Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(12)

A young woman who looked like she’d been used as a punching bag opened the door when Tilly knocked.

Fuck. Tilly couldn’t help but let nurse mode at least visually assess her. Both her eyes were blackened, the right nearly swollen shut. Bruises ringed her neck, and she held her left arm close to her body, like her shoulder might be dislocated.

Scanning the spartan, dingy apartment as she walked in, Tilly said, “Introductions later. Where’s the baby?” Tilly sniffed the thick, close air and smelled old sweat, beer, cigarettes, and what she was pretty sure was the odor of pot.

The woman pointed to the couch where a baby, who couldn’t be more than a couple of weeks old, was strapped into a disgusting-looking carrier. She appeared to be a baby girl, judging by her dingy pink onesie.

Tilly stuck the can of wasp spray in the right pocket of her blazer, grabbed the carrier, and shouldered the overloaded, filthy diaper bag setting next to it on the couch. “What else do you have?”

“My purse, and those.” A laundry basket and two garbage bags sat by the door.

“You have everything you need? Paperwork? Pictures?”

“In the diaper bag.”

“Come on.” Tilly grabbed the heavier-looking of the two bags and headed out. The woman grabbed her purse and the laundry basket and followed her out to the car.

Tilly popped the trunk. “Dump your stuff in there.” She put the baby on the backseat and buckled the carrier in as best she could. She’d passed a Target close by and knew they’d have what she’d need.

The woman got the rest of her stuff from the apartment and brought it out.

Five minutes later, they were speeding out of the parking lot, Tilly relieved she hadn’t had to use her improvised blowtorch on anyone in the process.

Working to stifle her anger, Tilly didn’t look at the woman as she drove. “I’m Tilly.”

“I…I thought Cris was gay.”

“It’s…complicated.”

“I thought he reconciled with Landry?”

“He did. Landry’s my husband. It’s complicated.”

“I thought you said you’re Cris’ wife?”

“I…am. Sort of. It’s really complicated.”

“So you’re living here in California?”

“No, we live in Florida. We’re only out here for a few days this trip. It’s…complicated.” At the next red light, Tilly looked at her. “First things first, we need a car seat for the baby. Then I’m taking you to a damn hospital to get checked out.”

She shook her head. “I can’t go to a hospital.”

“You can, and you will. Money isn’t an issue.”

“That’s not the problem. They’ll take my baby if you do.”

Alarm bells rang in Tilly’s skull. “What are you on?”

“I’m not! I’m clean, I swear. I haven’t used since I found out I was pregnant with her, but I’m on probation. If I tell them I was living with Monroe, they’ll put me in jail for violating.”

“Why?”

“Because…” She burst into tears. “He’s in a gang. He’s got a record. There’s warrants out on him. Him and his brother, both. It’s his brother’s apartment.”

Fuck.

Oh, there was a helluva punishment caning in her immediate future, Tilly knew. And she’d take it. She deserved it for being a terminally stupid idiot and racing in there when she should have called the cops—and Cris.

“Okay. First things first,” Tilly said, “I need to get the baby a car seat.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“I said I would get it,” Tilly said. “You stay in the car.”

When Tilly arrived at the Target, she grabbed both her and Cris’ cells and tossed them into her purse. “I’ll be back shortly. Stay here.” She got out, unfastened the baby’s carrier from the backseat, and pocketed her car keys.

“Why are you taking her?” Sofia asked.

“Because I need to know her size,” she lied before she closed the door.

Like hell she’d leave a baby with that woman she’d just met, the mother or not. Especially knowing the woman was on the run from a violent gang *, and admitted being on probation.

The baby wasn’t leaving Tilly’s sight.

She got inside the store, carefully set the carrier in the cart, pulled another cart behind her, and headed for the baby section. Not only did she get the car seat, she got a new diaper bag, diapers, clothes, wipes, formula, bottles, and a folding playpen-crib—everything they’d need for their little guest.

Wasn’t hard to guess what she’d need, because she helped with Leigh’s baby all the time and knew the routine.

The car seat had a detachable carrier, which was good because this one was…gross.

Tilly returned to the car, with two carts full of stuff, and proceeded first to strip the baby and thoroughly wipe her down with wipes before changing her diaper and getting her dressed in a clean, new onesie. All while Sofia watched.

Then Sofia held the baby in her good arm while Tilly figured out the car seat, got it installed, then got the baby buckled in.

Tilly stood and looked at the woman. “What’s her name?”