“Little girl, you don’t need to worry about that. I promise. He seemed angry at what you said about Pete. He’s looking into it. He wouldn’t say he would take care of it if he didn’t mean it.”

Rainey was worried; that was an understatement. The following day after they had the talk and her punishment, she had been worried. Daddy tried to keep her mind off it, but it was hard.

Pete was here in town andthreatened to kill her baby if she didn’t, and she had no idea if the situation was going to get taken care of or how.

“Did you take any pictures of the bruises from when he hit you?” Daddy asked.

“No,” she whispered, dread filling her. “Do you think it’s going to come to that?”

There was no way Rainey would be able to go through the ordeal of a trial. To have it drawn out and be asked so many questions. She didn’t want that, especially since she was due in less than three months.

“I don’t think it will. I was just wondering if you had.”

“I didn’t think about doing that. When he hit me, he would always stay around, not giving me time to be alone long enough to take pictures.”

“He knew.”

Rainey shrugged. “I guess. I’m not sure, but looking back on it, it makes sense.”

She didn’t try and think back to when she was with him. It was a dark period, and she wanted to move on with her life. But she couldn’t fully move on until she knew if he was being taken care of or if she needed to move.

“Little girl, everything is going to be okay.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m Daddy. I know.”

Looking at him, she narrowed her eyes. “But how?”

“Deccan hasn’t contacted me, but I just have a feeling. He said they don’t hurt innocent women, and I believe him.”

She opened her mouth, ready to ask why again, but Daddy stopped her.

“Are we feeling three years old right now?”

She smiled.

Daddy kissed her forehead. “That’s okay. Daddy loves it. When we get home, you can let go. Daddy will take care of you.”

“How?” she asked.

“Little—”

She giggled and pushed her face into his chest. She couldn’t help herself.

“Brat.”

Laughing even more, she slowly started to relax into his embrace.

“Sorry, Daddy. I just had to.”

“You just had to?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”