Page 95 of Sinful Skulls
She wraps her arm around me. “Don’t be sorry, sweetie. Just listen to me, okay?” She kisses my forehead. “Your mother gave you up for adoption to keep you safe, but I think you’ve already figured that out.”
I nod.
“Her story is quite incredible, and someday maybe you’ll be ready to hear it, but right now, we’re going to focus on getting you through this.”
She runs her finger over the dragonfly pendant in her palm. “This dragonfly leads people right where they need to be. It began its flight with a woman who has a similar story to your mother’s. She found herself pregnant and in a terrible situation with a bad man. She made it her mission to do whatever she had to do to keep her son safe. Same as Elizabeth. I adopted that baby.”
I begin to sob loudly, and she pulls me into her chest. “I can assure you my Jackson is nothing like his father. Nothing.”
“But what if I am like him?”
“You’re not. I promise you, baby, you’re not. Don’t let him claim you. You are your mother’s daughter. You are strong, beautiful, and kind. I know she would do anything for you, but I can’t pretend to understand what you are feeling right now. I’m sure it hurts.”
“No one will.”
“My son will. Please talk to him.”
She leans over and places the necklace around my neck. “Lexie gave me this to give to my little granddaughter, but I think you need it more right now.”
I wrap my fingers around it and cry, falling into her arms.
“We’ll get you through. We’ll get you through,” she whispers into my hair.
It’s dark by the time bikes begin to pull into the driveway.
I’ve been listening to the minutes tick by on the grandfather clock. It didn’t put me to sleep like it did at Henry’s. I still don’t know if he was drugging me. Of course he was. He undressed me.
I sit up, watching for Brody to enter the house. When he doesn’t, I swallow the lump in my throat.
Raffe goes to his wife. “How ya feeling, baby?”
She lays her head against his chest. “I’m doing good. Is everyone safe?”
He nods, holding her face in his hands and running his eyes over every inch. “You look tired. Let’s get you home.”
“I said I was good.”
“Thank you so much for sitting with me, but really, you should go home and rest. It’s been a long day,” I tell her.
“If you promise me you’ll stay. Don’t run.”
I glance around the room looking for Brody.
She grabs my hand. “If he’s not here, there’s a reason. I know him, Daisy. He’ll never leave you. Don’t run.”
I nod, and Raffe picks her up. She sighs. “I guess I’m leaving,” she says, chuckling.
“Thank you again!” I yell as he heads out the door with her.
Jackson sits down next to me as soon as his parents leave. “I’m going to give you a ride over to the warehouse. Brody went on ahead so he could get cleaned up.”
“Cleaned up?”
His eyes bounce over my face. “You know who we are, don’t you?”
“Oh,” I say, looking away quickly. I guess I don’t know who they are, because I never once thought about it. They’ve all been so nice to me. I haven’t pictured them as people capable of taking someone out.
My thoughts go back to the first time I met Brody. When he broke that man’s nose for touching me. If he thinks Henry hurt me ...
