Page 45 of Bitter Desire
I gritted my teeth, fingers clenching on the phone I held. The pieces were coming together, the reason Honey was so quiet about her life before New York. Why I hadn’t noticed many friends around my girl, even though she was sweet as pie.
She was scared of being hurt, and who could judge her when her mother hadn’t given a shit about her.
Fuck Zeus. If I could I’d destroy Honey’s mother for pouring her own bitterness and hurt in my girl’s heart.
“You deserve better than that.”
“I have you,”
God. She was so trusting and open with me. She’d be that way with anyone that she let behind her walls, but I knew those people were few and far between. I was lucky to be where I was with her. I’d fight and die to stay exactly where I was. To do that I needed to get moving on the information Charlaine had given me, which meant going to the one source we did know for sure.
Christian fucking O’Hanon.
That motherfucker had a visit from me coming, and I was going to pay it with a smile.
“I’m going out, princess,” I called to Honey when I was by the front door. I was pulling on my suit jacket when Honey came hurrying out of the dining room.
“Wait!” She ran to me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to work, princess.”
She pouted up at me, resting her chin against my chest, dark hair falling over her eyes when she shook her head and groaned. “Can’t you stay here with me? I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll be back. I just need to do a few things at the office,” I told her, kissing her forehead and tucking her hair behind her ear. “You have plenty to keep you occupied while I’m gone. There’s food, coffee and books. If you want anything, send for it. They’ll charge me.”
“But-”
“The sooner I go, the sooner I can come home.”
That had her sighing and letting me go with a reluctant smile. “Oh, all right but when you get back I want to make pizza and watch movies.”
“What kind of movies?” I asked, content to let my girl think on it while I was gone.
“I don’t know, but I’ll make a list! Hold on!” Honey told me with a nod and when she turned to run back into the dining room, I moved, catching her around the waist and bringing her to me, her back pressed to my chest.
“Hold on there, princess,” I said, lowering my lips to her ear. “I’ve got to go. You’ll have to show me your list when I get back.”
She slumped forward with a groan. “It’s going to be boring without you. Are you sure I can’t leave?” She looked over her shoulder at me with a hopeful smile and I shook my head.
“No princess. Not till we figure this out more. It’s not safe. You know that.”
She rolled her eyes and that made me smile. Really smile. It was good to see her being bratty and rolling her eyes at me. I could still hear her voice, small and broken in the dim red light of the room the fucker had dragged her into.
“I’m scared.”
God that broke me.
And then with what she’d told me about her mother and her life growing up. I didn’t know how Honey had stayed as sweet as she was with me after all of that. After taking on the city and surviving, making a place for herself and all the while trying to find the place she belonged. I leaned forward, kissing her cheek and then her shoulder.
“I’m going.”
“But Daddy-”
“No but’s, stay here where you know it’s safe. I’ll bring a present back when I’m done.”
Her eyes brightened. “A present?”
I nodded and kissed her. “Only if you’re a good girl.”
