Page 34 of Fighting Salvation

Bás’ warning made her nod but she kept her gaze on the child. “Hey, what’s your name? I’m Valentina.”

The child remained silent, her wide eyes flitting all around the room at the group of people who to her must be alarming, to say the least.

Angling her head back she looked at Bás who was watching the child warily, a look she couldn’t quite decipher on his face.

“Can we have some room?”

He seemed to snap out of the thoughts that were clearly troubling and motioned at the team. “Give Val some room.”

As the people at her back moved away, giving them the illusion of privacy, she focused on the child. “Are you hungry?” The child nodded vigorously and she turned to Hurricane. “Hey, big guy, I don’t suppose you have one of those protein bars on you do you?”

If anyone was carrying food it would be him, the man was always hungry.

“I sure do and it’s salted caramel flavour too.”

He knelt and offered half of it to the child with a smile. She reached out tentatively and snatched it out of his hand before shoving it in her mouth.

“Slow down, sweetie. You don’t want to choke.”

“Here.”

Bás tapped her shoulder with a water bottle and she offered that to the child. It was clear to see she was emaciated and slightly feral. The child took the water and gulped half of it, wiping her face on the back of her dirty arm.

Her clothes consisted of a dirty pair of shorts and a vest which was ripped down the side. Her feet were bare with cuts on the bottom.

“Are your parents close by?”

The girl shook her head, her eyes darting distrustfully around the room before landing back on Hurricane, who offered her the second half of the bar. She took it this time, rather than snatching and Val took that as progress. She didn’t know what had happened to this child but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she’d been abused in some way. Neglect at best, and she couldn’t even consider the alternative considering the man they were hunting.

The child once again shook her head but didn’t speak.

Val stood and turned to Bás. “We can’t just leave her here alone.”

He looked past her to the child who was reaching out to touch the bracelet on Hurricane’s wrist as if intrigued by it.

“I know, but we can’t exactly take her back to the safe house. We aren’t running a daycare here.”

“I know but between us, we can sort something out until we can find out who her parents are.”

“Yeah, well, I have a horrible feeling I know who one-half of the parentage might be.”

Val grasped his forearm, running her hand down until she could twine her fingers with his. “Oh?”

“She’s the spitting image of Hansen and also Lopez and Addie’s girl.”

Val felt the air whoosh from her lungs as she glanced back at the bedraggled child. “No, surely not?”

“I can’t say for sure, obviously, but that would be my guess.”

“We need to help her, Niall. Look at her.”

His fingers tightened on hers and squeezed. “I know, but something about this entire set-up seems off. We found it too easy.”

“I agree, but this is where we are.”

“What’s the plan?”

Duchess moved up beside them and she too struggled to pull her eyes from the child, who seemed to be warming to Hurricane, her hands moving over the leather bracelet he’d slipped off and given to her.