Page 87 of Savage Redemption

“Someday. Right now, I want to know…”

We’re interrupted by a gentle tap on the door. Eva pops her head round.

“Ah, good, she’s still awake then.” She bustles in. “Faith just phoned. Apparently, it’s someone’s birthday, not sure which one, but there’s cake, juice, and jelly upstairs. Oh, and pass the parcel. Erin’s invited to join the party.”

Rosie steps away from me. “That… that’s great. I’ll just?—”

“I can take her up. I rather fancy a spot of jelly myself. I wonder if they have strawberry…” Eva reaches for the baby.

“But I should change her clothes.”

“She looks lovely as she is, don’t you, princess?” Eva is already halfway to the door. “And anyway, she’ll only get mucky again. We’ll see you in a couple of hours. Bye.” She helps Erin to wave to us from the doorway, then the pair of them are gone.

“I’m sorry about that.” Rosie offers me an apologetic smile. “But a party…”

“And jelly. A matter of priorities,” I concede.

“I know you wanted to see her, though.”

“She’ll be back, all giddy and high on a sugar rush, no doubt.”

“Probably. We could?—”

“Which room’s yours, Rosie?”

“Mine?” she squeaks.

“Yes. Yours.”

“Through there.” She points to a connecting door.

I hold out my hand. “Show me.”

There’s as much evidence of Erin in Rosie’s bedroom as there is of Rosie herself. A pile of baby clothes on a chest, a cuddly panda on the pillow, and a musical lamp that plays nursery rhymes on the bedside cabinet. I suspect Erin usually shares the double bed with her mummy.

I’m not sure how that’s going to work, going forward. We’ll see. I can be adaptable if I have to.

Rosie darts over to the bed and grabs the bear. “I’ll just?—”

I take the panda from her and place him carefully on a chair, facing away from the bed. “Shall we just leave him there?”

“He’s Erin’s favourite.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s a fine, handsome fellow.” I return to where she’s standing beside the bed and cradle her face between my hands. “Now, we need to make Mummy happy, too.”

“I am happy. Happy you’re here, and happy you’re alive.”

“Me, too, but you and I need to talk. About how you put yourself in danger. You might have been killed if Ethan hadn’t shown up when he did.”

“So would you.”

“I knew what I was doing. I took a risk.”

“Anyway, Baz wouldn’t have let him do it. Julia told me.”

“Kaminski’s the boss, not Bartosz.”

“He listens to Baz. Eventually.”

---