Amy scooted over until she could wrap her daughter in her arms and give her a long, warm, grateful hug. “I love you so much, Kristine. You’ve been the light of my life.” She felt tears begin to burn behind her eyes. Before she let go, she heard her daughter sniff and knew she was deeply affected too. This bond they had forged was beyond any so-called normal parent-and-child relationship.
When they leaned away from each other, they grasped both hands and smiled despite their tears. Amy couldn’t help being touched by her daughter’s forgiveness.
“I understand now, Mom. I know why you didn’t want to tell me who my father was. I’m not sure I would have been able to confess that to a daughter either. But I want you to know, if anything, I love you more.”
Amy burst into tears. She couldn’t help it. It was a cathartic cry, letting out emotions that had immobilized her and festered for years. She’d had no one to talk to about this. She couldn’t shame the remaining family with this news. So she had disappeared from everyone’s life, legally changing her name from Ainslee to Amy Scott and starting over.
* * *
Jayce was getting antsy standing in the hall, waiting for the women to finish their conversation. He really had to get them moving and take advantage of the short window they had before Amy was discovered missing.
He was just about to knock when the door opened. Kristine poked her head out. “I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”
“Where else would I be? You two need to get out of here, and I know you’re both badass dragons, but you still need someone to watch your backs. Have you packed yet?”
Kristine opened the door wider. “Almost finished. It’s going to take my mother longer, I guarantee it.”
Jayce stepped inside and pulled Kristine into a hug. “How are you doing, my love?”
She melted into his embrace. “I’m okay. I think my mother is more shaken up than I am. I’m just relieved that you found her—alive.”
Jayce leaned back and gave her a quick kiss. “Okay then, you’d better get a move on. I’ll be right here as your lookout. Yell if you need me.”
“I will.” She jogged down the hall and disappeared into her bedroom.
Amy wheeled out her suitcase. Thank God there was only one. Jayce had dreaded Amy taking an entire matching set of luggage in different sizes. Since the only place he had to take the women to was his minuscule hotel room, he pictured sleeping on top of their suitcases or on the bathroom floor. “I’m glad to see you’re packing light.”
“Oh, this is just the first one. I have a few more things…”
Kristine breezed out of her bedroom carrying a duffel bag over her shoulder.
“Mom, you can leave the rest. Think of it as an excuse to go shopping and replace your whole wardrobe.”
Amy brightened immediately. “I hadn’t thought of that. What a brilliant daughter I have.” She winked at Jayce.
He couldn’t help smiling, even though his anxiety level was rising by the second. “Let’s get going. Hopefully, at some point you can come back. Right now you’re not safe.”
“I dare anyone to mess with the three of us,” Amy said.
Jayce hoped she hadn’t just cursed them. He reached for Amy’s suitcase handle. “I’ll take that.”
“Thank you.”
He gestured toward the door. “Ladies first.”
The women hurried down the stairs. Finally at the bottom, Jayce maneuvered his way around them and opened the outside door, holding it for the ladies.
“What a gentleman you found, Kristine. Does he have any brothers?”
Jayce burst out laughing. The levity was a welcome relief, but he hoped he hadn’t drawn attention to them.
“Only five or six,” Kristine answered her.
Jayce set a quick pace as soon as the suitcase wheels hit the sidewalk. “I’ll tell you all about my family after we get to my hotel. For now, we should just get the hell out of Hell’s Kitchen.”
The place was a good half dozen blocks away. The streets seemed relatively quiet, but appearances could be deceiving. Amy and Kristine chatted casually, as if the group were just out for a walk. All needed to remain vigilant, however.
Jayce wondered how Kristine was going to handle getting a leave of absence from her job. She wouldn’t try to work while Donkey Pizzle was looking for her, would she? No. She had to know how foolish that would be. Still, knowing how she felt about her job…
