the baby.

  Still sound asleep, thankfully.

  “Hey, Cris. It’s Fi.” There was a moment of silence Tilly knew was likely Cris processing who it was and what she’d said. After talking to him for a couple of minutes, Sofia was crying. “Thank you,” she tearfully said. Then she returned the phone to Tilly. “He wants to talk to you.”

  Tilly took the phone back, took a deep breath, and answered. “Yo.”

  “Listen to me, we need to call Lan and—”

  “Done. He’s already booking a flight.”

  “Okay. Well, we need to get the name of an att—”

  “Done. That’s our six o’clock appointment. Is it better I come get you, or can someone take you to the attorney’s office?”

  He went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, it was in the voice of Cris the Master. “Redbird,” he said using Dom tone, “exactly how long has this been going on?”

  It was only her rage at Sofia’s condition that kept Tilly from dropping into subspace. “Long enough that I’m already five steps ahead of you. You’ll get caught up when we get to the attorney,” she said. “We’re at the condo right now.”

  He let out a frustrated sigh. “We are going to have a talk tonight, Redbird,”
he said.

  “I’m sure we will,” she said. “And I’m going to invoke the right to hide behind Sir Fussypants when we do.”

  He finally let out a chuckle. “Since when do you hide? Not fair.”

  “Never said I was fair. And you give mean punishment spankings.”

  “How bad is she?”

  “Bad.”

  “Okay. Might be better to text me the address. I’ll get over there by six, one way or another. Did I tell you how much I love you?”

  She turned away from Sofia. “Love you, too, Master,” she whispered. “Please, just be there. I need you.”

  When she ended the call, she forwarded Leigh’s text with the info to Cris.

  Turning back to Sofia, she said, “All right. First things first, show me what you brought with you.”

  Sofia nodded and led the way back to the bathroom where Tilly had put the bags of her stuff.

  After Tilly was convinced the woman didn’t have any drugs hidden in her things, Tilly laid down the law.

  “We’ve got an appointment at six with a good family attorney,” Tilly said. “Rule number one, you’re going to do what we say, exactly how we tell you to do it. Understand?”

  Sofia nodded. It looked like now that she was out of immediate danger, she was close to collapse.

  “Rule number two, I catch you with drugs, you will go to jail. And you will get drug tested. Understand?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “Rule number three, you are in no shape to take care of that baby. I’d guess from the way you’re holding your left arm, your shoulder’s either hurting like fuck, dislocated, or both. So I am in charge of Katie for now. Got it?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “FYI, I’m a nurse,” Tilly added. “So it’s not like I’m making this shit up as I go along. Well, I am, but not about that. Rule number four, you absolutely cannot have any contact with your ex. Is he the baby’s father?”

  “No,” she said. “Her father’s dead.”

  Great. “Then why didn’t you list him on the birth certificate?”

  “Because he was in the gang and I didn’t want his family trying to get custody of her. He didn’t even know I was pregnant when he died. I’d only met him a few weeks earlier.”

  “Why didn’t you tell them that at the hospital, then?”

  “Because I didn’t want any record his family could follow.”

  “Okay. Well, for obvious reasons, the no-contact rule applies to anyone. For right now, you’re off the grid.”

  “Can we come to Florida with you?”

  “We’ll have to figure that out. If you’re on probation, that might not be possible immediately. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “He threatened to kill her. Can you at least take her with you? Get her out of the state? Please? I need to know she’s safe.”

  Tilly’s heart ached. She knew she was dangerously close to wanting to go back to the crappy apartment and burning it down with the asshole who’d beaten Sofia tied up inside. “That falls under the heading of ‘we’ll decide that once we talk to the attorney.’ Cris will meet us there. Follow me.”

  Tilly was a little larger than Sofia and knew her clothes would fit the battered woman. She led Sofia to the master bedroom and found a blouse and slacks that Sofia could wear. They wore the same shoe size, so Tilly gave her a pair of black flats.

  The woman now almost looked normal, except for her injuries.

  The baby let out a cry in the living room.

  “I’ve got her,” Tilly told her. “You sit on the couch and wait while I get her ready.”

  Sofia started crying again. “Thank you so much for this,” she said. “I was so scared. I didn’t have anywhere else to go when I had her except back with Monroe.”

  “They couldn’t get you to a women’s shelter from the hospital?”

  “Monroe always had someone stay with me from the gang. I couldn’t get away. He warned me if I tried anything, that he’d tell them I violated my probation. I didn’t want to lose Katie.”

  “What about your parents? Your brothers?”

  She shook her head. “My parents disowned me. I can’t call them. I don’t even know how to contact any of my brothers.”

  Trying to focus on one thing at a time, Tilly got the baby and checked her. She needed a new diaper, for starters. Grabbing everything else she’d need and moving it to the kitchen, and taking several trips to do so with the baby in one arm, Tilly started by bathing Katie in the kitchen sink.

  She’d forgotten to get a baby tub, but they could pick that up later. The poor thing had been filthy when Tilly wiped her down in the parking lot, but at least she didn’t look like she had any diaper rash or other skin issues.

