Page 16 of Stalker Daddy

“Daddy?”Fia murmurs sleepily; her small knuckles rub her eyes as she groggily lifts her head.

I smooth down her fluffy hair and lure her back to sleep.She lays back down, closes her beautiful eyes, and falls asleep again.

Something sharp like glass shatters on impact against the front door.That startles Fia out of her sleep, and she jerks up in fright.She hits my arm with her chin as she heaves through short breaths.

“W-what was that?”Her concerned and concerned eyes fall to the door.

She hides behind me with her small hands, finding my naked back for support.I lean over to my nightstand and reach under to take the gun that I have hidden there.

“Stay here, darling.”

She tries to grasp my arm, but she slips and falls on the bed.“W-wait, Daddy.”

“Scream if you see something.”I unhook the safety clip on the gun, ready and willing to take out the threat.

I look over my shoulder at her as she huddles to the headboard of the bed while scrunching up the duvet over her nose.Scanning the massive living room, I steadily walk down the stairs and turn to the space under the second floor that I couldn’t have seen from upstairs.

Everything is in its rightful place before I make my way to the door.I put my back to the wall, gun pointing down at the ground before I flick my eyes up to the second floor.I could see the night lamp casting a halo and the edge of her shadow with nothing obstructing the glow, so I know no one is up there other than Fia.

I crack the door open and wait for a moment, but nothing comes through, so I open it a little more.A piece of glass topples inside as it had laid on the door, and it’s clear of any distinctive markings.

I look closer.Are those ashes?

I peer out the door, and all that greets me is the darkness of the night, the bickering crickets and the rustling trees form a cloud of white noise to serve as background noise.

I shut the door and pick the piece of glass up.The ashes cling to my fingers as I put the glass on a table so I can have a better look when I turn the lights on.

“Daddy?”Fia calls from above.

She pokes her head from the top of the stairs.“Is it safe?”

“Yes,” I answer before gathering my attention on the ashes.

Fia’s gentle footsteps smack on the hardwood floor as she makes it down the stairs with her finding a straight line to my side.

“What is it?”she asks, peering over my arm as her cold hands wrap around my bicep.

“Ashes,” I note and rub the fine specks between my fingers.

She repeats the word with confusion in her voice.I separate my fingers, looking at the ashes more closely to find that they aresparkling.

Fia gasps breathlessly, hand slapping over her pink lips, and horror stains her face.

“What are you thinking, darling?”

She stammers, thoughts coming out of her mouth incoherently.Fia breathes deeply, calming her nerves with a shuddering chill.I wrap my arm around her, bringing her closer, so she’s not exposed to the cold cabin.

“It’s the interpreted backstory of Pandora’s Star.”

I recall it’s her first piece for the next performance that is mere days away.She will have to return to the city for that, and I’ll organize a way to get her there, but she will need to come right back to his cabin after that.

“People think the piece is about a concubine falling out of a king’s favor, but it’s not that dark.Even the composure said that it’s a light piece to begin the entire performance.”

Her explanation doesn’t tell me why this bottle of ashes was thrown on my door.This also solidifies the fact that there is someone else in these woods.

As suspicion erodes away the common sense to pack our things to leave for the city in the morning.I have this sick notion of knowing that they are here for Fia.

No matter where she is, they will follow, and I can’t protect her to the best of my abilities when there are more chances of being in danger than being here where I can put all my focus in this restricted environment.

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