Page 13 of Derick

“So Ruby, what did you think of your new accommodation?” Cassie asked. “I would have offered our place but…” She patted her expanded stomach. “It will be busy soon and not very quiet. I thought you’d like this place better too. Mum and Dad are gunna love having a little girl to spoil and a new daughter-in-law too. Mum already has Disney Princess tickets.” Cassie spelt outDisney Princess. “And as you can see, they got her a puppy.” She wiggled until she could try and stand. Dustan helped her, and she went over to Ruby and Hope. “Hi. I’m Cassie. I’m a friend of your mother’s. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” She opened her arms, and Hope didn’t hesitate as she let go of her mother’s hand and ran the couple of steps to Cassie, who grunted when she hit her legs.

Dustan swooped down and unhooked her from Cassie and picked Hope up so Cassie could keep her balance. “Well, aren’t you just the cutest,” he crooned.

The beaming smile Hope gave him had a matching one come over Dustan’s face, and I knew she now had him wrapped around her little finger too.

Ruby

I watchedas my daughter wrapped everyone around her pinkie. Her facial expression had never looked so carefree. She’d smiled more than I could ever remember. Guilt assaulted me, and the food I’d just eaten threatened to come up. Was I a terrible mum? I tried to give Hope everything I could. She was the best thing toever happen to me. Truthfully, I didn’t know if I’d still be alive if she wasn’t here. For a long time, she was my reason for living. She was the reason I fought for a better life.

A light touch on my arm had my gaze going to Dustan, who sat next to me. “Why the frown?” he asked.

I didn’t realize I had been frowning. My thoughts had been dark, but I didn’t know I was showing my feelings on my face. Shrugging, so he didn’t think it was a big deal, I mumbled, “Thinking.” I gave what I hoped was a smile. “She’s never s…smiled s…so much.” I jerked my head toward Hope.

Derick’s hand glided down and his fingers interlocked with mine. “I promise for as long as I live that both you and Hope will never go without. I promise you can trust me. You both deserve better.”

Squeezing his hand, I closed my eyes and basked in the comforting feeling, knowing I had him. “I don’t know if I b…believe what you told m…me about us being soulmates.” I opened my eyes. “I l…like the idea of them th…though, and I’m willing t…to see where this g…goes.

I’d never slept sowell. I felt like I was on a fluffy cloud. The bedrooms that Hope and I were put in were like a little flat, but there was no kitchen. From the hall was a loungeroom that had two doors off it. One held Hope’s room, which was pink and had a white, single, four-poster princess bed. My room was the second door, and it had a solid mahogany wooden, four-poster bed, with forest animals carved into the wood. It was gorgeous. The bedsheets were high thread count and felt so good against my skin. The quilt was thick, and the pillows plump and soft.

I was wearing my own PJ’s, but with how rich everything was around me, it looked and felt like a dirty garbage bag. There were clothes in the huge walk-in closet, but I wasn’t comfortable enough to use them yet. I felt like I was taking advantage of Evelin and Lucas. I’d helped Dustan, their son, escape, but it was my family who’d taken him in the first place. So I didn’t feel like I deserved all the nice things they’d given me.

Snuggling into the covers, I didn’t want to get out of it, but I was sure Hope would barrel through the door at any minute. She was a morning girl, me not so much, but after sleeping so well, I now wondered if my situation had turned me into a deeper sleeper.

Hope had never had her own room, and last night I’d been sure she would come into mine or throw a tantrum when it came time for bed, but she didn’t protest and went down easier than she had at the halfway house we’d been staying in. There was no doubt that she loved the room she had. The sheets and quilt cover were Disney and even had Hope’s name on them. The closet had two large mirror doors, and the third door was covered in Disney princesses and castles. Most of the clothes in it were pink, lilac, yellows, and colorful rainbows. Evelin apologized for it being so sparse, and I’d laughed, thinking she was joking, but she wasn’t. She’d then gone on to say she was looking forward to shopping and getting everything we needed.

Gazing at the door, I waited for my little bundle of energy to come in and jump all over me to wake me up. That was how Hope woke me from the moment she could walk, and she was an early walker at ten and a half months.

When she didn’t come in for what felt like a long time, I reached to the bedside table and grabbed the mobile phone my brother had got me before he left, to check the time. I dropped it on the bed and jumped out when I saw I’d slept in until a littleafter ten in the morning. I’d never slept in this much, not even when I was younger.

Running to Hope’s room, I called her name when I saw her bed was empty. After screaming her name for what felt like hours and trashing the room looking for her, I moved on to my own room, and then rushed out and down the hall, the whole time yelling for Hope. I was an idiot. How could I let my guard down? I should have said no to moving in. They hadn’t even given me a night before they’d taken her.

I searched for Hope and cursed the house for being so large. The mansion I’d been in awe of last night was now my nightmare as I searched for my baby. Tears slid down my face, and I didn’t even wipe them away. My sole focus was on finding Hope, and then I’d get us the hell out of here.

Yelling Hope’s name at the top of my lungs while I opened every door and searched every room, closet, and bathroom and nook. When I came to the stairs, I went to open a door and was met with a shirtless Derick. I froze and couldn’t help staring at the sprinkle of blond on his muscular chest. He had what the women at the club would call a six-pack. He wasn’t bulky, like a bodybuilder, but had a defined chest. His boxers didn’t leave anything for my imagination. He was…well, very endowed. I swallowed as his penis started to rise while I stared. I should look away, but as my skin heated, and it grew to a scary size, I opened and shut my mouth, trying to talk, but nothing came out.

“It will never go down if you keep staring.” His chuckle had my gaze darting up to see his smile with his perfect, white teeth and his warm brown eyes.

I shook my head like a dog shaking water off themselves and pushed past him. “Where is she?” I snarled at him. “H…how could you take h…her? You p…promised I c…could trust you.” I stormed to him and pounded on his chest, letting all my anger and pain out on him.

He tilted my head up so I was looking at him. “Take who, Ruby?”

“Don’t pr… pretend you d…don’t know what I’m talking a…about, you, y...you arse.” I poked him in the chest. I’d never talked to a man like this before. Ha, I’d never spoken to anyone like I was now.

“Babe, I don’t know wh?—”

“Don’t ev…ever call me th…that. I hate when m…men call women that. I…I’m not a baby. I h…have a baby and your f…family has stolen her.” I pounded on his chest again.

“Ruby, what on earth are you talking about?” He raised one perfect blond brow.

“D…don’t pretend this w…wasn’t your plan all al…along. Hope isn’t in her r…room. I’ve searched every…everywhere for h…her. She barely leaves my s…side.”

He wiped my tears away. “I’m sure she’s just downstairs with Mum and Dad. How about we go look there first?”

I sobbed as he grabbed my hand and thread his fingers through mine and guided me to the stairs. “I…I, I’ve been yelling for her. Why h…haven’t you heard?”

We descended the stairs. “The rooms are soundproof. That’s why I didn’t hear you and why my parents wouldn’t have either.”

My body that had felt heavy and I couldn’t breathe only a moment ago, relaxed. I took a deep breath in and out. I prayed that Hope was okay and just downstairs. She had to be. I couldn’t live with myself if anything had happened to her because I was selfish and wanted to live the life of luxury and explore the feeling I felt for Derick.

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