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“Effie. Look at me.”
She gaped up at him. Then her lower lip trembled again. “Are yous mad at me?”
Fuck. He had to get her out of there. It was like her defenses were blown and her Little was coming out. Something he was certain she wouldn’t want everyone in Pinkies to know about.
“No, Twinkletoes, I’m not,” he whispered to her. “But I do need you to stay with me. Okay? I’m going to get you somewhere safe.”
“Safe?” Her head moved back and forth and she clung tighter to him.
Fuck if that didn’t make him feel a hundred feet tall. Women were always drawn toward Steele, not him. They didn’t search him out for protection. Or to look after them.
So yeah, he was going to ride the high of her turning to him for protection for a while.
“Are we not safe? Are there boogie men around?” she asked,.
“Boogie men?”
“Bad mens. Come to get you. Never fear, I will protect you. Brooks used to get scared of the dark. And of people hiding under his bed and stuff. So I hads to check under the bed and in the closet. And behind the curtains. That’s a good hiding place for those boogie men.”
Did she mean the bogeyman?
“That was scary,” she told him. “I didn’t like having to search for them. I had to be brave for Brooks, though.”
Poor baby. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was trying to raise Brooks by herself. And having to do things that she was scared of but pretending she wasn’t.
“Who would be scared of checking a closet?” Lucy scoffed. “Obviously, she’s taken something. Maybe you should search her bag.”
The way she said that struck him as wrong.
“Why would you say that?” Nate asked, obviously thinking the same.
“Just a suggestion,” Lucy said, sticking her nose up in the air. “She’s obviously taken something. And while she was working. That’s grounds for dismissal.”
“She shouldn’t even be working. And this is none of your business,” Grady said. “Go deal with the tables in Effie’s section.”
“Me? Wait tables?” Lucy gaped at him.
“You did it for years. You should know what you’re doing.”
Lucy glared at him before she seemed to recall who he was.
“Such a bitch,” Nate muttered as she stormed off. His gaze grew concerned as he stared down at Effie. Grady stiffened, not liking that look. “Think she’s all right? I can get her some more water.”
“She’ll be fine. I’ll take care of her. Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you to my office.”
“But I don’t wanna work. I wanna play.”
“You can play in the office,” he promised. He wasn’t used to taking care of a Little. He should probably call Steele.
Only, there was a part of him that wanted to know how to look after her. That wanted her to look to him for everything.
Strange.
Steele should get there soon. He could help with her.
“When Steele gets here, tell him where we are,” he ordered Nate.
Nate raised his chin in acknowledgment.