  “When is she due back to the doctor?” Tilly called out from the kitchen. “Who is her pediatrician?”

  “We go to the health department,” Sofia said. “She’s due next week for a check-up.”

  After getting her bathed and dried, Tilly diapered and dressed her and prepped her a bottle of formula, which the infant eagerly started devouring like she was starving.

  Based on how thin the baby appeared, it wouldn’t surprise Tilly to find out she was underweight for her age and length as well.

  Tilly walked back into the living room, the baby in one arm, her other hand holding the bottle. “Why is she so thin? Was she underweight when she was born? Is she a preemie?”

  Sofia looked at her lap. “Monroe was trading some of the formula I got from WIC for…stuff.”

  Tilly suspected that meant drugs.

  Reeeallly hoping she would get a chance to meet this fucker face-to-face, Tilly fought back her urge to scream in anger.

  “Rule number five, you will sign over a temporary guardianship of Katie to me and Cris and Landry. If you are serious about wanting to keep her safe and cared for, you’re going to do that. We need to have legal rights to take care of her, especially if you’re on probation. If something happens, I do not want her in the foster care system. Understand?”

  Sofia nodded. “Thank you,” she softly said.

  Tilly took a deep breath and let it out again. “I’m sorry I’m coming off as a massive bitch right now, but there are certain things that piss me off and hit every last one of my bitch triggers. It usually never happens all at once, but this time, it has. Abuse and children at risk are my two biggest triggers.”

  Sofia managed a sad smile that nearly broke Tilly’s heart. “That’s okay,” Sofia said. “Because I know it means she’s going to be safe.”

  “Well, so will you, as long as you follow our orders.” Tilly winced. “Instructions,” she amended.

  “Thank you for this,” Sofia said. “I really appreciate it.”

  “What are you on probation for?” Tilly almost feared hearing the answer.

  “Monroe made me help them with a welfare scam and I got caught.”

  Well, at least it wasn’t a violent offense. Or drugs. “What did you used to use?”

  Sofia looked ashamed. “I smoked pot,” she said. “And I used to drink a lot. I quit it all cold turkey when I found out about the baby.”

  “Meth? Crack? Heroin?”

  “No, I swear. I could never afford that anyway. Plus they drug test me on probation.”

  “So I pull you in for a drug test now, you’re completely clean?”

  “Yeah. I was going to AA for a while when I first quit. Then Monroe wouldn’t let me go anymore.”

  Tilly didn’t want to admit she still wasn’t letting her guard fully down around this woman. The last thing she wanted to do was get scammed.

  “Once she’s finished eating, we’ll get going. Cris will meet us at the lawyer’s office.” The sound of a strange phone ringing caught her ear, and she realized it was Sofia’s cell. Tilly walked over to the counter and looked at the phone.

  “It says Monroe.” Tilly adjusted the baby in her arm, propping the bottle against her chest, and picked up the phone despite Sofia’s horrified expression.


  “Hellooo?” Tilly answered in a sing-song voice. “To whom am I speaking?”

  The guy even sounded like an asshole. “Who da fuck is dis?”

  Still using her sing-song voice, which would have probably terrified poor Sofia if she knew Tilly better, Tilly said, “Oh, just someone. Who da fuck are you, asshole?”

  “Where’s Sofia, bitch?”

  “Oh, I regret to inform you that Sofia has decided to terminate her affiliation with you, scumbag. I am absolutely the last person you want to mess with right now, because the first thing I want to do to you, douchebag, is string you up and castrate you for starving a motherfucking baby by selling her formula for drugs. So let me tell you something, buddy. You best pray to whatever god your little punk ass believes in, because we ever meet face to face, you’re going to wish you’d never been fucking born. Am I clear?”

  The man was silent for a moment. “Bitch, Imma gonna fuckin’ kill you when I find—”

  “You ain’t gonna kill jack shit, homey,” she said, trying to keep her voice down so she didn’t scare the baby. “But let me fucking tell you something. I have money, and I have friends, and I have a massively raging case of anger issues just making me itch to fucking rip someone’s guts out with my bare hands. I am a native daughter of the motherfucking state that put ‘stand your ground’ on the fucking map, okay? I will not hesitate to make sure the rest of your pitiful life is as fucking miserable as I can make it. I can afford to fuck your shit up for fun, just because I can. I can make you my motherfucking hobby, and see, that’s the last thing you want to be, because I’m a sadist. We clear?”

  “You fucking put Sofia on right now, you cunt.”

  “Oh, yeah. See, that’s not going to happen, jackass. Buh-bye.”

  Tilly ended the call. Then she immediately dialed 911 and ignored the call waiting beep that started a few seconds later, indicating the jackass was trying to call her back. When the operator answered, Tilly played it up good. “Oh my god, the guy next door, it sounds like he’s killing his girlfriend! Please, hurry! He’s got warrants and does drugs and everything, and she has a tiny baby! I can hear the baby screaming! It’s horrible!”

  Tilly rattled off the address, then once she knew the operator had the call dispatched to police, she hung up.