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Though I hadn’t worried much then, I’m consumed with fear while I wait to see Fiona. If Todd kills his daughter, he won’t lose a minute of sleep over the decision. Fiona is just another blonde woman for him to toss aside when she becomes an inconvenience.
I don’t share my worries with Olive. She reads a book on her phone while we wait. I end up playing “Wordscrapes” for over a half hour.
My butt is numb by the time I notice a line of cars leaving the estate. Walking into the house, I get the urge to demand to see Fiona. I see myself standing up to the security detail currently eyeing me. If I were Wynonna, I’d refuse to back down until I got what I wanted.
Or maybe I’ve assumed too much about my new friend. She and Callie have big mouths and lots of attitude, but they might be as intimidated by Todd Rogers as I am.
After I’m forced to wait for another five minutes in the main hall, the main security guy gestures for me to follow him.
“Fiona will be spending the afternoon at the house,” explains the hired gun. “Your services won’t be necessary.”
“Fiona needs her dog,” I insist, refusing to be dismissed like the help.
Before the man opens the door to Todd’s study, he stares down at me. Figuring he knows who my baby’s father is, I casually rub my bump as a subtle warning not to mess with me. It’s a ridiculous power move, but I feel desperate now.
“The dog can come inside, but Olive will need to retire to the guesthouse for now.”
The man allows me to enter the large, shadowy room. Todd sits at the back window and doesn’t react to my arrival. My gaze spots Fiona curled up in a chair with her eyes closed. I notice her headphones are on, and she seems startled when I touch her.
“Irina?”
“I came to visit,” I explain, hearing an audiobook playing as she removes the headphones. “You were spending time with your father.”
“Those men are so intimidated by him,” Fiona says and chuckles. “It was funny to watch.”
“Are you okay?”
Fiona strokes my cheeks and smiles brighter. “Yes. Father is teaching me about business, so I won’t be as useless as Larry.”
I glance at Todd over my shoulder to find him in the same position while pretending he isn’t listening to our conversation.
“Should I go?” I ask, looking for a signal that Fiona needs help.
“Father and I plan to read for the afternoon. People are joining us for dinner. A lady is coming to fix my hair. You don’t need to stay here for any of that.”
I wish I could speak with Fiona alone. Who are these people coming to dinner? Can Fiona handle the pressure of feeling on display? I don’t like how she isn’t wearing her safety gear. If she falls, she could hurt herself. Todd Rogers is more focused on the visuals than his daughter’s safety.
Yet, I can’t tell Fiona any of these things while her father is feet away.
“Irina,” she says with such warmth as her fingers trace my face, “if you’re patient, you’ll see how everything is okay now.”
“Promise to be careful.”
“I remember everything you taught me,” Fiona says and then tears up. “I’m opening my eyes more. I can still see because you bullied me into doing my exercises. You made me strong. That’s why everything will be okay.”
Wrapping her in my arms, I struggle with how fragile Fiona feels. No matter her confident words, I wish I could take her with me. Since I’ve started spending more time at the Pigsty, I get fantasies about Fiona moving into one of the spare rooms. I’m certain she could be happy there.
Except my dreams are silly. The club guys and Goose will always need to worry about keeping the shades closed. Plus, the Pigsty has an open-door policy. People show up day and night. Fiona would feel nervous over never knowing for sure who is nearby.
Though my dream seems impractical, leaving Fiona behind with her evil father breaks my heart. I’m forced to stop twice on the way back to the Pigsty to settle my tears.
I’m lost in my emotions today. I miss Fiona. Eagle can’t spend every minute with me. I’m struggling to bond with other people.
At dinner at the Pigsty last night, I said absolutely nothing. Eagle’s also quiet, but he understands his place there. I’m still getting to know his friends. Instead of engaging, I just smiled and nodded.
In my head, I see myself getting closer to people. I really wanted to hang out with Landry and Rosemary today. Last night, I was curious about something Goose said about a trip she took. I could have asked questions, allowing us to connect. I feel myself on the cusp of a great new life. I just can’t take the plunge.
Seeing Fiona today pushes me to stop hesitating. She knows her father is an evil man. She’s aware Olive is just doing a job. I can’t imagine she’s really happy, but she’s brave enough to face her new life.
