"On our own together," I said, wanting to keep him on my team as long as possible.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

After we got back to the gallery, Kade walked me to my car and told me he needed to wrap up a few things before he went back to the house. As I drove home alone, the fog had thickened, adding an eerie atmosphere to the darkening day. I'd felt safe with Kade on his bike, riding up the coast, leaving all my worries behind, but they were back now.

I pulled into the driveway behind Kade's truck and ran up the steps to the front door. My hand shook as I put the key into the lock, but I got inside without any problems and immediately turned the dead bolt. I moved through the rest of the house, feeling completely on edge, but there was no one there, and nothing had changed in the hours since I'd left. I let out a breath of relief.

My hand was aching a little, my fingers still swollen from my fall, and I was feeling a soreness in my knees, back, and hip, more reminders of what had happened in the hospital parking lot. But I'd survived, and I'd be more careful in the future.

I sat down on the couch in the family room and propped my feet up on the coffee table. I'd no sooner taken a deep breath when my phone rang. I groaned as I saw Dani's name, but not answering wasn't an option.

"Hi," I said wearily.

"You don't sound good, Brynn."

"Just tired."

"What's going on? You haven't called me in hours."

I didn't want to tell her about the hit-and-run. It was too upsetting to talk about. "Dad has a hotel room here in San Francisco. The police went by, but he wasn't there."

"I know. Vicky told me. She just spoke to the police."

"What else did she say?"

"She said the police are trying to frame Dad for Mom's attack."

"Which is why Dad needs to call someone back," I said in frustration. "He could be in serious trouble, Dani."

"I know. I keep calling, but he doesn't answer." Dani blew out a breath. "Did you see Mom? How was she?"

"The same. No change. I talked to her, but she didn't respond."

"Did you tell her you love her no matter what she did?"

I could hear the edge of anger in her voice, and it bothered me. Dani and I didn't fight that much, mostly because I usually went along with her plans, but it was also because we'd always been on the same side. Now, our mother was putting a wedge between us. "I told her I needed her to wake up and talk to me. That she owed that to us."

"She owes us more than she can ever repay."

"That's true," I murmured.