I kiss her pink ear, then pull up her panties and give her apat on the butt. “Would that be such a bad thing?”
“Well, I guess… not…” She stifles a yawn as I press her to my chest. “I guess I’m just scared, Logan. The future seems so uncertain. What if…” She bites her lip. “What if Carmelo takes me away?”
“Hey.” I tilt up her chin. “Listen to me, baby. That’s just not going to happen. Okay? I promise you, nothing bad will come to you. I’ll always be right by your side, and I’ll always protect you. Got it?”
She tries to nestle against my chest, but I keep her face tilted, my thumb under her chin. “I promise you, Lia. I want you to know it’s true. You’re my captive for life.”
She lets out a low sigh. “Yes, Logan.”
“Now come on.” I give her another pat on the butt, not too hard, but she winces, clearly very sore. “I’m gonna buy you that coffee.”
“I think I prefer the old way you had of yanking me around,” she mumbles, walking out into the main store.
I buy three coffees, the third for Dolores, and Lia picks up a few snacks for Aurora. Then we head out to the car.
“Where did they go?” questions Lia, looking around. “Did Dolores say where she was taking Aurora?”
“Hmm?” I put the cardboard tray carefully on the front seat, then push two of the cups into cupholders. “Aren’t they outside?”
“I don’t see them.” She repeats herself, anxiety giving her words a hard edge. “Logan, I don’t see them! Aurora! Aurora!”
She starts running, calling her daughter’s name. The gas station looks out onto a dehydrated patch of grass, and I’d assumed Dolores and Aurora would be there. But there’s no sign of them. I catch up to Lia, who’s panting, running across the parking lot and crying out.
“It’s going to be fine,” I soothe her. “They’re around heresomewhere. It’s okay, Lia.”
But my heart beats in my throat. How long were we in that bathroom? Why did I let Dolores off alone with Aurora, when she was just complaining about going to Washington? Where did Damien find her, anyway?
“There!”
Lia almost shrieks the word, then runs to the other side of the lot, and a car skids to a stop just inches from her.
“Fuck!” I slam both my hands down on the hood, glaring at the driver, before gripping Lia’s wrist. “Fuck! You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”
“There!”
She clearly doesn’t care about my scolding or about the near-accident. For once she’s the one pulling me along as she rushes to Aurora, picks her up and squeezes her in her arms, sobbing loudly.
The little girl is all sticky with ice cream, and Dolores looks at Lia angrily.
“I saw there was a diner a little further down the road. I got her an ice cream. What did you think I was doing? Did you really think—”
“Okay, enough,” I cut in. “Everything’s fine, we’re all on edge. Thanks for taking the kid, Dolores. I got you a coffee.”
“I had a coffee at the diner,” she snaps.
“Well, have another one.” This woman is really starting to piss me off, but I realize I’m going to need to use more tact going forward. Sheisa huge help, after all. And I don’t need another enemy in my life.
“Let’s go.”
I try to take Aurora, but Lia’s holding onto her too tightly. So instead I slip an arm around Lia’s waist, guiding her back to the car.
“Mama, I had pink ice cream! All pink! Mama, pink icecream! See?”
“Yes, I see,” laughs Lia, her voice choked up. “I don’t think I see anything else but that pink ice cream! Now, did you eat it or did your shirt eat it?”
Aurora squeals with laughter. “Funny, mama! Funny!”
It’s hard to stay in a bad mood when I see the two of them trade smiles and laughs. Fuck, I love them both. They’re mine.
