“We are good. If I need anything else, I’ll be in touch.”
I didn’t doubt that for a moment. Standing with Rebekah in my arms, I turned and headed out of the precinct. When I heard footfalls behind me, I knew that the rest of the team was following close. Once I’d buckled my girl in, I turned to the rest of the team.
“Be at my house in ten. We have lots to discuss.”
Everyone nodded. I crawled into my truck and made my way back home.
After easingthe door shut behind me, I walked into my living room, where all my men were waiting for us.
“How is she?” Seth asked, looking down the hall where I had just come from.
“She’s shaken up, but that’s understandable given the circumstances. I finally got her to sleep, so we should have about an hour or two before she wakes.”
“Why the fuck is the man from her past back, and what could he possibly want with her?” Eric asked the question we were all thinking.
“I can guess what he was trying to do. She’s a loose end, one that shouldn’t have lived those years ago,” Matt replied.
“We need to get to the bottom of this, quickly. I won’t have her living in fear.”
“I can hack into the booking log and get his name. I’ll run that through our databases and see what I can come up with. We’ve got this, Boss, she’s in good hands now.”
I hoped that Seth was right. No one was going to bring any harm to my Little girl any more. She had suffered enough pain and loss in her lifetime. I was not going to add to that.
The guys and I discussed the case for a little bit longer before switching topics. Before long, I heard movement from down the hall. Standing, I made my way into the room. Spotting Rebekah curled up on my side of the bed again, I noticed the tear tracks down her cheeks.
If I never saw her cry again, I would be okay with that. “Daddy’s here, babygirl.”
“I’m tired of this, Daddy. I’m tired of feeling my life shift time and time again. When do I get to catch a break?”
I wish I had the answer to her question, sadly, I didn’t though. Once again, my Daddy superpowers wouldn’t help me in this situation. I slid into bed beside her, pulling her into my arms and snuggling in close.
“We are going to put an end to this, Rebekah. You have my word on that.”
She didn’t say anything, but I knew that she believed me. If this were the last thing I did, I would go out happy knowing that she was safe.
“The guys are still hanging out here. They didn’t want to leave just yet. Are you ready to go and join them?”
“Yeah, but I would like to shower first. My skin feels itchy and yuckie.”
“Of course, sweetheart. You go shower and meet us when you are ready.”
Tilting her chin up, I leaned in for a kiss. I poured all my love into that kiss, wanting to make sure she knew that she wasn’t alone.
I went back into the living room, letting the rest of the guys know that she would be out in a bit. On my phone, I ordered enough Mexican food to feed an army, and then got to work helping the guys pull out the poker table.
Not sure that Rebekah would be up for Legos this evening, I grabbed her coloring books she ordered the other day, and the markers from the spare room. She had effectively taken over the spare room and filled it with all sorts of fun activities for her to do while in Middle space.
I had installed some shelves for her to display her Legos, so her Disney castle sat on display beside the vase of roses she had built. Sprinkled along another shelf were the rest of the Legos we had bought that day. While I was gone, Rebekah had taken advantage, and I spotted a few more Legos sitting in a bag by the door. I didn’t mind, though. It made me happy that she felt comfortable enough here and in our relationship.
Sitting down, I dealt the cards around the table. It didn’t take long for Rebekah to make her presence known in the room. Slipping into my lap like she had done that night weeks ago, she sat and watched the game.
“Do you know how to play Bex?” Eric asked.
“Nope. I didn’t have much time to sit and play card games growing up. I spent more time helping my grandparents take care of Alicia. Then, of course, when they all died, I didn’t have a reason to do much.”
“Do you want to learn? Chase is a great teacher.”
“Not right now, Daddy. I just want to sit and exist here with you all.”
