Page 51 of Sugar Baby
Quinn is waiting for us.
Franco called ahead to say we had Sophia with us. I’m not sure how we are going to explain this to Francesca, but that is Quinn’s problem. Not mine. My only concern is ensuring that nothing else happens to Sophia for the rest of her days.
When the van stops, the door is opened by Quinn.
“Sophia,” I murmur, gently nudging her awake.
“Hmm?” She opens her eyes and blinks slowly.
“We’re back at home.”
“Oh,” she says and sits upright. “Daddy.”
“Are you hurt?” Quinn asks gruffly, but I know it’s just to cover up his guilt and his pain over having lost her for this short period of time.
“I’m okay,” she says.
Franco, Cain and Atlas climb out of the van first, but I wait with Sophia. When she smiles a wobbly smile up at me, I get out and hold my hand for her. She takes it, the other one clutching the blanket that is wrapped around her tightly.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, I sweep her up into my arms, holding her close. She is shivering.
“Let’s get you inside,” I murmur.
“Wait,” Quinn says.
“Later,” I state and brush past him, taking Sophia into the compound through the private entrance to the side. Whatever Quinn wants, it can wait. He has seen that she is alive, but she needs to rest right now.
“You’re cold,” I say, taking her into her room and closing the door.
I place her on the bed and pull the covers up over her. She turns her face into the pillow and lets out a soft sob that wrenches my heart.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper to her. “I will never leave you again.”
“I’m glad you’re still alive,” she mutters. “I’m sorry that I put you in that position, and that I left you to die…”
I smile softly and brush her hair off her forehead. “You have nothing to apologise for. You didn’t leave me to die. I’m fine. I’m sorry you were taken, princess. It’s my job to protect you. I didn’t do that, and you were harmed.”
“No, I’m okay…”
“I found you stripped naked and nesting on the edge of your heat. That is not okay, Sophia. I will avenge you, I promise.”
“No…”
“Ssh,” I murmur, “Rest now. Your father will want to interrogate you, and you will need your strength for that tomorrow.”
She brushes her tears away with the bed covers and turns over, curling up in a ball. Her scent is overwhelming my senses—that gorgeous vanilla and caramel scent that I can almosttaste. The aroma forces a low growl out of me, and when she turns over again, the scent rises from her, almost bringing me to my knees.
The need to protect her increases tenfold as I watch her sleeping, so sweet, so vulnerable. I will kill anyone who tries to get near her.
The door bursts open.
I spin, pulling my weapon out and levelling it at the intruder. “She’s sleeping.”
Francesca’s eyes narrow. “Put that thing away before you hurt yourself,” she scoffs.
It doesn’t rile me up as she expected it to. It’s been a long time since she could intimidate me like she could when I was a boy. I step in front of Sophia, not dropping the gun an inch.
“I said she’s sleeping.”
