I turned to her, watching tears stream down her cheeks.

“Honey,” I said tenderly. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head rapidly, hiccupping.

“Has he hurt you?”

She nodded. Slower this time.

I opened my mouth then closed it again when I realized there was nothing I could say to make things better.

So, instead, I took her into my arms and hugged her, if only so she wouldn’t see Rowan beating the shit out of the man who had been hurting her for who knew how long.

* * *

In the end, the cops did not need to be called.

Lori had brothers.

Three of them.

Two of them turned up at the store and had words with Ronnie. Kip and Rowan stood close by, seemingly to ensure that they stuck to just words. At least with Lori present.

Rowan had not beat the man to a pulp as I’d expected him to. Maybe because of the audience, with Henry coming out of the store and Kip at his side. Or maybe because of Lori, sobbing in my arms. Ronnie’s worst injury was the one Maggie inflicted, which no one seemed too worried about, least of all Lori’s brothers.

One of her brothers was at the house the two of them shared, getting Ronnie’s things out. He was moving out.

Then they loaded her in her car and put the fear of God into Ronnie.

I hoped that the threats and the shame from today were enough to get him to leave Lori alone. But the problem with abusive men—men who believed that the world had wronged them—they tended not to learn. Especially when the woman they had been abusing was succeeding where they were failing.

My stomach churned with worry for Lori, fury at Ronnie for making it so she would not be at ease with herself or with men for a very long time.

It had rattled me. A lot. I had been through crap in my life… indifference, neglect… but never straight up physical abuse. I knew men were capable of that. Unfortunately. But knowing that and seeing it firsthand, to a sweet young girl, were two different things.

And I was rattled because Rowan had avoided me. Hadn’t spoken to me. Granted, he kind of had his hands full with Ronnie and then Lori’s brothers.

Maggie, on the other hand, had not left my side, pressing into my leg and tilting her head for scratches. Both of our eyes were on her dad, yet to look at either of us.

But with everyone leaving, he approached me, his face a cold mask that did nothing for my unease.

“Keys.” He held out his hand.

I blinked at him, at the command. My keys. He was asking for them with the single word, without any kind of please. I was well within my rights to tell him they were my keys, and I’d drive myself.