“Fuck.” I put the car in reverse while glancing at Eloise. “You will not get out of this SUV for any reason, understood?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Fuck,” I mutter again. I don’t like this. Not at all. My skin is crawling with apprehension. This fucker stole four years of my Little girl’s life. He’s evil personified. Lord knows how many other women he’s trafficked other than Eloise. Since her abduction or before it. We have to stop him. I have to stop him.
I glance over my shoulder. “When I get to the light, climb into the back seat, angel.” I try to keep my voice steady. I don’t want to freak her out any more than necessary.
“Okay.”
I come to a complete stop at the next intersection. “Now, Little one.”
She unbuckles with shaky fingers and scrambles into the back. Without being told, she buckles in behind me.
“Good girl.” I look at her in the rearview mirror. “You are the most important thing in my life, Eloise. Do you know that?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Please do as I say, so I don’t have to worry more than I already am.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Do you see the bag tucked under my seat? Reach under and pull it out.”
She bends forward and hauls it into her lap.
“Good girl. Open it up.”
I hear the zipper, and a moment later, she gasps. “There’s a gun in here, Daddy.”
“Yes, and I never want you to touch weapons, Little one. Not until I’ve had a chance to train you to use them. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’m going to make an exception this time for one reason. It’s not loaded.”
“Okay.”
“Take it out and set it on the seat next to you.”
I can see she’s trembling as she does so from the rearview mirror.
“I promise it’s not loaded, angel. The ammunition is in the bag. We’re not going to load it, though.”
“What good is it to you in an emergency if it’s not loaded?”
I stop impatiently at the next intersection. “I have three other weapons in this car, angel. They are loaded. That’s in my go bag in an extreme emergency.”
She nods. “Okay.”
“See the black case that looks like a small eyeglass case?”
She holds it up.
“Yes. That’s the one. Open it. There are two sets of discreet earpieces in there.”
