Page 146 of Inflict

Evelyn looked down at her watch. “Within thirty minutes, please.”

“Don’t ask for miracles, Evelyn.”

“You’ll do fine, she loves you, it’s only me that she hates,” his wife mumbled as she walked away.

Connor wanted to call out to Evelyn, and stop that nonsense she was saying or thinking before it took her into an awful emotional spiral, but one thing at a time. Besides, Evelyn did have a point to some extent.

Her daughter—his by adoption, though he adored her just the same had she come from his body—had been living with them for almost a year. In that time, Ciara had only made an effort to push her mother away, or even to hurt her, if she could manage it. Him, on the other hand, the girl was willing to talk to, spend time with, or whatever fit her fancy for the day.

He didn’t know why exactly Ciara was doing those things, but he figured it was simply a wait it out sort of situation. Clearly waiting it out was not working anymore.

Connor had decided enough was enough as he went looking for the girl. He loved the wee child, especially in her quiet moments. Or when she came to sit at his side with a book, to read him one of her favorite passages. Or even when she tried her hand at drawing, simply because it was something he enjoyed.

But he couldn’t have her hurting her mother. He couldn’t stand for Evelyn to be so constantly dejected and rejected by her own child, so much so that she sometimes cried herself to sleep. She would even hide herself away so that he wouldn’t feel guilty for having a connection with a child that wasn’t even his biologically.

Connor couldn’t allow that to continue.

Once Connor had pulled on his shoes and coat, he headed for the backyard. It didn’t take long at all for him to find Ciara in her favorite spot, at the very edge of the brownstone’s back yard, resting against the fence beside his Harley. He was going to have to upgrade the bike soon, but it was low on his priority list.

“All right, lass, time to get inside and get ready for your party and friends,” Connor said firmly.

He always tried firm with Ciara first, and if that didn’t work, he softened his tone until he got what he wanted. Kids—especially girls—weren’t so hard to figure out.

Ciara didn’t even look up from the book she was reading. “Don’t want a stupid party.”

Connor rolled his eyes upward. “First, that’s a feckin’ lie. You begged your mammy for one, and even had a whole list of girls you wanted to invite for a party and sleepover. She’s worked all night and day to make sure this would be grand for you, and where are you? Out here, acting like a spoiled brat.”

“Am not.”

“Give me more than a few words, lass.” Connor made his way over and sat down beside Ciara, ignoring the coldness of the ground seeping through his slacks. Spring was in full swing. “And skip the party excuse, because we both know it isn’t that.”

Ciara had lots of friends, and she loved school. She had been a bit behind at first, but a private tutor fixed that issue right up, and she had no problem fitting in with her pretty face and disarming smile.

Much like her mother …

“Do you miss that woman who looked after you?” Connor dared to ask.

Ciara shrugged, still reading. “Sometimes, but not a lot. She’s not my mammy, you know?”

Connor almost smiled, but managed to hold it back. “Then why do you treat your mammy like shite under your shoe, hmm?”

“I … don’t.”

“Come on, now.”

“I don’t mean to,” Ciara said lamely, glancing up at Connor.

“You fail pretty spectacularly at it, Ciara.”

The girl sighed, closing her book and setting it aside. “I know she loves me, and you, too.”

“Very much, even when you’re being trite and spiteful.”

“But it wasn’t enough before,” she added quieter.

Connor leaned back into the fence, letting out a slow breath. “Okay, we’re getting somewhere now. Keep going.”

“She loved me before, too, but not enough to keep me. Not enough to find me sooner. She let someone take me away, and she stayed gone. What if she does that again? What if she makes me leave again because she doesn’t love me enough?”