“That is where you are wrong,” I say. “You.” I want to step into her space, but instead, I point at her. “You deserve it also. Do you still love him?” I ask that, and even if I don’t want to hear her answer, I’ll do whatever I can to help her.

“No,” she answers softly, and the breath I was holding comes out. “The minute he lied to me and did what he did, I knew it wasn’t love.”

I nod at her, knowing that she opened up to me more than she wanted to. “Will that guy come back?”

“Even if he comes back, I’m not answering,” she says. “He usually doesn’t come back into the night, but I don’t really know his schedule, so I can’t say.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning at seven to get you guys,” I say, and I turn to walk out before she starts making excuses. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” Opening the door, I look back. “I expect you to answer.” She rolls her eyes, and I close the door and wait to hear the lock click behind me.

I walk away from her door with my heart heavy and my feet almost like they’re in cement blocks. I push open the front door and start walking to my vehicle, and I see him leaning against it. “There he is,” Vince says to me, standing up now, and I see that his own Cadillac is parked next to mine.

“What do you want?” I say, and he looks at me and smirks.

“I was hoping I can speak to you, man to man,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

“A man doesn’t go after a woman and child for shit that has nothing to do with them,” I say, and he nods his head.

“I’m not the bad guy in all this,” he says, and I just walk around him to get into my SUV. “I’m the least of her problems right now.” The way he says it has me stopping in my tracks. “He’s making deals with the wrong people. People who won’t knock on her door, but instead will bust it down.”

“It has nothing to do with her,” I almost shout.

“Yeah, except he gives her address as his,” Vince says, and I don’t know who this man is, but I already want to put my fist through his face. “He brings the danger to her door, and he doesn’t care.”

“How much does he owe you?” I ask him, and he looks down and then up.

“This time, he owes me five hundred,” he says, and my heart sinks for Caroline, knowing that it will take her years to pay that back.

“Why the fuck would you let him get away with that?” I ask.