Page 75 of Daddies' Little Spitfire

Hedda looked back up at her Daddy and Papa and shook her head. Panic went through her body. Shouldn't she be able to feel that? Why couldn't she?

Her heart rate spiked as worry filled her. She should be able to feel this and she couldn't.

Was this her body telling her she was about to die? Was this the second sign?

Richard was probably waiting for her in hell, ready to jump her. Hedda didn't want that. She didn't want to die and she definitely didn't want to goanywhere near Richard. She needed to stay far away from him, but it was hard when he appeared in her nightmares.

Was she ever going to get away from him? Hedda didn't know the answer, but she thought she never would.

She had stalkers before, but nothing like this. Especially since he was dead. How was she supposed to cope with that? He was following her everywhere now.

Hedda watched as Daddy and Papa looked at each other before looking back at her. What was that look for? It was like they were having a silent conversation, and she wasn't a part of it.

It only made her panic more as everything set in. Did they know she was going to die? Were they in on it?

"You're okay," Papa said. "Everything is going to be okay."

Her eyes got misty, she blinked a couple of times, but she kept her eyes on both of them. She didn't want to miss any more of their looks at each other, their silent conversation. She wanted to know everything that was going to happen.

"Can you feel my warm hand?" Daddy asked as he placed his hand on her exposed skin.

She stared at where he was touching her and, ever so slowly, she could feel the warmth seep into her skin.

"Yes," she whispered.

Hope filled her as she felt the warmth.

"Such a good girl," Daddy said. "Nothing is wrong."

Papa grabbed her other hand and gave it a little squeeze. "You're doing amazing. Focus on us and nothing else. Everything is going to be okay."

Daddy continued to wrap the rope around her arm. Hedda started to feel the rope against her skin.

She felt secure, safe, and present.

"Such a good girl," Daddy praised her.

Papa and Daddy switched arms and Daddy started to work on her other arm. Hedda felt her body start to relax the more he wrapped and tied the rope around her.

"Feel the rope," Daddy said. "Feel it against your skin. See how secure and safe you feel. Nothing is going to happen to you right now."

Hedda's mind started to go silent as Daddy talked and finished off wrapping the rope around her. She remembered feeling vulnerable the time before, but right now she didn't. She felt safe and was starting to get calm.

"You're such a good girl," Papa said. "Our good girl."

"How does it feel?" Daddy asked.

Before she could stop herself, she started talking. "Amazing, Daddy."

Hedda closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Maybe she was wrong about feeling vulnerable. She didn't want to spew her guts out to them if they asked questions. But she couldn't help herself right now.

The ropes against her skin were making her calm and not fully aware of her surroundings. Something she didn't really need right now.

She needed to get a grip on herself. If they knew she would answer any questions, what was going to stop them from asking anything? They wanted answers and she wasn't ready to give them yet.

It was so exhausting to keep everything in. So many times Hedda wanted to tell them everything and get it out in the open. She didn't want to lie to them anymore or keep secrets.

But at the same time, she didn't want to tell them. They were no doubt going to get rid of her once they knew and she wasn't ready for that. She was already so attached to them and knew she was in for heartbreak.

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