Page 15 of Daddy's Desire

“I started to feel sick to my stomach, so I went to the bathroom. That’s when I ran into a few of the girls,” Courtney said.

“We could tell right away she was upset. We gave her our numbers so she couldcall if she needed us to pick her up,” Sienna told them. “She called the next day, so we drove to her house and got her.”

“I panicked when my mother told me that man was coming over. I just couldn’t let that man touch me again.”

“I don’t blame you, Honey,” Ronin saidand rubbed her back.

“I told my mother I didn’t like him, but she told me to stop being dramatic andthat this was our chance to become a part of the upper-class circle. I’ve told her so many times I didn’t care about that, but she didn’t listen to me. She never does.”

“What a bitch,” Shelby said.

“Language, Love,” Warrick said.

“But she is,” the other girls burst out.

Courtney watched the men talk with their girls and was envious of how close the couples were.

“So, why didn’t you call your mother or leave a note?” Darian asked.

“I did leave a letter. She knows I just ran, but the girls and I guessed she was lying so she’d have help finding me.” She turned to look at Ronin and felt tears start to fall again. “I don’t want to see her. Please.”

“How old are you?” Ronin asked.

“Twenty-three.”

“Then, Honey, there is nothing she can do. You’re an adult. She can’t drag you back home.”

“But I’m afraid she’ll find a way,” Courtney said.

Darian cleared his throat. “How about a few of us go with you to the police department tomorrow, and then you can tell them you left on your own?”

“They can’t arrest me?” she asked.

Ronin squeezed her side and smiled gently at her. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“But innocent people get arrested all the time,” she told him.

“Honey, I used to be a cop. Right now, I’m a co-owner of a security company. We deal with the police in the city all the time, and I know how they think.”

“I can vouch for him,” Kyla said. “He saved me from a bad man and took care of me until my daddy came.”

Kyla’s daddy kissed the side of her head. “And I’m very thankful he was there.”

“You said she makes you do things. Can you tell us what you mean?” Darian asked.

“I’m on a very strict diet. That’s why I’m so skinny. She had me dye my hair light blonde because she didn’t like mybrown hair. She said it looked like mud. I wasn’t allowed to go outside because she didn’t want me to get freckles, and the only things I got to do were exercise, read nonfiction books, and learn to speak French and Italian.”

She could tell everyone in the room was angry at the way she was treated.

“I’m going to get my girl home unless you need me for anything,” Travis said.

Darian shook his head. “I might call you tomorrow, but right now, I don’t see a problem.”

“Call anytime.” Travis waited until Nia hugged every girl before taking his hand.

The others left soon after, leaving Darian, Larkin, Courtney, and Ronin.

“You girls look tired,” Darian said. “Why don’t you go upstairs, bathe, and put on your nightgowns?”

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