Aiden Shaw gently stroked Laura Lowell's back, his lips brushing against her forehead in a soft kiss.
Slowly, Laura fell fast asleep in his arms, her breathing becoming light and even.
Aiden Shaw raised his hand and used the pad of his thumb to wipe the lingering tears from the girl's face. He slipped out of bed as quietly as he could and tucked the covers around Laura before leaving the bedroom.
He took a pack of cigarettes from a drawer in the living room cabinet, pulled one out, and lit it. Then he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the pitch-black night sky. After standing there in silence for over ten minutes, he finally took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Keith Chambers' number.
"Take those two women to the police station. I'll send you a recording in a bit. Give it to Chief Lorell."
"Okay, but I'm at the hospital right now. The woman who was stabbed will probably need surgery first. I'll have someone keep an eye on them, though."
