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She was just an innocent kid.
Wayne put the .45 to the back of Jason's head. He had never forgotten Jason's littlefear.“Go to the inn,Smith.Go there now. We are taking her to her family now. You have a problem with her father or mother, you are going to take it up with them. Not her. She's just akid.She’s never hurt you at all. You are just a sick bastard on a power trip. Well, I’m the one with the power now that Daddy is in the big house, aren’t I?”
Jason did exactly what he was told. Of course, he did. He was the big man when he was the one calling the shots, but Jason wasn't calling the shots now.
54
Sutton had promisedto call in favors. For now.
But Arthur wasn't a fool. WITSEC wasn't in the cards now. They'd broken the rules, after all.
He didn't care.
Not if it meant he had the girls back and safe. That was what mattered most.
With two turns down the Main Street he had played on more times than he could count as a child, they were a block away from the girls. Just a block a way.
Geena looked at him, almost in horror. “They're at the inn. Arthur, they are at theinn.What do we do now?”
Arthur pulled in a deep breath. “We do what we have to do. It's time.”
Geena's fear was on her beautiful face. Sometimes...sometimes he thought she feared reuniting with their four older girls more than she feared facing the nightmare that was Jason Smith. Smith could just hurt her, kill her...but their daughters' reactions could damned well destroy her.
Well, Arthur was going to be there to protect her. No matter what.
Just like he had promised her he always would.
55
It was Tuesday now.One of the slowest nights of the week. Dusty was glad of that. Her sisters and cousins had ganged up on her. She was going to help out in the dining room by hostessing for a few hours, then she'd been ordered to rest of the remainder of the night.
Well, she had plans. She was going torestin room 308, with strong arms around her. She didn't know exactly what was going to happen between them. But something was going to. It was just a given. She was ready for that next step.
With him.
Maybe it had been what had happened to her. Or maybe it had been thetrustshe had felt in him. She had known that when the world was caving in on itself, Ben would be there for her. No matter what.
And that meant everything to her. Everything.
Now she was ready to see what happened next.
“You should be resting,” a firm voice said behind her. Dusty turned. Nikki stood there, Hunter behind her. “What are you doing down here?”
“Hostessing for a few hours. Before the main dinner rush. Then…I have plans for the rest of the night.” She hesitated. Normally she didn’t keep secrets from Nikki, but tonight? She wasn’t quite ready to share what was happening between her and Ben with his sister yet. “I am going torestfor the remainder of the night. What are you two doing?”
Nikki shot her a wicked grin—one she shared with that brother of hers—and looked at her beautiful husband. “Celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Dusty led them to the table in the center. “You will. I’ve missed you, you know.”
“I know. It’s because I’m adorable.” Nikki looked at her for a moment. “You good, Dust?”
Dusty knew what her best friend was asking. “I’m…good. Irritated and angry at them, but…whatever happened wastheirdoing. And the other night—I think they really did believe they were protecting me. Other than that whole drugging me thing—I’m not even too traumatized. I was afraid,yes.But not that afraid. I was more angry, really. Furious that they came back now. It wasn’t like what it was with Brad.”
With that monster, she had been helpless, vulnerable, and not in control. With her parents, she hadn’t truly felt that. Mostly…mostly she had just beenangry.
