Page 119 of Pink

Up until that moment, he hadn’t considered that the bomb threat might be related to the issues surrounding Andino’s business partner, Marco, and Jensen Todrey. It wasn’t like the assholes had done much beyond rile up the media again. But what good did a fake bomb threat at an elementary school do?

It didn’t make sense.

“Lev?” Nessa urged quietly.

“Yes,” he forced out, “she’s safe.”

Wasn’t she?

• • •

The fear holding him hostage didn’t settle until Lev had his—tired and confused—daughter in his arms. He knew Arely didn’t quite know what to make of the day, or the panic that had ensued between kids, parents, and educators at the pickup spot. Instead of chattering on like she usually did when she was overstimulated, his girl was quiet and limp where she laid her head to his shoulder.

She didn’t ask questions.

Didn’t tell him what happened.

Nothing.

“You wanna get some gelato and pizza for supper?” he asked.

Arely shrugged, one arm tight around his while her other clutched the mini Louis Vuitton backpack from Gigi against her still frame. “Okay.”

Part of him wanted to make her talk. Another part knew that if she wanted to say anything about her day and the trauma it caused, then she would, and he shouldn’t push. Wasn’t that fucking parenthood in a nutshell? The constant struggle between letting a kid do what they needed and making them do it because it was what the parent felt was correct.

Lev wasn’t sure he had this fatherhood thing nailed down perfectly, but damn if he wasn’t trying. All the time. Every day. With no one to tell him he was doing it right. Sometimes, that was the hardest part.

“Nessa’s gonna come over tonight, too,” he said, flexing his arm around Arely’s back to hug her closer. Kissing the top of her head, he dragged in her familiar scent—the smell of baby soap lingering on the strands of her hair—and found a little bit of peace.

Not enough, though.

“Okay, Daddy.”

That was it.

Just okay.

He had a feeling she wasn’t okay at all.

Stopping four rows away from the one where he’d left his Jeep parked, Lev set Arely down to her white sneakers on the pavement. Bending down so the two of them were as close to eye-level as he could get, he found sadness staring back at him from his daughter. That was enough to about rip the heart right out of his chest.

“I wanted to finish my picture,” Arely muttered, a quivering pout making her watery eyes seem far wider than normal. “I was painting a rainbow. And Trevor pushed me, Daddy. He didn’t say sorry, either.”

Lev’s brow raised as a tinge of amusement speared through the heaviness raging within his emotions. “Do you know why I had to come to get you? Why all the kids left school?”

“Mrs. Fitzpats said there was an emergency,” Arely said, carefully sounding out each syllable of the word as though she had been practicing it.

“That’s it?”

Arely lifted her shoulders high, saying nothing more.

Lev let out a shaky exhale that felt like the sweetest relief. At least, he wasn’t going to need to have an entire conversation about bombs and threats. Not today, anyway. “I love you, baby. I’m sorry your day wasn’t a good one. I’ll make it better, okay?”

That earned him a small smile.

Better than nothing.

“I know, Daddy,” Arely said. “Hey, look.” She pointed at somewhere behind him, happiness lighting up her features in a blink. “There’s Gigi!”