Page 13 of Escape From Me

I doubt he could see me when I sighed but walked up next to him.

“I didn’t. But my name’s Daisy Ashford. I’m Richard Ashford’s daughter.”

Zeiden did something, and then one of the monitors had a video playing. It was my father shaking hands with another man that I’d seen photos of but I didn’t have his name memorized. They were laughing.

“Looks like Daddy isn’t missing you much.”

At some point I’d gotten closer, like I couldn’t believe that he was there laughing and smiling while I was possibly missing.

“Is this live?” I asked, reaching for the screen but pulling back at the last second. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to smudge your screen.”

I stepped back and put my hands in the pocket of the hoodie to keep myself from doing something dumb.

“It is live. Here’s your mom.”

Another screen showed the bar, and there was my mother, putting down one drink for another. I watched as she put something in her mouth before she took a glass and drank it down in one gulp.

“Yup. That looks like mommy dearest. The only thing she’s been good at other than spending my dad’s money is drinking.”

I studied the videos a while longer.

“Is there a reason you’re showing me just how much my parents don’t care about me? They aren’t worried that I’m gone. I’ve never been able to disappear a day in my life. You’d think they’d be freaking out. Or at least my dad.” My heart hurt. “Thanks for showing me that no one wants me.”

Zeiden came up next to me and pointed out a guy that my father was shaking hands with. I watched as an envelope was passed from the guy’s hands to my father.

“That, my little dove, looks to be the future Mr. Little Dove.”

I shuddered.

“Who is he?”

Zeiden pulled out a keyboard that I hadn’t noticed before attached to a desk like stand. I didn’t care anymore.

“Looks like he’s the replacement judge to one that was murdered a couple of months ago. Raymond Hart. How do you feel about the name Daisy Hart? Wife to a judge who seems to have some very strange locked files and a dismissed case about rape.”

I didn’t realize that I’d been backing away until my back hit something hard, and then two warm arms were wrapped around me.

“Daisy? Something tells me that you don’t much like the idea. I’m certain he can give you money. Status. Children.” Zeid said all the right things but the chill to his voice mirrored the cold in my soul.

“Yeah. I’m sure he can. He can probably give me a lifetime of bruises—both physical and those you can’t see. He’ll just turn me into my mother.”

Zeid’s hands pulled me around and I let him.

“Thanks for showing me just how much worse my life can be. Any chance you need a maid or something? Since you aren’t interested in me and all.”

I don’t know why I said it. I’d known this guy for all of what, an hour? It didn’t matter though. There had been something in the way he looked at me. Like he saw me, and it had been everything.

“Is that what you think?” Zeid forced my face up to meet him. “You think I don’t want you?”

If I looked to the side, the ceiling, anywhere I might be able to stop the tears from coming, because I didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to say it anymore or know that this couldn’t even be a fun escape because he’d shattered that little dream of mine.

“Well, you don’t. Do you?” I hated the way my voice wavered.

I hated the way I leaned into his palm when he placed a hand over my cheek as his thumb brushed away a tear that escaped my stupid eyes.

“No, I don’t want you, Daisy. I’m fucking desperate for you, and I just met you. That’s a problem in my world. To be this desperate for someone, you have a weakness. Something about the way you trusted me to just take you. To keep you safe. Why would you do that?”

I placed my hand over his like I could siphon more warmth from him.

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