Page 21 of Tinley's Daddy
A knock on the door soon interrupted us.
I looked at my robe and back at Josh in a panic.
“That’s not them. I arranged for us to meet with them in a conference room downstairs.” He opened the door and grabbed four shopping bags. He brought them in and set them on the bed.
“My assistant went a little overboard, but take a look and anything you don’t like, just leave it on the bed.”
I stood up and approached the bed. I peeked into one of the bags. Three of them were full of clothes. The last one was filled with toiletries. I pulled a bottle of lotion out of the sack and flipped the top. I inhaled and groaned. The lilacs invaded my senses. I hadn’t smelled pretty things in so long. I put a little on the back of my hand and rubbed it in. It made my skin so soft.
“I’m going to give you some privacy for about thirty minutes.” Josh moved toward the desk and picked up his laptop. “You have fun and get dressed and then I’ll come back and get you and we’ll go talk to the FBI and then we are out of here.”
I went to the door.
I dug my hand through another bag and held in a squeal as I pulled out the matching sweatshirt and pants set.
“Tinley.” Josh’s deep voice hit my ears, and I dropped everything and turned to him.
“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “I need you to do something for me, okay?”
I nodded and approached him.
“When I leave, I want you to flip the doorstopper and lock the door. And put a chair in front if it makes you feel safer.” He flipped the door latch to show me. “And do not open it for anyone except me. Okay?”
I nodded.
“I need to hear your answer, Tinley.”
It was a very Dom thing to say.
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him.
He glared at me again without any hint of malice in his voice.
But as he closed the door behind him, I heard him whisper. “Brat.”
And I didn’t freak out.
At least not yet.
CHAPTER 7
JOSH
Iheard her little gasp and wondered if she realized she was inching closer to little space. For all that she’d been through, the moments of lightness made me swell with pride and praise her until I couldn’t think of any more words. I wanted to show her what a good girl she was for being so brave. What she’d experienced made my heart ache.
I rode down in the elevator to meet the FBI team.
I entered the conference room to find a long wooden table with chairs all around. Three men, all in dark suits, huddled near the far end, speaking in whispered tones. The shortest of them was six-foot-two. One had his jacket hitched to reveal his gun on his hip.
I was not bringing my little Tinley into this room for this group to intimidate her into speaking.
As I drew closer, one of them spotted me.
He stepped between his two colleagues and headed in my direction, hand outstretched.
“Hi. My name is Agent Dan. This is Agent Nelson and Agent Sparks.” He shook my hand. “You are the one who found the girl?”
“Tinley.” I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes, I had some clothes brought up for her. She’s getting changed.”
