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I swallowed hard, heart pounding in my chest, on the verge of expelling what little food I had in my stomach.
“Of course,” I said quickly, voice dripping with desperation. “I won’t make a run for it. Promise.”
He swept his analytical gaze over my face, the seconds stretching. Finally, he pulled the knife away and yanked the gag from Imogene’s mouth.
“Thank you, Nick,” I breathed out, wobbling slightly as I made my way toward Imogene. “I’ll just take her upstairs so we can get changed.”
“Changed?”
“Look at me.” I gestured to the clothes I’d been wearing for over twenty-four hours. “I remember how you prefer us to be dressed for dinner, especially on Sundays. A t-shirt and shorts isn’t exactly appropriate, is it? You look so dashing in that suit. Let us look nice for you.”
He raked his eyes over me, as if trying to work out my angle.
“I never much cared for such…unflattering attire,” he finally said. “I’ll allow it. But I’m coming with you.”
“Of course.” I gritted out a smile, clasping Imogene’s hand.
As I pulled her up the stairs, I sighed in relief at the feeling of my baby girl’s skin against mine. A reminder she was still here. Was still alive. And I’d do whatever I needed in order to ensure she stayed that way.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I told Nick as I pulled Imogene into her bedroom.
He placed a hand on the door, preventing me from closing it all the way. “I’m not leaving you unattended.”
“Mama, I’m bleeding,” Imogene said under her breath, giving me a knowing look.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I assured her, bringing my eyes back to Nick. “I need to see to our daughter. In private. Unless you have experience in helping a teenage girl with her very first period.”
His eyes widened, uncertainty flashing within. “I don’t… I—”
“I need to help her. Show her how to use feminine products. I’m sure she’ll want to take a shower to clean herself.” I narrowed my gaze on her, silently urging her to agree.
“Yes. I definitely need a shower. Or a bath. My back hurts a little.”
“I know. Cramps aren’t fun.” I looked back at Nick, his unease visibly increasing the more I spoke about what women went through each month. “So shall I show our daughter how to secure a pad to her undergarments, or would you like to do the honors?”
He quickly shook his head. “You can go.” Then his expression hardened. “But if you’re not out in ten minutes, I’m coming in.”
“I’ll be out in five.”
With a smile, I closed the door, grabbed Imogene’s arm, and hauled her toward the windows.
Once we were as far away from the door as we could get, I pulled her into my arms and squeezed tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Mama,” she sobbed against me. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I—”
“It’s okay, baby,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head. “It’ll all be okay.”
I held her a moment longer before pulling back, knowing we didn’t have much time. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, blinking back tears. “I thought you were hurt. That’s why I went with that police officer Friday night. He said you were hurt and I needed to come with him.”
I furrowed my brow. “Police officer?”
“I think he said his name was Detective Walker.”
“That fuck,” I hissed, anger bubbling inside me. But I couldn’t waste time worrying about that right now. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay. I’m going to get us out of this.”
“How?”
