Page 53 of The Torturer's Target

But one thing was for sure: he was not going to sit back and watch her cut herself next time.

An hour later, they were ready to go. Hazel’s face lit up with a smile and she ran towards him as Mary ushered the child out of the beach house. Max grinned at his niece as he crouched, opening his arms wide to welcome her.

“Good morning, Uncle Max,” she said as she raced past him and went to the person behind him: Tesiera.

Max frowned as he realized Hazel was fixated on Tesiera.

He watched as Hazel wrapped her arms around Tesiera’s leg. Tesiera’s face contorted into the most unfeeling scowl he had ever seen her manifest.

“Aunt Tetiena.” Hazel tugged on the hem of Tesiera’s leather jacket, and Max chuckled at how the little girl always messed up her name and it would forever be funny to him.

Hazel got Tesiera’s attention, and the red-haired woman gave the child a glance from those unusually cold eyes of hers. But even that didn’t cause her enthusiasm to waver, and she spread out her arms, beckoning Tesiera to lift her up.

She looked down at Hazel and blinked in confusion.

“Up, up.” Hazel bounced repeatedly. “Please.” She gave her doe-eyed, pleading face.

Max snickered, unable to help himself. Hazel seemed ready to get Tesiera’s attention and she wasn’t going to take no for an answer, no matter how much the woman scowled. He was a little worried that the woman might hurt Hazel’s feelings.

“Please? Aunt Tetiena,” the child insisted, pouting.

He knew there was no way Tesiera would carry Hazel, and he didn’t want the little girl to cry. He moved to intervene only for Tesiera to lean forward and lift the child into her arms. Max gawked at them, unable to believe it. After a few seconds, he composed himself and continued toward them.

She inclined her head in greeting as he got closer, her face blank. Together, they walked toward the car. Max noticed the way she held Hazel. Gently, protectively.

Woah, hold the breaks there, lover-boy, he cautioned himself. You’re treading dangerous ground that might get you a kick—or seven—at the balls.

He cleared his throat. “Here, let me take her,” he said to Tesiera, reaching for Hazel to put her in her seat.

“Nuh-uh.” Hazel shook her head, shifting away from Max and leaning into Tesiera. “I want to stay with Aunt Tetiena.”

Max thought he saw a flash of pure terror cross Tesiera’s face, but when he blinked, it was gone. Had he imagined it?

Max pitied her, so he tried to persuade Hazel. “I bought this seat specifically for you, Angel. It was designed with pink unicorns. Don’t you want to sit in it?”

The little girl shook her head, and tightened her arms around Tesiera’s neck. “No, I like it here. I can stay here, right, Aunt Tetiena?”

Tesiera swallowed hard but said nothing.

Max doubted if ‘Aunt Tetiena’ was in the mood for bonding with children. He didn’t want Hazel’s feelings to get hurt. Knowing Tesiera, holding Hazel was already bothersome. The thought of having to hold the child in her arms back to Manhattan may just cause her to lash out.

“What if I hold you?” he offered the girl with a warm smile. “I’ll hold you all the way home.” Max tried to take the child from Tesiera’s arms again.

“She feels like Mommy. I miss my mommy.” Hazel’s lips trembled, and he saw that she was on the verge of tears. “I want Aunt Tetiena to hold me.”

The adults stood frozen after Hazel’s outburst, unsure of what to do next.

“I’ll hold her,” Tesiera said at last, glancing at Max. “She can sit with me.”

Max was taken aback, and it showed. “You will?” he asked. “All the way to Manhattan?”

Tesiera nodded, her eyes fixed on the child who had buried her head into Tesiera’s neck. “Do you think I’ll harm her, Doc?”

He shook his head firmly. “None of that. I was just worried that you’d be uncomfortable.”

“I’m good,” Tesiera responded. Hazel’s small arms were wrapped tightly around her neck.

Max watched as Tesiera entered the car and gently secured Hazel in her arms. He could see the hesitation in her movements, as if holding the child was something completely foreign to her.

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