Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 231

*Shelby*

The sun shone brightly as I walked down the bustling city streets to meet my boss at a restaurant nearby the safe house. The sunlight beamed off the storefronts on either side of the busy road, illuminating each building like a beacon. Gravel on the sidewalk crunched under my shoes as I walked, the ground always littered with debris from the millions of people who walk through each day.

The sidewalk was crowded with people carrying bags and jostling their way to work, school, and out to run errands. Parents held onto their children’s hands, and it reminded me why I got into the chapter of law I was in, to protect and help people. The scum of the Earth men that I was dealing with deserved to be brought to their knees, much like they had done to their victims.

I rounded a corner and looked to my left for the restaurant when I noticed flashing red and blue lights surrounding our meeting place. Police, fire trucks, and ambulances were inside a perimeter that had been set up, and this caused my heart to jump into my throat. I got a foreboding feeling in my stomach, so I quickened my steps to try and figure out what was going on.

I jostled my way through the crowd of gawkers and felt a wave of panic wash over me when I saw my boss, Beatrice, laid out on the gurney. I screamed her name, frantically calling out to her while waving my arms over the tall barricade that kept us apart. An emergency medical technician glanced in my direction, and I had to force myself to look him in the eye as he walked over, “Do you know this person?” he asked me.

“Yes, I do. She’s my boss. I was supposed to be meeting her here for lunch,” I told him. He helped pull me through the throng of people and walked me around the barricade. When we reached the back of the ambulance that was waiting for her to be loaded in, I felt my face blanch and my breakfast threaten to ride up my throat.

Her face and head were covered with thick b***d, both dark and light, indicating the incident had happened recently enough for some b***d to be fresh, but some areas had started to dry as well. Both of her eyes were swollen, and she had a large knot on her right cheekbone, indicating there had been some serious trauma to her face.

“What the hell happened?” I asked as I felt tears prick my eyes. I reached out and grabbed her hand, and she squeezed mine in response.

She blinked through the b***d and winced at the pain in her busted l*p as she began to tell me her story. “I was driving and listening to a podcast. I was having trouble finding a parking spot, and I had circled the restaurant a few times waiting for something to open up,” she paused while a member of EMS looked at one of the gashes above her left eye, then continued, “And when I went to make a left turn to try the parking garage, a huge black SUV came out of nowhere and T-boned me.”

My mouth fell open, and Beatirce and I shared a look that said we suspected this wasn’t a random accident. “Then what happened?” I asked, urging her on, never letting go of her hand.

“Once my car stopped after the collision, the SUV backed up, revved its engine, gunned it, and hit me again. Then he backed up and peeled off, speeding away like a bat out of hell.” Beatrice shook her head in pain as EMS poked and prodded her. They had attached a b***d pressure cuff to monitor her vitals, and they laid a blanket over her. I listened as one said they were worried she was going into shock.

I leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t you worry. I found something huge. We’re gonna nail these bastards and hang them out to dry.”

“Oh, Shelby, that’s amazing,” she said. Then, an EMS worker walked around the side of the ambulance and began talking to one of the other men, helping get her ready to leave for the hospital. They pulled straps across her body and made sure that she wouldn’t be too jostled by the drive to the hospital.

“Ma’am, we need to leave now. She’ll need to be checked for a concussion, and we have to get the bleeding stopped on one of the deeper head wounds,” he said as they lifted the front wheels of the stretcher and rolled her into the waiting ambulance.

I stood and watched the square, white vehicle pull away from the curb and head toward the hospital, still silently stunned that they’d risk something so bold in broad daylight. Once the wailing sounds of the sirens faded, and the vehicle disappeared around the corner, I turned on my heels and headed back to the apartment, now worried that someone could potentially be tailing me to see where we were living.

I ducked into a bodega around the corner and waited a few minutes, watching to see if anyone suspicious walked in looking for me or if any suspicious cars drove by. When I didn’t see anything, I ducked my head and headed back out on the busy street, hoping now more than ever that I could blend in and get lost in the crowd.

