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“I’m not in any danger, not anymore.” Even she didn’t believe those words which made me curious.
“Are you sure about that?”
She nodded. “As sure as I can be. He was the only threat in my life.” Her words were sad and resigned.
“The immediate threat is gone but it’s not the only threat.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
My gaze slid over to Ash. “We’ll talk. Soon.”
Her lips tugged into an unhappy flat line. “Fine.” She turned quickly and walked away, giving me a good long look at her ass.
Emma was small and feistier than I gave her credit for, but the biggest surprise of all? The round ass and hips that showed off the fact that she had curves in all the right places.
I shook off those thoughts and followed her at a safe distance before I took up residence in the corner that gave me the best view of her hotel room without being too intrusive.
Chapter 6
Emma
“Is this our home now Mommy?” Ash’s voice pulled me from my thoughts and when I turned, she wore a quizzical expression that held neither hope nor expectation.
“No, sweetheart. It’s not.” I smiled and rubbed my hand over her impossible to tame curls. “This was a little vacation, we’re going home today, okay?” Home, I hated the thought of going back there, but for the sake of appearances we had to, that’s what Diesel had told me last night, that if I wanted to keep the police from getting suspicious then I had to carry on like nothing was wrong. Maybe in six months I could put the house up for sale, say I couldn’t afford the mortgage repayments or whatever. But for now…
“But Daddy Alex is going to be angry,” Ash’s voice was laced with worry.
“Daddy Alex has gone away for a few days,” I said. The more I said it the more I was starting to believe it myself. That was what I’d told the police. I’d worn a scarf around my neck so they couldn’t see the bruises, but I’d told them we’d had an argument and that he’d stormed out. That was what usually happened, Alex would bully and threaten me then he’d storm out locking me in the house while he went off to Vegas to burn off his anger in the casinos with his brother.
“Okay, Mommy. Are we going away again?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? I went straight to a hotel the night Diesel and Slate showed up because the idea of staying at the house—at all—just wasn’t an option. I’d been trying to get away for so long that the urge to run away was strong. But now I didn’t have to run, at least not far. Alex was no longer a threat, which meanthomecould stay home, even if it looked a little different. “No Ash, I don’t think we’re going away again. Do you want to go away?”
She shook her head, a worried expression on her face. “Away from Daddy Alex. He’s mean.” She leaned close. “I don’t like him, Mommy.”
My heart cracked down the middle and then fractured into a million pieces. I was still trying to keep it all together, but no matter what I did, the silent accusation ofyou’re a murdererkept spiraling around in my head. I had to be strong for my daughter.
Then if that wasn’t enough, seeing Asher again for the first time in six years shocked me to the core. When I found out I was pregnant I’d gone back to that bar a couple of times hoping to see him, but there was no sign. I don’t think he even recognized me, which made me wonder if he’d slept with so many women all their faces became a blur.
I knew I had to tell him about his daughter, but first things first, I had to get me and Ash through this, before I could decide my daughter’s future.
I let out a sigh, wishing with everything I had, that I could go back to yesterday morning before all this happened. I’d take Ash out grocery shopping and we’d get on the bus and get the hell out of Steel City. Seeing my daughter’s worried face, and realizing she was waiting for my response, I said, “We won’t seeDaddy Alex anymore, he’s gone away,” I assured her with more confidence than I ever had because now I knew for certain he wouldn’t find us.
A knock sounded on the hotel room door and we both gasped and jumped off the bed. “Mommy?” Ash’s voice was small and scared.
I put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. “It’s not him,” I assured her even while my heart thundered in my chest.
“Promise?” Her hand instinctively went to her cheek, and it brought home to me what could have happened last night if I hadn’t stopped him when I did.
I pulled my daughter into a hug, “Yep, I promise.”
“Okay,” she said with a shrug before she turned her attention to the door and a second knock.
“I’ll get it,” she offered excitedly.
“I’llget it,” I replied with a gentle smile as I crossed the room and peered through the peephole, it was Slate, ignoring the anxiety in my belly about keeping things from him I gripped the door handle and opened it. His smile was too bright and there was a wariness in his eyes that instantly put me on edge. “Slate. What are you doing here?”
He stared at me for a long time as if he was studying me and trying to figure me out. Did he remember me? I’d changed over the years, but he had too. He’d filled out, his shoulders were so broad they blocked the view of everything behind him, he had a beard now, which framed his kissable lips perfectly, and his hair was longer. He was still a gorgeous man with a panty-melting bad boy smile that was—still—completely irresistible. “I’m here to take you girls back home, but first we’re going out to lunch.”
