Page 94 of Shattered Souls
“No shopping day is complete without an ice cream reward,” I tell Aurora around my mouthful of chocolate chip.
She nods, face serious as though I imparted a priceless gem of wisdom.
Have I mentioned how head over heels in love I am with this kid?
Pulling out the list Riley stuffed in my hand before we left the house, I go through it, ensuring we have everything we need.
“Can you think of anything we might have missed?” I ask Aurora.
She taps her spoon against her lips, nose scrunching as she thinks. The whole thing is cute as hell.
“Jammies?”
“Got that.”
“Night light?”
“Yup.”
“Pancake mix?”
I chuckle. “And chocolate and bananas to go on top.”
“I fink that’s everyfing.”
My list is much longer than three items, but it’s good to know what Aurora considersthe essentials.
“Good thing I didn’t listen to you about not needing a toothbrush, eh?” I tease, pointing at her chocolate-covered mouth.
Her eyes narrow adorably, but she doesn’t slow down as she shovels another spoonful into her mouth.
“Wouldn’t want all your teeth to fall out. Otherwise, how would you eat the delicious pancakes we’re going to make?”
We’re silent as I finish my ice cream and watch Aurora devour hers like someone’s going to snatch it away at any second. “Am I going to live wif you now?” she asks with an innocent tilt of her head, large eyes watching me over the tall glass of ice cream.
“Well, that’s where your mommy lives, so yup.” I give her an easy smile. I have no idea what she’s thinking, but it must be confusing for her. “Royce and Grayson live there, too, so it will be the five of us.”
She nods thoughtfully, but she’s worrying on her bottom lip, so I know something is bothering her. Instead of pressing her, I wait until she’s worked it through in her head. “What about those men…”
Fucking Bertram and David.Reaching across the table, I cover her hand with mine. “Sweetheart, those men will never take you away again, and they most definitely won’t be living with us.” My throat is tight, andgod,I just hope I’m tackling thisokay—the way Riley would if she were in my shoes. “Did, uh…”God, this is hard. “Did either of those men hurt you?”Damn, I really have to work at keeping my voice calm.
Staring at a spot on the table, she gives the slightest shrug of her shoulder, and my thoughts instantly spin out in a hundred different directions imagining all sorts of scenarios, quickly followed by various other ways in which I’m going to make Bertram pay for whatever the fuck he did to this little girl.Mylittle girl.
“Aurora.” Although my voice is soft, the tone is firm, and I wait until she flicks her eyes up to mine. “Did they hurt you? Did they hit you or say mean things?”
Her lower lip trembles.Oh. My. God.I just found my very own personal kryptonite. Before I know it, I’m out of my side of the booth and sliding into hers. She’s so tiny and breakable as I pull her into my arms.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whisper in her ear. “Whatever they did, it’s okay. You can tell me.”
Settling her on my knee, I fix her hair, giving her time to work through her feelings. “The mean one would shout at me,” she begins, and suddenly, I’m not so sure that I want to hear anymore. I’m already barely keeping a lid on my murderous rage. “And they never wanted to play wif me.”
I only got a brief look at David, but he seemed more of the sweat-it-and-stress type, so I’m guessingthe mean oneis Bertram. Her fucking father. I scoff at my own internal thoughts. That man isnother father.
My teeth grind. “Did either of them ever touch you?” Fuck only knows how that question doesn’t come out as an indecipherable snarl.
She shakes her head, and I swear, waiting for that answer took ten years off my life. I bet if I look in the mirror when I get home, I’ll find a gray hair.
“The mean one said hugs were for babies.”
