Page 135 of Brutal Knight

"Oh. Can my friend come with me?" Big blue eyes blinked up at her mom.

"Tatiana can, but Knight has to stay here."

"I wasn't talking about Knight," she grumbled, taking my hand, once again, leading me towards the stairs. "I know the rules."

As soon as we hit the stairs, she let go of my hand, racing enthusiastically upwards. "I can't wait for you to see my new elephant!"

"Don't forget to use your chart!" Maya yelled up the stairs, her voice halfway drowned out by clattering in the kitchen. The smell of bacon filled the air, making my stomach beg me for food.

"I know, I know," Honey grumbled, running to her room. By the time I'd reached it, she was holding up a purple, plaid elephant. "Look! Mom gave it to me yesterday. Did you learn anything new about elephants?"

"I did," I was strangely pleased that I'd looked them up after our meeting. "Did you know they can pick up a single grain of rice with their trunks?"

Her lips pressed together for a brief second before a smile lit her face. "I knew that already but I'm so happy you learned something new! Did you know that they can recognize themselves in the mirror?

I was lost in the babble of elephant facts while Honey used a chart on her wall that had pictures that represented changing clothes, brushing her teeth and hair, etc. She made her bed with an exactness, pulling the blanket tight. She pointed to each picture before she did it, going back to touch them again when she was done.

The energy in the room was light and happy, and warm and gushy feelings began to blossom inside me.Was this what it was like, living in a normal household?

How the hell did Knight know these people?

The chatter suddenly stopped and she focused intently on a bright pink ribbon, tied to the neck of a large batman doll. "Did you bring your gun today?"

Somewhere, a record scratched in my mind and the world suddenly narrowed into focus.Shit. Shit.She hadn't forgotten that.

Of course not.The girl was smart as a whip.

"Why are you asking?" I hedged, trying to walk the line of not making a big deal about it but also not making it into some secret.

She deliberately tied and untied the ribbon, making sure that the ends were the same length. "In case the bad man comes back."

I sat on the white, princess bed, giving her my full attention. "What bad man?"

"The one who killed my daddy."

I think if my eyes were any wider, they would pop from my head.Fuck fuck shit.How should I deal with this?

"Someone killed your dad?"

She gave me a look that clearly said,no shit, Sherlock. "I just told you that."

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry about that. Do you know who it was?"

She shook her head. "Knight said he took care of the bad man."

"And you're not sure about it though?"

She didn't answer for a long moment. She moved on to the next doll, straightening it, then finally, "He said he did, so I think the bad man is gone."

"So why are you worried?"

"But what if--" she paused, a little breath of frustration coming out, "what ifanotherbad man comes?"

I couldn't,wouldn'tlie to her. I couldn't promise that another bad man wouldn't come; I had enough experience to know that bad thingsjust happened.

"Sit down," I pat the bed next to me, and she scooted backwards onto it, putting space between us before settling into a soft pile of colorful, stuffed animals. Wide eyes gazed at me, her little chest moving like hummingbird wings.

"Look," I said, when I had her full attention. "Knight is strong and brave. If he says he took care of the bad guy, then I know he did it. But, if you ever need someone else, if a bad guy ever comes for you, I will be here to protect you, too."

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