Between Blaine, Marmie, Katie, and this s**t, I began to think that I’d never live a normal life. It felt like for every good thing that happened to me, one horrible thing was lurking around the corner waiting to try and bite my head off. Was I really asking too much of the universe for wanting a month or two where I didn’t feel like my life or my loved ones’ lives were in danger?

I reached our building and showed the doorman my badge. He opened the door for me, and I went and pressed the code to use the elevator. We were staying in one of two penthouse-style apartments on the top floor, and the security only allowed two fobs to access the floor. The elevator doors slid open, and I had never felt more relieved to make it home in one piece.

When I walked in the front door, I heard Michael in the kitchen singing to the babies. It sounded like he was doing dishes and trying to keep them entertained at the same time. I walked into the kitchen, and Michael was standing at the sink with bubbles all over his face. The babies giggled excitedly as they watched their daddy act like a goofball, and the simplicity and innocence of the moment made me cry.

Michael turned and noticed me standing there, tears streaming down my face, “Oh my God. What’s wrong, Shelby? Did you get hurt?”

He walked toward me, bubbles still dripping from his face to the floor, took my cheeks into his hands, and leaned his forehead against mine. I cried silently for a few minutes, then gathered my thoughts and said, “Someone, most likely a henchman of Henderson’s, tried to hurt my boss. Well, they did more than try. She’s on her way to the hospital right now.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Michael asked, sounding outraged. “Why’s she on the way to the hospital? Is she going to be okay?”

“Someone in a black SUV purposefully T-boned her, then backed up and hit her again. They drove away before anyone could call the police,” I explained. “She has some pretty bad cuts and scrapes all over her head, neck, and shoulders, but she seemed coherent. I guess that’s a good thing.”

I managed to calm myself, and Michael backed away from me to sit at the table. He quietly watched me, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he thought about what I had told him. He folded his hands together and rested his forehead against them, taking deep breaths to calm himself. His legs bounced up and down against the floor, and I could tell his anxiety was through the roof.

“It’s a good thing we took precautions. We knew they were dangerous, but to attack someone in broad daylight is bold. Especially on a busy street in the middle of the city,” he contemplated.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking on my walk home. She was just driving in the middle of the day. They could’ve passed it off as an accident, but backing up and hitting her again was intentional. They were doing it to send a message. I was so worried about being followed home, I hid inside a corner store for a few minutes to make sure I didn’t see anyone looking for me,” I told him.

“That was smart of you, Shelby. I’m sure you’re fine, and if they had intended to do anything to you, they probably would’ve hit you at the same time they hit your boss. Now that you’ve found evidence of their negligence, do you think you can pull back and put some room between you and the case?” Michael asked before standing and walking over to the sink.

I watched him rinse a few dishes off, then he walked back over and picked up a now fussing Amelia. He soothed her by rocking her side to side, and when Thomas noticed Amelia was being held, he began to cry as well.

I walked over and picked him up gently, shushing his cries while I thought about what Micahel had asked me.

“Yes,” I answered. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. I have to keep our family safe. At some point, I’ll have to take the hard drive into the office. Other than that, I’m going to try to stay as far away from anyone involved as I possibly can.”

I thought about the horrors I’d heard about and now witnessed since I began consulting on the case. What was this company doing if they were so willing to disregard life and hurt people for wanting them held accountable for their actions? Was there anything they weren’t willing to do to keep the repercussions from coming back on them?

“That’s a good idea, Shelby. I’m glad we’re on the same page. You know I’ll do anything to help, and if they need anything just say the word. Delaney is on standby in case we need him,” Michael assured me as we walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

I sat down and began to nurse Thomas. Looking down into his beautiful blue eyes, I regretted ever entering this line of work. I had no idea I’d ever be putting my children in harm’s way. I sat and hoped that the danger would be in our rearview mirror, but a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it was just the beginning.