Page 28 of Daddy's Heart

Lifting her chin with his knuckles, he waited until her eyes met his.

“I was hoping you would. Now, go to sleep.” He tapped her chin with his forefinger. “Goodnight, Sammy,” he said again.

“Night, Daddy,” she whispered.

He left her to sleep, closing the door quietly behind him as he stepped back into the hallway.

Warmth ran through his veins as he made his way back to his own room. The door to the small part of his heart he’d walled off long ago started to creep open. Tucking her into bed wasn’t about a play session. It was so much more. And maybe, more was exactly what he needed.

Chapter 11

Samantha’s phone danced on the nightstand, waking her. She fumbled for it without opening her eyes. It wasn’t quite time to wake up yet.

“Hello?” she muttered into the phone once she got it to her ear.

“Sam?”

“Yeah?” She pulled the pillow over her face. If she opened her eyes, it would block out any light.

“It’s Anderson.”

Her eyes opened, and the pillow fell away.

“Anderson?” She pulled the phone back to look at the time, squinting at the bright light from the screen. “It’s not even five in the morning? What’s wrong?”

“Randall was released late last night. I just found out.”

She was awake.

Completely, fully awake.

Sitting up, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “How can that be? I thought he had to go to a parole hearing first.”

“Usually, yes. But Randall’s uncle has some strong ties in the system. It was all very quiet. They held a meeting behind closed doors—no attorneys, no witnesses, nothing. Just a quick vote, and he got his walking papers.”

She folded her legs and rested her elbow on her knee. “Okay…well, not okay, but…what now? What happens? That’s it? He’s out?”

After everything that man put her through, did to her, threatened her with, he walks free?

“Nothing, Sam. I can’t stop a parole that’s already been granted. What we can do is make sure you’re protected. I’ll get with Paul and George and we can see what can be done.”

“Done about what? Anderson, he hasn’t so much as called or emailed. If he’s got his freedom, I doubt he’ll mess that up by coming to Chicago. Besides, he doesn’t even know where I am.” At least she didn’t think he did. Her ex-boyfriend, Randall, never showed much interest in anything outside of his world, and she’d never talked to him about George. They hadn’t dated long enough for families to be introduced.

“With the connections he and his family have, I don’t doubt he can find out.”

“If he’s gotten out, I don’t see why he would even be interested in finding me.”

“Because, Sam, you put him away. It was your testimony that got his conviction,” Anderson reminded her. Not that she wanted to remember sitting on that witness stand, her internal organs shaking while she replayed his part in the robbery. If he’d just kept his business out of his apartment when she spent the night, she wouldn’t have known anything. And when the police questioned her, she wouldn’t have been able to tell them he’d planned the whole thing.

The morning after she’d heard his plans and found the floor plans to several different houses sprawled out on the kitchen table, she’d walked out of his apartment and out of his life. He didn’t take any notice of the breakup, but after he was denied bail, he’d easily put together who’d talked to the police.

“Can his conviction be overturned? I mean, if his family connections got him parole after only a few months, can’t they get the whole thing wiped?” She slid out from beneath the covers and began to pace the bedroom. It was too early for conversations holding so much weight, but she was awake. There would be no going back to sleep after this.

Anderson sighed. “Yes, that is a possibility.”

“If he’s on parole, he has to behave, right? He can’t leave the state?”

“He’s not supposed to leave, and yes, he’s supposed to be on his best behavior to keep from going back to jail. But, Sam, I wouldn’t count on that keeping him from seeking you out. I think we should talk to George. I know Paul said you were staying with one of his friends. We should talk to him too. Let him know—”

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