“Sore.Mom.Dad.You didn’t need to come all the way here and keep Zoe up.”Gemma frowns.
Her father turns.“You were attacked in an alley.You think we are going to stay home watching TV and leave you with this stranger?”
Ouch.
“You’re Dwoo.”Zoe lifts her head and looks at me.
“I am.But your grandfather is right, you are her family and I’m sure one late night isn’t going to hurt.”
Gemma glares at me.“Please take her home and put her to bed.
“No, Mommy.”Zoe starts crying and reaches out her arms.
The nurse leaves, giving us all a pointed look.
I walk over and place Zoe tentatively on Gemma’s lap now she’s sitting on the side of the bed.“Tell me if she hurts you.”
“She’s my daughter; I’d have to be dead to not hold her.”
“I’m just trying to help,” I say as patiently as I can.
“We should go.”
“I’m here.Are you—” A young woman, whom I can only assume is Gemma’s sister, barrels in.“Wow, it’s a party.”
“I’m Drew.”
“I figured.”Belinda smirks, then looks at her sister.“What happened?”
Everyone looks at me.
I haven’t given them the entire story, mostly because I don’t know why she took off.Well, except for that part about me asking her to be my lover and Gemma having a delayed reaction.
The look in her eyes, the pain, as she walked out of the party while I was on the phone is something I will never forget.
Thank God I found her.
Damon was hot on my tail and helped me take out the two thugs and call the cops.Zander and Derek arrived moments later.
“I took a wrong turn and ended up being assaulted,” Gemma says, giving me a strange look.“Drew found me.”
“You weren’t with her?”Graham asks.
“Dad!”Gemma cries.
“I’m sorry, but when a man takes a woman out on a date—”
I hold up my hand.“I agree.My parents raised me better.I should not have let her out of my sight.”
Graham nods.
Gemma and Belinda share a look, and I feel like it’s my cue to leave.I’m not going anywhere.
“Gemma took off her shoe and defended herself, if it’s any consolation.”
I smile at her, but she doesn’t smile back.
“I taught her that.”Belinda grins.