Page 83 of Devil in Disguise

Who the fuck did this woman think she was? Mother Theresa? Bitch was just a child therapist. Her job was to help, not kidnap my daughter and disappear into nothing. Not that she could.

Sitting up, I snarled, glaring at the woman. “You were gonna disappear with my daughter?”

Fucking stubborn woman had the audacity to straighten her back and challenge me as she explained away her actions. Like I gave a flying fuck what she said. I got she took care of my daughter when I couldn’t. I understood she went above and beyond protecting Danika, but the woman was fucking insane if she thought I would let her anywhere near Danika again. Not after what she just fucking told the room. To hell with understanding. I was done. As soon as it was safe, I was taking my family, and we were disappearing. Because there was no way I would let that woman near my daughter again.

Dante placed a hand on my arm to stop me from saying what I wanted to say. It was a good thing too because I was fucking furious. “We don’t need to go into all that here. Melissa is here and Dani is here. They’re both safe.”

“Apparently they aren’t fucking safe,” I growled, glaring at the fucking woman.

“Melissa, please tell us what happened,” Dante urged.

And she did, and the longer I sat there listening to her babble, the more I tried to hang on to my anger. Not because she faced some stalker, but because I found nothing when I looked into her past. I left no stone unturned when it came to my daughter and yet, somehow, I missed a threat. But when she mentioned Little Rock, I sat up straighter and paid a little more attention as she informed the officers of an attack that happened at the Mother Chapter.

My eyes darted straight to King, who sat stiffly in his chair, listening intently to the woman explain her time in Arkansas, and all I could think about was my betrayal. Did I somehow inadvertently involve Melissa in this fucking war? As she continued her story, I gripped my chair tightly, trying to control the anger that wanted to erupt from inside me. I knew Melissa’s story. I knew every fucked-up detail and why Gunner walked away. Brother thought he was doing right by his sister. Too bad, all he did was make shit worse for her. Even I knew a child, regardless of age, would feel abandoned, alone, on her own if her own family wanted nothing to do with her. Gunner may have thought he was protecting his sister, but all he did was cause a chasm the size of the fucking Grand Canyon.

And apparently I added to it.

Fuck! How could I have been so careless?

“What happened today?” I asked, my voice tight.

“I went to have coffee with Haizley. When we left the coffee shop, we found the note on her car.”

Maybe Haizley and Dante were right. Maybe I was projecting my fear and shame on a woman who only did as we asked. She was wonderful with Danika. Treated her as if she were her own flesh and blood, and instead of being grateful, I was treating the woman as some interloper, some second-rate therapist who overstepped her authority. Of course, Danika would get attached. My little girl didn’t have a mother. She never would. Yet, Danika saw something in Melissa that she wanted, even needed, and I was too blind by my failure and fear to see the truth. The fact was, my little girl loved the stubborn woman, and it was clear Melissa adored Danika. Hell, even Dante liked the woman, and he was generally jealous of any woman who got too close.

Could I walk away, knowing that the woman who loved and cared for my daughter was in trouble?

Could I look my daughter in the eyes, knowing I could have helped and didn’t?

Fuck no.

“Stop antagonizing her,” Dante whispered in my ear.

“She put our daughter in danger.”

“She didn’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re a stubborn ass, you know that?”

My eyes snapped to hers as she glared at me. Narrowing my eyes, I held tight to the fury I wanted to unleash as I kept telling myself she was innocent. It was a hard pill to swallow, but for Danika and Dante, I was willing to bite my tongue.

“Mellie,” King’s exasperated sigh had a few of the men sat around the table snickering.

I didn’t respond when she added, “This will take days to go through.”

“Why don’t you get started? We can’t do anything more until you have a list for Nav to go through.”

Shaking her head, the snarky woman stood. “I know a dismissal when I hear one.”

“Princess.”

“No, it’s fine. I want to go check on Dani, anyway. She’s the reason I’m here.”

Clenching my fist, I bit my tongue and instead suggested, “Dante, maybe you could go with Melissa. Check on our daughter?” I was willing to give the woman a chance, but I still didn’t trust her, not until we came to some sort of understanding.

“Sure,” Dante said as he stood and walked over to the annoying woman.

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