Page 102 of Volatile Vice

“Please.” She grabs my arm, almost desperately. “Don’t take me back. Not yet.”

I’m not sure what to say to her. She obviously wants a break from her father, but why? Whatever the reason, it’s certainly not my place to facilitate it. I don’t want to be arrested for kidnapping.

“Belinda, I can’t keep you hidden from your father. It wouldn’t be right,” I say, gently but firmly.

Her eyes well up with tears.

A pang of guilt seizes me.

“I know. I just… I just don’t want to go back there yet.” She chokes on her words. Her eyes are pleading, her small hand clutching the bottle of water so tight it looks like it might burst.

“All right,” I say reluctantly. “We can stay here a little longer.”

We sit silently on a bench near the soda machine. I watch as she picks at a loose thread on her dress, her blue eyes vacant and far away. The drone of conversations is muffled around us.

“Can I tell you another secret?” Belinda asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Of course.”

She gulps. “I’m scared. I’m scared of my father.”

My heart clenches. Her blue eyes are filled with fear and a sorrow that no child should have to bear. She looks down and plays with the hem of her dress.

“Why?” I ask, though deep down I fear I know the answer.

“He gets angry. He screams, and…”

I gently place my hand over hers, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. Meanwhile inside I’m a storm of anger and sadness.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Belinda,” I say. “But he doesn’t hurt you, does he?”

She swallows.

“I can’t tell,” she finally says.

A sickening knot forms in my stomach. My mind whirls with thoughts and emotions, struggling to process the implications of her words.

“I see.” I can barely control the tremor in my voice. “Belinda, if anything bad happens, you should tell someone about it. Someone you trust.”

She looks at me, her eyes filled with innocent confusion. “I have. My nanny. She’s trying.”

I squeeze her hand. “I’m sure she’s trying her best.”

“You’re kind,” Belinda says. “I think I can trustyou, Raven.”

Her words strike me, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “Belinda, I promise to do everything in my power to help you. But in the meantime, we need to go back, okay?”

She looks down, kicking at the floor for a moment. “I guess so,” she finally says quietly.

We return to the waiting area to find Declan McAllister pacing.

“You were gone a long time just getting a drink,” he says.

“She just wanted to talk a little bit,” I tell him. “I think she’s lonely.”

“She’s just fine. She has me.” He takes the girl’s hand. “You should mind your own business,” he says under his breath.

But I heard him.

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