Page 142 of When a Soul Cries

I rubbed a hand over my face.

“I found her.”

“The grocery-store girl?”

“Sol.”

Sugga paused. “The one you went to dinner with?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

I looked toward the hallway.

“She’s here.”

“At your house?”

“Yeah.”

“With the baby?”

My throat tightened. “Yeah.”

That was all it took.

Sugga’s voice softened immediately. “Rome. Talk to me.”

I tried.

Opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

“Ma…”

My voice cracked.

Silence filled the line.

I dropped my head and pressed my fingers against my eyes, irritated when I felt them burning.

“What happened to that girl?” Sugga asked softly.

“She lost everything.” I swallowed hard. “Apartment. Job. Car. Damn near everything they owned.”

“Oh, baby.”

“And somebody hurt her before all this. Bad.” My jaw tightened as I stared at the floor. “Her own family didn’t protect her.”

Sugga became quiet.

I wasn’t telling her more than that. Sol had trusted *me* with her story.

But even saying that much brought everything rushing back.

That diaper bag.

Her admitting it held damn near everything she and Halo had left.