Now they were finally making some progress. Rev and Logan had talked to several people who were able to definitively say that Amber had been on the production floor with Brad. Logan was currently calling Captain Thomas to obtain permission to drag her ratchet ass in for questioning.
Rev was feeling tired but hopeful. He had to believe they were making progress. Paige, her personal drama, the cases, this Ip shit... Rev couldn't remember ever being this burned out before. He went to grab himself some more coffee from the precinct break room.
If there was a God, Rev could only hope he was throwing him a bone here.
Let this shit get done so we can take a fuckin' break already.
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By Sunday afternoon, Steve was missing his children something fierce. I helped him come up with a plan of action, then I called Bre to execute the plan.
"Hello?", she answered, sounding stuffy. I could hear the girls talking in the background.
"Steve wants to see the kids. When we come over, we want you to go shopping or to your parents', or whatever, for a few hours. Don't bug him, nag him, or try to discuss it at all. He is not ready".
"I...fine", she replied, sounding deflated. "Is he all right?"
"He's stable. Functional. He hasn't decided anything other than he misses his children and wants to see them".
"Let me feed Henry and then you two can come over. I don't know what to tell the girls".
I heard her voice break slightly and took pity on her.
"Steve and I agreed we would say that he was staying with me to fix some things at my house because Rev is working a case and doesn't have time to do it".
"Okay", she agreed quietly. "Do you think he will forgive me?"
"I honestly don't know at this point".
There was silence on the other end.
"We will be over shortly", I said, and she simply hung up on me.
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Steve had never hurt quite like this before. He had experienced trauma, grief, and loss when his parents died, and when Drew had died. He had felt guilt, shame, and heartbreak when Bre kicked him out back when she was pregnant with Ava...but this...this was something different.
He had been betrayed and lied to by two of the people he loved the most, not once, not twice, but consistently- time and time again- for eight years. He was broken-hearted, furious, humiliated, ashamed, distraught, and completely uncertain as to what his future looked like. He didn't know what to do. If they hadn't had children together, he would be starting with the divorce process today, but how could he put his kids through that? And what about Charlie? He probably didn't even have legal rights to her.
His entire world as he knew it was based on a reality that didn't actually exist. Bre was not who he thought she was and he currently wasn't even sure if he still loved her, or could love her after what she did, but he damn sure loved those kiddos. All of them, even Charlie. She was his daughter regardless of DNA, and right now he needed to see his babies.
He ran his hand through his hair and looked down at little Paigie, patiently waiting by the door in four layers of clothes.
She was watching him carefully, her emerald eyes dark and concerned, her tanned heart shaped face turned slightly up toward his.
YOU ARE READING
Whiskey River, Drown my Soul
Romance*Third in the Fire Whiskey series* With the tragic loss of her beloved Brad, Paige does what Rev did when she cut him out of her life before...she gives herself a mission so large there's no time for anything or anyone else. She ghosts everyone and...
