I had just turned to grab a candy bar from the shelf when I heard a loud beep and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sierra fall to the ground just a few feet away. Leia and Lexi both screamed and I hit my knees next to Sierra’s prone body and checked for a pulse in her neck. There was a cut in her hairline from where she hit the shelf when she fell and it was bleeding back into her hair. I could tell at a glance that she would need stitches and from looking at the condition of the shelf she had hit, she would need a tetanus shot to go with them.
Leia and Lexi were both on their knees on Sierra’s other side and I realized that neither one was crying or overreacting. I put a pin in that thought to analyze later and gave Sierra my attention. I looked up at the cashier who rushed around the counter and dropped down beside me. Before I could even ask what happened, she thrust her hand out to me.
I looked down at her hand and realized it was holding a lottery ticket.
“She won,” the woman whispered as she pressed the ticket into my hand and glanced out into the parking lot. “Hold on to that for her. There are some people who might get ideas, if you know what I mean.”
The bell over the door rang, and I looked up to see some young men come in. From the way they were dressed, I knew that they belonged to one of the gangs here in town and the cashier was right. The ticket was safer in my pocket than her hands.
“Leia, take my keys and unlock the truck. Lexi hold the door for us - I’m going to carry your mama out.” Lexi started to argue, but Leia took her hand and dragged her toward the door. I scooped Sierra up into my arms and with a nod to the cashier, I walked outside to my truck.
Lexi held the door and then walked beside me toward the truck where Leia was waiting with the front passenger door open. I set Sierra on the front seat and buckled her in, glad to see she was coming around. Leia and Lexi crawled up into the truck through the rear passenger door and I saw Leia reach over and hit the lock once it was closed.
I took a look around the parking lot as I rushed around the front of the truck and hopped in to start it. I saw that the three gang members who were in the store weren’t alone. There was one empty car parked next to mine and two more cars down the row with the same type of men in them - the bass from their music loud enough to rattle windows.
Once I was in, I started the truck, backed out of the lot quickly, and headed toward the hospital.
“Where are you taking us?” Lexi asked me, her voice shrill with fear.
“The emergency room, honey,” I told her as I caught her eye in the rearview mirror. “You have someone we can call to meet us there?”
“Um,” Lexi looked like she was on the verge of a meltdown. “We can’t go to the hospital! You have to take us home!”
“Lexi, your mom needs stitches and probably a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. She needs to see a doctor.”
“We can’t go to the hospital!” Lexi wailed. “That’s how he found us last time!”
“How who found you, honey?” I asked her calmly even though somewhere deep down I knew where this conversation was headed. When Lexi didn’t answer, I asked her quietly, “Do you live at Miss Kari’s apartments, sweetheart?”
Lexi nodded while her eyes pleaded with me in the rearview mirror.
“Kari is a friend of ours, Lexi,” Leia consoled her friend. “My dad’s club works with Miss Kari. Her brothers run the club. Have you met Sam and Zeke? The twins?”
Lexi nodded.
“They’re my uncles, sort of. So is Jace.” Leia’s words seemed to sink in and Lexi started to calm. “Dad understands now, Lexi. He’ll take care of you.”
“You promise?” Lexi whispered.
I caught her eye in the mirror and nodded, “I promise, honey. I’ll take care of you and your mama as long as you need me.”
I reached into the inside pocket of my cut and pulled out my phone. I held it up over my shoulder and Leia took it from me.
“Call Nick, Leia. See if Cindy is home.”
“Cindy?” Sierra mumbled from the passenger seat. I looked over and saw that Sierra was awake now and had her hand on her head where it was bleeding. “What happened? Oh, my God! Lexi!”
“It’s okay, Mom!” Lexi reached up and touched Sierra’s shoulder. “They’re friends. They know Miss Kari.”
Sierra’s eyes got wide and I smiled to reassure her.
“You passed out in the store and bumped your head. I think you need to see someone, so instead of taking you to the hospital, we’re going to take you to see Cindy Cardenas. If not, then I know a lady who used to be a doctor and she can help us.”
I could hear Leia mumbling into the phone and then she finally said, “I told Nick what happened. He said we should go to Nicole’s office because Cindy is about to get off work.”
“Call Kari, Leia. Let her know what happened and where we’re headed.”
“Yes, sir,” Leia answered and I saw her head go back down to pay attention to the phone.
“Sierra, do you remember what happened?” I asked her and I saw her jolt upright and then wince. “I’ve got the ticket, sweetheart.”
“You’ve got it?” Sierra whispered. “I was so excited and then I realized I can’t even redeem it.”
“Why not?” If this thing was worth as much money as her fainting and the cashier’s behavior made it seem, it could probably solve a whole lot of her problems.
“They’ll want
