Chapter 26

Joe glanced at his phone again. No messages. No texts.

"Lacey ok?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah." He didn't know what more to say than that. She was in his apartment still. She was quiet. She was scared. But she had smiled shyly at him when he left for work. "Kate ok?" he returned the question.

Carlos' brow knit. "She's staying put," was all he said.

Joe nodded in understanding. Lacey and Kate, with Frannie, had been in their respective safe houses for two days now. He could only imagine how Kate was handling it, staying in the midst of Carlos' family, even if it was just his parents.

Joe finally gave in. He picked up his phone. He was going to call Lacey, make sure she was doing ok.

"Joe?" she asked as soon as she answered. No preamble, just worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his muscles reflexively tensing at the sound of her voice.

"It's Kate," she said. "She said she has to get back over to the bar. Johnny called her and was angry. He didn't know where she was and thought she was skipping out on him—"

"Slow down," Joe said, making it sound like he wasn't ready to chase Kate down the second Lacey said where she was. He tried to untangle everything Lacey was saying as her words spilled out in a rush. "Kate's with Johnny?"

"I don't know. She said she was going over there. But Johnny's been picked up by the cops before and he's so angry after he gets out. The last time he really hurt Kate."

Joe didn't need more details. He had seen Johnny's anger and his heartless treatment of Kate. Johnny feeling vengeful and needing an outlet wouldn't end well for Kate.

"You stay put, ok? Don't go anywhere. Carlos and I will take care of Kate."

He heard a small sniffle from Lacey and could picture her nodding her head.

"Joe?" she asked. Her voice was so quiet as he was about to hang up he almost missed it.

"Yeah?"

"Please be careful. I—I don't want you to get hurt."

Joe felt his lips curve slightly in spite of his worry over Kate. "I'll be careful," he assured her.

He waited for her to end the call first then pocketed his phone and headed back to his desk, pushed up to face Carlos'.

Carlos was on the phone. He glanced up at Joe when he approached and Joe could read his partner's expression. He would bet it was Carlos' mom on the phone, telling him Kate was taking off, or she already had.

"We're on our way," Carlos was saying. "I know, Ma. Just try to keep her there."

He hung up and stood. "Kate's—"

"Lacey told me," Joe cut him off. Carlos grabbed the keys from his desk, slipped his gun back in his holster while Joe picked up his own service weapon.

If Kate had her mind made up, Joe wasn't sure they would be able to change it. But maybe they could get to Johnny first. Or at least be there to keep Johnny from hurting Kate. Or worse.

#

"Please don't go. Anthony and I have enjoyed having you here. You and Frannie both."

Kate watched Carlo's mom bend over to smile at Frannie and run a gentle hand over Frannie's hair. Her heart twisted, almost cutting off her air, as she thought of her own mom. Frannie's grandma. She wished her mom could have met Frannie.

She shook her head slightly. She didn't have the luxury of what ifs. Or thinking about Frannie meeting family. The farther she kept her family from what her life had become, the better.

Kate kept gathering the few things Lacey had packed for Frannie. She shoved the pajamas Frannie had worn into the diaper bag, then looked for the soft blanket Frannie had been covered with in her carseat.

"I appreciate you letting us crash here," Kate said, gritting her teeth in spite of the sincerity of her gratitude. She hated being in someone's debt.

"Carlos said he'll be here any minute," Rose said. "Why don't you and Frannie wait a bit before you go? Have some lunch."

Kate shook her head. She looked at Frannie. Her daughter's wispy curls, the smooth skin, unmarred by scars or age. She had to do whatever it took to keep her baby safe. That was the only thing that mattered. And if Johnny found out that she and Frannie were hiding out, her daughter could be in danger. And if he found out she was staying with a cop…

She grabbed the blanket and kept hold of it so she could wrap Frannie in it. They'd have to leave the carseat behind. She wouldn't be able to lug that to the nearest bus stop. She'd have to figure out where the nearest stop was, and which bus would take her to the subway, or back to the neighborhood she belonged in.

Her thoughts were racing. Johnny's call had been terrifying. His rage wasn't on any sort of leash anymore. Not with a night in jail and Wes going against him. And then finding out Kate wasn't at the bar, waiting for his return.

"Come on, baby girl," Kate said, trying to keep her voice light for Frannie's sake. "We're going home."

"Auntie Wacee?" Frannie asked.

Lacey was at Joe's. Kate hesitated. She didn't want to bring Lacey back into this. She stared at Frannie, at her big brown eyes, so trusting.

It wasn't the first time she had thought Frannie would be better off without her, away from the gang and all that went with it.

The front door opened, drawing Kate's attention from Frannie and making her tighten her grip on her baby.

"Ma?"

She recognized Carlos' voice and loosened her hold slightly even as her jaw tightened.

"We're up here, Carlos," Rose called in the direction of the stairs.

Kate kept her eyes fixed on the baby blanket in her grip even as Carlos entered the room she and Frannie had been staying in. Frannie's entire face lit up when she saw Carlos and she leaned out of Kate's grasp, arms reaching for Carlos.

"Hey, Frannie," Carlos said quietly, easily taking her into his arms.

"Is Joe here?" Rose asked.

Carlos nodded in the direction of the downstairs.

"I'll see if he wants something to eat," Rose murmured, slipping out of the room.

Kate's fingers ached at how tightly she held Frannie's blanket.

"What are you doing?" Carlos asked.

Kate met his eyes. She only saw concern there, but she met it with an angry challenge. "You know what I'm doing."

She tried to ignore how easily he held Frannie, how comfortable Frannie looked with him. None of this was going to end well for any of them.

"You don't have to," Carlos said.

"Right," Kate scoffed. She took a step back from Carlos, knowing distance was her only ally right then. "Just walk out on Johnny and wait for him to come after me? Or worse, Wes comes after me? Comes after Frannie? After Lacey?" The reality of the threat built as she said the words. She shook her head and grabbed for the minimal bags Lacey had packed. "I have to go."

"Wait. Just wait a minute, ok?" Carlos said when she reached for Frannie.

"Why? So I can let Johnny work me over worse for showing up tomorrow instead of today?" Kate demanded, unable to hold back the anger in her voice.

"I'll tell him I heard you got picked up. You were having trouble with bail."

In spite of Carlos' calm words, she could see the vein in his neck that told how much emotion he was holding back. How much he didn't want her going back to Johnny. She wanted to reassure him. And she knew staying put would do that. More than that, she wanted to stay away from Johnny. And that desire could very well be what sent Johnny over the edge and put Frannie in danger.

"I—"

"Just for another day," Carlos said. "Stay put for another day at least. Let me and Joe go see what's going on. Where Johnny and Wes are at. Before you go getting caught up in the crossfire."

Kate hesitated and that was her undoing. Carlos stepped closer to her, shifting Frannie into one arm. He brushed his hand down her arm and Kate tried to pretend his touch didn't leave a trail of heat.

"Please." Carlos held her gaze, not deterred or intimidated by a glare. "Joe and I will go find out where things stand. We'll let you know as soon as we find out anything."

Kate pressed her lips together, then looked down at the sparsely packed bags she held.

"We'll stop at your apartment and pick up more things for you and Frannie," Carlos said.

Kate needed Frannie back. She needed to hold her, know that she was safe for another night. Carlos must have read something in her expression because he handed Frannie over, but stayed close enough that Kate looked at him, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"I'm going to keep you and Frannie safe," he said. It was a quiet promise, but forged in steel.

Kate didn't know if anyone could keep them safe. But she wanted to believe him. And that scared her more than any threat possibly could.

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