Page 40 of Vengeful Lies

“This doesn’t have to be terrible,” John said. “You can just tell me what you and your family have already learned so I know what damage control I need to do, and then we can just stick you away somewhere as insurance.”

Like that was going to happen.

For the first time in a long time, he had a spark of hope for more in his future, a second chance at happiness with a woman who adored his daughter and seemed to see something in him.

Now that he’d met John Jones, he was determined to figure out why the man looked familiar.

Game on.

September 6th

12:40 P.M.

“Did you eat enough? Are you still hungry?” Gabriella asked Essie as the little girl climbed off her chair.

“Can I have a cookie?” Essie asked hopefully. With her big gray eyes opened wide in her typical begging expression, and her dark hair hanging loose around her shoulders, she looked so much like her daddy that it almost hurt to look at her.

They’d been home for two days, and Essie was doing as well as you could hope for. She’d already had an appointment with a child psychologist who specialized in helping children who had been through trauma. So far, she hadn't had any nightmares, but Gabriella wouldn't be surprised if they came for the child at some point. While she’d done her best to shield Essie as much as she could, they’d both still been abducted and held captive for four long days.

When Essie had asked to sleep in her daddy’s bed last night, Gabriella could see no reason to say no. When Essie had cried and begged her to sleep in the bed beside her, she could see no reason to say no.

So, they’d both slept in Cade’s big bed, surrounded by his scent, and she couldn’t help spending most of the night wondering what it would be like to be in this bed with him, his large body curled around hers. His presence would comfort her in a way nothing else could right now, and the longing for it was a physical ache in her chest she couldn’t seem to get rid of.

The best thing she could do for Essie was make things as normal as possible and support her in every way she needed.

Cookies for lunch weren't necessary, and they weren't something she would usually allow.

“No, you know the rules. If you're hungry there’s plenty of fruit,” she told the little girl, refusing to let herself glance around the room to see if the others were judging her decisions.

Maybe they thought she should spoil the little girl and give her everything she wanted, but if she did, she was training Essiethat she could always have her own way. When would be the right time to stop? To go back to their simple rules?

“Hey,” she said, stopping Essie who had turned to head back to the couch to curl up with her iPad. “How about after I finish up here, we bake some cookies?”

Essie’s eyes lit up. “Yes! And can we make our own ice cream? There are tons of sprinkles in the pantry.”

“We can, but remember we won't be able to have it until tomorrow because it has to set in the freezer overnight.”

“Okay.”

“After we finish baking, we’ll get your craft stuff out and get creative, okay?” Gabriella felt guilty about being unable to dedicate every second of her time to the little girl, but this was important. Cade had given his life for them, and she was going to do everything she could to help his brothers find him and bring him home.

Once Essie was settled, she turned back to where the others were seated around the table. It looked like they’d been using Cade’s house as a base while she and Essie were missing, and everyone continued to congregate there. She’d be lying if she said that she wasn't grateful. The last thing she wanted was to be alone, and she’d made no argument when both Jake and Jax had insisted on staying overnight to watch over them.

If she couldn’t have Cade with her then his brothers were the next best thing.

“Maybe I should have let her have the cookie,” she said softly, awaiting the judgment she was sure was coming. Just because they were all okay with her having guardianship of their niece didn't mean they would approve of her rules or parenting techniques.

“If she hadn't been abducted, would you have let her have a cookie for lunch?” Connor asked.

“No. Treat foods are only for dessert and sometimes an afternoon snack if we’ve baked something,” she replied. All the rules she had for being Essie’s nanny she’d run by Cade, wanting to make sure they were on the same page. Just because she spent more time with his daughter than he did didn't mean he wasn't still the father and the one in charge.

“Then you made the right decision,” Cole said simply.

“Honey, we all know what an amazing job you do with Essie, nothing has changed,” Cooper assured her.

Giving him a nod because she didn't want him, or any of them, to think she wasn't so appreciative of their support, she turned to face the newcomer. It was a sketch artist, a friend of Eagle Oswald, who Prey’s founder and CEO had sent out specifically to work with her and Essie.

This morning she’d stayed in a different room while Essie worked with the artist so that no one could claim that they’d shared ideas or influenced each other in any way. Being away from the little girl, even though she was just in the next room, had left her so jittery and anxious that she’d thought she was going to lose her mind.

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