Page 62 of Cinderella's Fling with the Off-Limits Billionaire

Fifteen

IT WAS THE LONGEST ten minutes of Skye’s life. She stood by the car, with Leandro on one side of her and Max the other, Alec just behind, as they waited for the police to emerge from the warehouse.

She should have guessed he’d come here, only she’d never known the exact address, only that Jay shipped things through a place in the Bronx.

The police had told her to wait where she was. She knew why. She’d seen enough shows to understand they were worried about what they’d find inside.

She was so afraid she thought she might buckle. Her knees wouldn’t stop knocking, and it was only Leandro’s arm around her waist that held her steady. Her heart was in panic mode. Every part of her was.

“This is taking too long,” she groaned, shaking her head. “Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong.”

But then, the police detective who’d counselled Skye through the phone call stepped out of the warehouse and in her arms, she held a small bundle of arms and legs, a perfect little toddler, sleeping. She hoped sleeping? The detective smiled at Skye though, so finally, she breathed out, and she sobbed, and Leandro squeezed her side before setting her free to run across the car park to her daughter.

“Oh, thank God,” she cried, reaching out for Harper, who remained asleep.

“She’s sedated,” the detective said gently.

“What? Why?”

“She was crying, apparently.” The detective’s lips flattened into a line.

“Oh, God. Is she okay?”

“She will be. The paramedics will check her out now, okay?”

Skye nodded, but anger was replacing fear. “Where is he?”

The detective carried Harper across the parking lot to one of the ambulances. Leandro was with her the whole way. They didn’t talk, but she was so grateful to him for being there.

“Where’s Jay?”

“He’s being read his rights,” she said. “He sedated your child, pointed his gun at police officers?—,”

“He has a gun?” She swore softly.

“He’ll be in prison for a long time to come, Skye. You don’t need to worry about him again.”

But it was too soon to feel relieved. In that moment, she was still numb to the reality of what had taken place. All she could think about was Harper. She climbed into the back of the van, intending to ride to hospital with her, and barely noticed when Leandro joined her. Not because he wasn’t welcome, but because she simply expected him to follow. It just felt right for him to go wherever she went. She needed him. She needed him always, but that was especially true tonight.

Three days later, Harper was given a clean bill of health, and they returned home to find that her parents’ house had been converted into a suburban outpost of Fort Knox. A new security system, new doors, discreet cameras, better gates and a fence had changed the whole look of the house, but not for the worse. It was evident that this had been done quickly and well, and it had undoubtedly cost a fortune. She didn’t have to think very hard to imagine who’d overseen the work.

“I need to know you’re safe,” Leandro said, when Skye pushed him on it the same afternoon as she returned home.

After getting Harper into the hospital, he’d sat with her long enough to make sure she was okay, long enough to make sure Skye had what she needed and then he’d left.

Had he thought she wanted him to?

Or had he simply grown bored?

No, that didn’t make sense.

Now she could see how he’d been busying himself.

“I am safe. You heard the detective. He’s going to prison.”

Leandro didn’t respond immediately. “Are you free tonight?”

It was such a strange question. She shook her head. She was free, but she couldn’t leave Harper. Not again. Possibly not ever.

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