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“That’s all I want from Santa this year—all year, every year.” Her face crumpled. “I miss him so much.”
Jesse’s heart clenched. “You know…you know what he is, right?”
“Of course I do,” Dimity insisted. “He’s a haem-er-phile.” She pronounced it carefully then beamed. “Like a vampire, but real…and not bad. He was related to me, like, a million years ago. But now he’s adopted me so I’m his real daughter.”
Jesse fought his tight throat to open. “So you know what he does, right? What he drinks?”
She shrugged. “I drink Ribena, so not that much different.”
“It’s a bit different, love…”
“Not to me.”
“And you’re okay with never seeing him in the day? And knowing that perhaps, sometime, a long time ago…” Jesse took a breath. “Know he might have hurt people? Badly?”
Dimity’s face was serious. “I know he used to do bad things. But it was so, so, so long ago, and he doesn’t do it anymore. Please, Jesse. Can I see him now?”
Jesse took a deep breath then let it out in a long, slow, sigh. He checked his watch. “We’ve got less than ten minutes. Hurry. You need to get dressed.”
Dimity sprinted back to her room and was dressed and ready in her new coat and snow boots in less than a minute, chattering away the whole time in an excited whisper.
“You must promise to be as quiet as a mouse. Quieter,” Jesse whispered as he fastened her coat. “And do as I say, right?”
“I swear one hundred percent, cross my heart, on Bunny Bella’s life.” She giggled, waving the rabbit in Jesse’s face.
“Okay then,” he said, struggling to fight a smile. “You got everything you want?”
She stuffed the bunny into the top of the backpack, nodding.
“You don’t want your drawing things? Any other toys?”
“Daddy already has all my favorites,” she said, pushing the bag toward him. “Come on. Let’sgo.”
Jesse shouldered the bag, took Dimity’s hand and crept from the room.
Dimity was good as her word. She didn’t make a sound as they moved through the dark, silent hallways. Even when they were out in the freezing night air and Jesse scooped her up and ran across the illuminated stretch of lawn, all she did was cling on and hold her breath. Only when they were back in the shadows did Jesse slow. His heart pounded and sweat ran down his back. He set Dimity on her feet, took her hand and hurried across the dark field toward the road. She ran at his side, stumbling occasionally, but never once made a noise. In the low light, he could see her face was tight with excitement.
Jesse listened intently for an alarm that never came. He checked his watch. The security footage he’d planted would have stopped looping by now, but there was no noise, no lights, no barking dogs. He picked up their pace.
A dark figure became visible by the gate. Dimity let out a squeal, let go of Jesse’s hand and raced forward.
Emory bent over the gate and scooped her up into his arms. She was chattering, high and loud, her voice choked with tears. Emory replied in whispers before returning to the back of the car with her. The engine was already running. Jesse scrambled into the front. Greenway gunned the accelerator without turning the lights on.
Jesse swore and clung to the door, but Greenway steered them expertly down the dark, winding roads. Only when the brightness of the floodlit mansion had disappeared from their mirrors did she turn the headlights on and slow the car.
Dimity had not stopped to draw breath. She sat in Emory’s lap, chattering about Jesse, her bunny, their escape from the house, how much she’d missed him, how much she hated Aunt Helena and Maria, her minder. Emory gazed at her. His face glowed with a low, fierce warmth. His smile was like nothing Jesse had ever seen him wear before.
Warmth bloomed in Jesse’s cheeks, and he felt a telltale prickle in his eyes.
Then the vision of Aunt Helena’s laptop screen rose before his eyes, and cold swamped him.
“Thank you, Greenway,” Emory said as they entered Oswald House. “I owe you much.”
“All in a day’s work, sir,” Greenway said, then, stepping forward and lowering her voice, “Don’t fuck it up, yeah?”
Jesse blinked, startled. Emory’s face was serious. “I don’t intend to.”
Greenway nodded then looked between them. “Merry Christmas, gentlemen. Miss.” She nodded to Dimity then made for the staff stairs.
