Page 79 of Marked

Cole froze. Seconds slipped by, but Bella didn’t take her questioning stare from his face. Cole swallowed. Sophia needed to hurry the hell up before he scarred her kid. Pinching his lips between his thumb and index finger, Cole studied the little girl who was far beyond her years.

With this one, he felt transparency was key. He lowered his hand and toyed with the lid of his coffee cup. “To be honest, Bella, I don’t know. But I hope so.”

Her lips rocked from side to side. She picked up her orange juice and brought the straw to her lips then set the bottle down a little too hard, sending juice splashing over the once-clean glass of his coffee table. Her eyes turned hard and her cheeks plumped out as she compressed her lips. “Me too.”

The creak of his bedroom door sounded and Sophia whisked into the room, a broad smile on her face as she made her way for the seat on the couch next to Bella.

“How’d it go?” Cole asked.

Sophia’s tight expression told him she wasn’t going to share all of it. “Good. Kenneth’s going to look into the farm and get back to me later.” She stroked Bella’s hair. “I’m sure he’ll have a lot more questions then, but for now, he’s pacified.”

Bella tilted her head back and smiled at her mom before leaning into her. Sophia’s arms swept around her. “Kenneth is so happy you’re home, too. Everyone is.”

“Natalie too?”

Cole frowned.

“Her babysitter,” Sophia explained. “She was with her when—” She cleared her throat. “Yes, honey. Natalie will be so happy. I’ll be sure to send her a message and let her know you’re home.”

Satisfied with that, Bella took another suck of her orange juice and then picked up the drawing she’d made while Sophia slept. Black, red, and blue pens and some paper were all Cole had lying around the house, but she’d created something with them.

“Mommy, you should put this picture on your skin.”

A confused smirk touched Sophia’s lips as she accepted the picture from Bella and moved her curious gaze to Cole. “I love it, honey. I’ll put it on our art wall when we get home.”

“No, put it here,” she said, patting Sophia’s arm. “Like Cole’s. He puts other people’s drawings on his skin forever.”

Cole laughed. And dammit, it was the first real one he’d had in years.

CHAPTER 20

Sophia kept Bella’s little hand wrapped in hers as they walked away from the cleaner’s lockbox. Even though her car was only five feet away, at the curb, she wasn’t chancing leaving Bella alone for a second.

Never again.

“I told Cole my birthday is coming up,” Bella said, as she hopped back into her car seat.

Sophia buckled her harness then opened the driver’s side door and slid in. “Oh yeah?” she said, as she inserted her key into the ignition.

“He said he doesn’t like parties. That’s weird. Who doesn’t like parties?”

Sophia fought a grin. “Well, I guess some people don’t.”

“Maybe he doesn’t have very nice friends. I told him he can come though.”

The image of Cole at a children’s birthday party made a laugh bubble up. The only thing more out of place would be an elephant. “That was nice of you to invite him, honey.”

“Are we going to Dad’s now?”

“Yes,” Sophia said, as she pulled away from the curb.

Normally taking Bella to Bart’s made her sad, but this time there was relief. Bart would protect her with his life, and it’d give Sophia the chance to ensure Lionsgate’s child-trafficking ring was thoroughly destroyed.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled into Bart’s driveway and helped Bella out of the back. With Honey Funny tucked under her arm, Bella ran up the driveway to the front door. Before she could ring the bell, Bart swung open the wood. He swooped her into his arms and rained kisses on her face and hair. Bella’s feet dangled and her little laugh carried to Sophia’s ears as she met them at the door.

Bart pulled Sophia into a hug, holding them both. “I’m so glad you guys are okay.”

Bella tilted her face up to her dad. “Mommy and her friends saved me.”

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