Page 38 of Scarlett's Mountain Man
But I continue to stare at the ground, feeling so helpless. I should have known I was never going to get away from him. I should have known. But everything inside of me wanted to and still wants to.
“Scarlett.” Daddy’s hands are wrapped around my face.
My eyes connect with his worried-filled ones.
“Come back to me,” he gently says. “Come back to Daddy.”
“I,” I stutter, not knowing what to say.
“Come back to me,” he repeats. “Come back to Daddy. I’m right here. Nothing is going to happen.”
I close my eyes, and Daddy’s hand tightens around my face.
“Look at me,” he commands, his voice a little clearer this time. “Look at me and keep your eyes on me.”
And that’s what I do. I look at him again, and he says calming words to me.
“Such a good girl,” he praises. “My good girl. You’re okay.”
I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the oxygen they desperately need.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers. “I’m right here.”
I blink several times, looking at him and resting my face into his hands.
“What happened?” Daddy asks, keeping his hands on my face.
And I’m grateful he is. I can feel myself panicking a little as he asks me that question, but I focus on his hands.
“He found us,” I whisper. “He’s going to get rid of her, going to sell her.” I sob. “He doesn’t want her.”
The thought of him selling Juniper breaks my heart. When he told me, I felt so helpless, and that’s when I knew I needed to get away.
“Who?” Daddy asks.
“Juniper.” Tears stream down my face. “He’s going to sell Juniper.”
“She’s just a fucking baby,” Brix growls.
My whole body stiffens when I remember that we aren’t alone. Brix and Elijah are still here.
“You’re okay,” Daddy whispers. “Everything is okay.”
I stare into his eyes and take a deep breath. Daddy is with me. He is going to keep me safe. I have to believe that because I know it’s true, but what if he changes his mind once he knows who he is up against?
“Can you tell me who he is?” Daddy asks, letting go of my face.
My eyes start to move to Brix and Elijah, but Daddy stops me.
“Look at me,” he reminds me.
I keep my eyes on him. “He was my ex-boyfriend of sorts. Thought he owned me, but he doesn’t. He told me when I got pregnant that if it was a girl, he would sell her. If it was a boy, then he was going to raise him to be just like him,” I whisper toward the end.
I lied a little. It wasn’t when I got pregnant, but when I got closer to delivering. He wanted me to know who was in control, but I didn’t follow him. I knew right then that I needed an escape plan when I gave birth, and it worked out perfectly. He had to go take care of some business and left me at the hospital.
“And you stayed with him the whole time knowing either was going to happen?” Elijah asks.
I shake my head. “It wasn’t actually when I found out, but more into my third trimester. I had nothing planned at that point and needed those two months to get everything ready.”
